Page 11 of Guarded Love

She snorted. “That’s a lot of women.”

There it was. Her disdain. All I was trying to do was be kind for some unknown reason, and she met me with nothing but sarcasm. “You really need to find some new material for your comedy act.” I finished my drink before turning away from the water and heading back inside. “Anyway, have fun out there tonight.”

“Wait a second—”

“No need. I’m Teflon. Nothing bothers me for very long.” And that, in a nutshell, was why I didn’t bother opening up to people or going out of my way to identify with them. Somebody would always consider themselves clever by making a joke of my life.

Fuck it.

We had a party to start.

Her opinion was hers to keep. I wasn’t going to give her another thought.

“Come on, dickheads,” I announced, stepping back inside before dropping into my chair. “Let’s hurry this up. There’s a boat waiting for us.”

5

EVELYN

Lourde held up a bottle of champagne, and the way she wiggled her eyebrows along with her hips made me laugh. “I’m serious. I don’t want anybody thinking they can’t drink just because I can’t. Let’s pop this sucker!”

“There’s a lot more where that came from,” Pepper was happy to oblige, and soon, the suds were flowing. I held out my glass. This is what I needed. To unwind. To forget everything and have a little fun. Once I got back to New York, there would be plenty of time to rest while I recuperated from surgery.

The surgery that could finally make me… normal.

“Damn, Eve!” Olivia raised her glass like she was toasting me. “Don’t hold back, girl! We’re going to party tonight!” With the bubbly alcohol making its way through my veins and loosening me up, I could cheer and holler the way the others did. Our voices carried across the water—we were loud enough that I wondered if the guys could hear us on their boat.

Pepper winked at me before opening the duffel bag she’d brought onto the boat. “Can’t have a bachelorette party without this!”

I burst out laughing at the sight of a plastic headband with a big, glowing penis attached to the top. When she placed it on her head, it looked like she had a dick growing straight out of her skull.

“Classy!” Grace managed between giggles.

“Oh, there’s more.” Pepper handed me a headband before pulling out a handful of rings which, big surprise, also featured colorful rubber penises. At least they were smaller than the one she wore on her head. Every time she moved, it bobbed and bounced.

Before long, we were all dissolving in laughter. Was this what I was missing all that time?

It felt like I was so separated from the rest of the world. Living in Boston, I was used to seeing groups of girls like the one I was now a part of. A group of squealing girls drunkenly lurched down the street, screaming out to everyone in earshot that the bride-to-be was celebrating her last night of freedom. I was never part of that. Usually, I was passing them in a car or on the way inside my building. Even as I would roll my eyes at their antics, there was always part of me that wished I could be one of them.

So, after a second glass of champagne, I plopped the headband firmly on my head and wore it with pride, twirling in a circle once the music started thumping. “Go, Eve!” Lourde called out, waving her hands over her head as she joined me in the dancing. Maybe it was because there were no men around, but I didn’t feel my usual crippling anxiety. It wasn’t quite the same as dancing like no one was watching, but it was close enough.

“I wonder what the guys are doing!” Olivia called out.

“I have a pretty good idea.” Pepper rolled her eyes.

“No, they wouldn’t,” Olivia insisted while she adjusted the penis on her head. Hers glowed green, while Lourde’s was purple, Grace’s was yellow, and Pepper’s was pink. Mine was a lovely shade of blue.

“Who knows with Magnus making plans,” Pepper countered.

A rush of heat blasted through me, hot and fierce enough to take my breath away.

Magnus.

Yes, I could imagine him bouncing a stripper on each knee right that very minute. The other men were devoted to their girls, but he didn’t have to worry about any such thing. He could enjoy himself for the rest of them.

Without thinking, I grabbed another glass of champagne and emptied it down my throat. What would it be like feeling so free and easy the way he did? He didn’t care what people thought about him. He did whatever made him happy. Then to top it off, he was so damn charming. He knew he could get away with anything. I couldn’t decide if I hated him or wanted him as I stared across the water, where the lights from their boat twinkled in the distance.

“Are you okay?” The concern in Lourde’s voice made me turn her way, and she covered her mouth with her hand before pointing at my head. “I’m sorry, that is ridiculous looking.”

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