Page 65 of Flynn

“Wish I could be there, hon,” Chloe said, disappointment on her face.

“Hey, your husband needed you more. There’s no resentment here. I’m just glad you could video chat,” Sofia said with a grin.

“Me too. Ooh, one sec. Gotta pee,” Chloe announced, and we laughed as she disappeared off screen.

Kate started to speak, but the door opened and Ellis entered. He looked around the room, noting everyone in it and grinned.

“Ladies.”

“Hey, no seeing the bride before the wedding!” Kate called, standing to try and block Sofia. I laughed because Sofia was a good three inches taller than Kate and it didn’t really work.

“But I wanted to come back for a nap. The guys had me out late and I don’t want to be this tired for the wedding. It's going to be a long night,” he complained.

“Well, go somewhere else. You can’t be here. Ask one of your groomsmen to crash in his room.”

Ellis groaned. “Fine, but can it wait a few minutes? They’re out at lunch and Flynn is in the lobby. I’d rather avoid a confrontation,” he said, his mood darkening at once. His pale eyes met mine, and I swear there was a little anger there.

“Fine,” Kate said, putting down her glass with a sigh. “I’ll go see if I can get you a room to nap in,” she said, scooping up her bag and exiting.

“Flynn’s in the lobby?” Sofia asked. The note in her voice had me turning to look at her, but her eyes were on her fiancé.

Ellis grunted his response. “He was making himself comfortable on one of the lounges, so I don’t think he’ll be fucking off anytime soon.”

I frowned and pressed my lips together. Right now was not the time to get into a shouting match over this.

“I’ll, umm, I’ll be right back. I need to ask Flynn something,” Sofia said, putting her glass down too.

“What? No, no you don’t,” I said quickly in panic.

“Be right back!” she shouted happily before she ran out the door, leaving me alone with Ellis.

An awkward silence fell over the room, and I could feel Ellis’s gaze on me.

“So,” I started, not sure what to say. “Are you nervous for the wedding?”

~

Flynn

“So, you two talked, but it didn’t go well,” Sofia said by way of greeting.

I sighed and turned to look at her over my shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be all cozied up with your fiancé right now? You guys are getting married tonight.”

“I am, but my best friend and I were talking, and she said some things that made me step out of my romance bubble because clearly, I need to knock some sense into you.”

I raised an eyebrow and she stepped up beside me, her expression exasperated.

I sighed. “Okay, what?”

She stared at me as if weighing her words before speaking. “Chiara wants you, dumbass.”

I laughed a little awkwardly and shoved my fingers through my hair. Yeah, I know that. She made it perfectly clear. It doesn’t mean I’m good for her, though.

“She wants you, and she is a grown ass woman capable of making her own decisions and accepting the consequences. She is not a wilting flower or a shrinking violet. She’s not a fragile as you are making her out to be,” Sofia continued.

“What did Ara tell you?” I asked, wanting to know what I was working with here. While I hadn’t sworn Ara to secrecy or anything, I hadn’t told her about my past so she could go and tell her girlfriends.

“Hardly anything,” she answered, annoyed. “I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.”

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