Page 183 of Faking It With the Small-Town Bad Boy

“I don’t think so,” Percy says.

“Easy, guys. We shouldn’t all be standing here watching her have a

tantrum,” Reggie says, biting back an outright chortle in his words.

“We should go over there and laugh in her face after she just blamed

Leah for hitting on Ryan.”

“That’s not nice,” Percy mutters, his smile subdued but still visible.

“Yeah, guys. Come on. This isn’t nice,” Julius adds. “We should take a

plate of food and file back into the band. We can play in Fayetteville

at that guy’s bar.”

“No, no traveling gigs,” Percy reminds them.

I feel bad about our earlier deal, but he is firm on keeping a promise.

While Percy was worried about the shop and ready to give up being

in the band, I refused to let that happen, so we settled in the middle.

He can go out of town for gigs with the band when the baby arrives,

and we’re back to normal. Until then, it’s local shows only, and he

said the guys all agreed to that.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere,” Storm breathes, assuring

me they’re just nattering at the moment. “But this is serious. What

are we going to do now? He left. No wedding, right?”

“I don’t know,” I say, shaking my head. “I hate to say it, but I feel bad

for her.”

We all watch Farrah through the worst day of her life, and while we

can’t jump to conclusions on where Ryan is, we all know the truth.

He just told me outside that we should leave together. Now I realize

he was leaving with or without me.

His mind was made up already.

“Wonder if the governor is going to level our town with a nuke now

that his princess of a daughter got her heart broken on her wedding

day,” Reggie says.

“He’d be doing us a favor,” Percy jokes.

---