Page 62 of Cruel King

I winced slightly at that. Harmony and Robert were dating now. “Uh … would it be weird for Harmony to make a dress for her boyfriend’s ex?”

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Harmony and I are friends now. She probably doesn’t give a shit.”

“Okay. Should I come help with the dress?”

“We’ll get some measurements. Harmony will probably kill me on this deadline, but she owes me.” Katherine shot me a mischievous smile.

I wondered what Katherine had done that made Harmony owe her.

English had a full list by the end of our lunch. It was an overwhelming amount to do, and I now understood why at least a year was put between the engagement and the wedding. That wasn’t going to happen here. It wasn’t possible to happen at any point, considering my father.

“Oh, and one last thing,” Katherine said, tapping English’s list. “An engagement party.”

“There’s no time,” English argued.

“What would be the point anyway?” Lark asked. “They’re not actually engaged.”

“They have to tell the worldsometime, and we should have her drinking the entire time, so we dash the rumors that she’s pregnant,” Katherine said. I blanched. “I’ll host it. We’ll do it this weekend. It’ll be onPage Sixby Monday.”

“Great,” I muttered.

With all of that planned, the girls hopped up to go and get shit done. I was lucky to have friends who didn’t look at me like I was a lunatic, but actually agreed to move the world for me. I hugged Katherine and Lark before they disappeared into a black Mercedes, leaving me and English alone.

“Well,” English said, “are you going to tell me what’s going on with you two?”

“Gavin wants to … date. You know, while we do this.”

English arched an eyebrow. “Do you want that?”

I bit my lip, looking down as we got out onto the New York City sidewalk. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

She took my arm and pulled me aside. “Maybe or yes?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “I want to date him. I want to try.”

English beamed and then dragged me into a hug. “Good. Okay, good. I feel a lot better about all of this if you’re happy.”

“It might all crash and burn.”

English snorted. “It’s you. That’s always a possibility. But hey, maybe you’ll fall madly in love.”

It didn’t seem likely, but I sure liked the sound of that.

19

GAVIN

“You’remarryingWhitley?” Court asked with wide eyes.

“Surprise.”

Sam must have heard it from Lark already because he clapped me on the back. “Congratulations, man.”

“Thanks.”

“Look, English told me what’s going on,” Court added hastily. “But I hadn’t heard it from your mouth, so I couldn’t believe it.”

“What’s to believe?”

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