Page 188 of Sweet Strings

“He will,” Rad rasps, rubbing at his abdomen. “I have zero doubts he’ll chop us into tiny pieces.” He wrinkles his nose when Seger’s grin grows, and he nods.

“Just be good,” Zepp mutters, kissing my cheek.

Slowly, Asher pulls me forward, helping me maneuver my long dress through the sand.

“You really are gorgeous, Pretty Girl,” Rad murmurs, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “This dress is…beautiful.” Tears form in his eyes, and he sniffles. “I’m finally marrying my dream girl. My one true love.” He cups my cheeks, swiping away the rogue tears dripping down my damn cheeks. Despite my efforts not to cry, it seems impossible at this point. “I knew from the moment I watched Kieran fuck you over that desk that you were the one for me.”

“Dude,” Kieran grumbles, shaking his head. “We have an audience.”

“What?” Rad asks, wrinkling his nose. “It’s true! You think we didn’t stand there for the full thirty seconds…” Rad grins when Kieran rolls his eyes.

“Was longer than thirty seconds, asshole,” Kieran huffs.

“Try three minutes,” Callum says, side-eyeing Kieran as he turns beet red.

“I hate you all. I can’t believe I’m strapped to you idiots for eternity. You know, River Blue. It’s not too late. We can run away together,” he says with a sly grin, falling over when Asher pushes him aside.

“I won’t let you take my girl,” Asher grumbles, straightening out his suit jacket.

“Psst. Get in your spots,” Chase, Kaycee’s other husband, whispers, pointing to a few spots in the sand. Without a second thought, the five of us take our spots.

Me in the middle with the four of them surrounding me, leaving me in the center of their circle. My stomach swirls again as hot acid leaks up my throat, begging to come out. I take a deep breath, working through the constant nausea. Nervous sweat leaks from every pore.

“Ready, Little West?” he asks with a megawatt grin.

I nod, not daring to speak when he begins the ceremony. The crowd settles into their seats, watching us with rapt attention as Chase belts out the words animatedly.

Kieran squeezes my waist, staring down at me with furrowed brows. “River Blue, you’re pale,” he whispers right in my ear, not garnering the attention of the rest of the boys.

I shake my head. If I open my mouth, I’ll…

“Fuck,” I hiss, pushing through the boys, barely making it to a clear spot away from the prying eyes watching our every move.

“I got you,” Kieran says, rushing to my side and holding back my hair.

“Well, I was going to say you may kiss the bride, but…” Chase’s joking voice trails off as the murmurs start in the crowd.

“I’m okay,” I whisper through a ragged breath, holding back the next wave of nausea threatening to pull me under.

“Maybe we should talk to the doctor about those pills?” Kieran says, helping me stand tall. I let out a sigh of relief when he rubs a tissue along my lips and cleans me up.

“Yeah. Might have to. Wait, how’d you know about those?” I whisper, wiping the moisture from my cheeks.

He smiles, fluffing my hair back out. “You mentioned you had to do that with Ly in the beginning. That it had gotten so bad you couldn’t go to work or class.”

“Pretty Girl, are you okay?” Rad asks with concern, finally making it to my side.

“Are you sick?” Callum asks, turning green when he blinks at the little pile on the sand.

Fuck. I press my lips into a tight line, breathing through the swooping feeling taking over my stomach.

Kieran hums, rubbing a hand over my stomach, which seems to soothe the waves of vomit attempting to come out again.

“Little Star,” Callum says with wide eyes, watching Kieran’s movements. “Are you…”

I smile, taking his hand in mine and gently placing it on my stomach over the dress. I do the same to Rad and Asher, bringing them in a circle around me again.

“Welcome to fatherhood, boys,” I whisper with more damn tears falling down my cheeks.

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