Page 77 of Fear of Love
“Yeah.” Mateo glanced over his shoulder at his teammates.
“Be careful. If you get too drunk, call one of us to come pick you up. We don’t mind,” Wyatt said, but I found myself tuning him out when I felt someone step up behind me.
I knew who it was without looking. Landon’s cologne made my heart flutter in my chest. I kept my eyes forward as his chest grazed my back. Just when I thought my heart was going to explode, a hand nudged mine.
Landon’s pinky wrapped around mine next. It was a small gesture but enough to make my entire body light up.
It was right then, standing in the middle of a football field, pinky linked with Landon’s, that I realized I was starting to fall head over heels for the one guy I swore I never would.
22
LYDIA
“Bachelorette party time!” Tasha cheered from the front seat of the Uber.
The four of us were currently on our way to the Magic Mike themed club, but Josie had no clue that was where we were headed. She still thought we were going to a club for a simple girl’s night out with drinks and dancing. She was going to be extremely surprised.
We all wore our designated sashes that Tasha ordered weeks ago. Tasha did a great job at picking the right ones for each of us.
We all decided to wear black dresses to match, so if anyone saw us on the street, they would clearly know we were at a bachelorette party.
While the girls chatted animately around me, I found myself quietly battling the flood of unwanted memories. Memories I hadn’t expected to surface but wasn’t exactly shocked to see. The closer we got to Josie and Wyatt’s wedding, the louder my past came knocking. A past I had no interest in revisiting.
Just like I had during wedding dress shopping, I was going to do everything I could to keep tonight about Josie. It was her bachelorette party, and the last thing she needed was meweighing it down. I planned to bury the past and enjoy the night for her sake.
“You okay?” Josie nudged my arm, eyes filled with concern. I’d been quiet since I slid into the car.
“I’m good. Excited about tonight.” I sent her a smile, praying it didn’t look as fake as it felt.
It probably wasn’t smart to shove all these feelings down and ignore them, but I never said I was smart to begin with. I survived the last twenty-nine years doing so, and more than likely, it wasn’t gonna change anytime soon.
“So, Josie,” Tasha said, turning the conversation away from me. “We have a surprise for you.” She repositioned in her seat, giving us a wide smile.
“You have your scheming smile on. What did you do?” Josie narrowed her eyes at her maid of honor. Tasha’s smile only got bigger.
“We aren’t going to a club.”
“We’re going to jail tonight, aren’t we?” Josie sighed.
“We’re going to see Magic Mike!” Tasha all but yelled as the Uber came to a stop. The driver leaned to the side, as if trying to get away from her and create distance.
“Surprise!” Mila said with jazz hands, making me snort.
“Wait, seriously?” A wide smile appeared on Josie’s face as she looked at each of us. “I’ve heard so much about it!”
“Tasha’s the one who set it all up,” I added, which made Tasha preen.
“Just wait and see.” With that, Tasha opened her door and climbed out. Mirroring Josie’s excited grin, I stepped out of the car, the Uber telling us to have a good night. As soon as we stepped onto the sidewalk, I noticed the line in front of the building, the Magic Mikesign glowing from above.
With my arm hooked with Mila’s, we followed Tasha and Josie to the front door. I couldn’t hold back my smug look aswe passed by the line of people waiting to go in. I heard a few complain and say we were cutting, clearly not thrilled.
When we got to the door, all Tasha had to do was say her name and we were in, reminding me of the power behind her surname.
“I always forget how much of a pull you have,” I commented as the door shut behind us.
Tasha sent a smirk over her shoulder. “Pays to have assholes as parents.”
We walked down a simple hallway, the carpet below us a deep red velvet color. The lighting was slightly dark as we came up to another door. Tasha gave her name to the bodyguard that stood in front of it.
