Page 91 of Off the Wall

“Why don’t you skip the bouquet toss?” Violet suggests. “Just sit with me for a minute. Take a breath.”

“I’m Hayden’s maid of honor.” I smooth my hands down my dress. “The least I can do is be there for her.”

As I make my way to the dance floor, a slideshow of my life starts playing in my head, and the carousel is pretty bleak. For one thing, I barely remember my parents. But I don’t have to drop back to childhood to plumb the depths of my losses. Just last year, I torpedoed the career I prepared for allthrough college. East and Becca moved out six months ago. Now Hayden’s married and leaving me too. Soon I’ll lose Cash to the West Coast. And Serendipi-Tea will never be mine.

Be real, Nori. You never had Cash Briggs, either.

Only the mirror did.

“I’ve got no one,” I whisper.

As the bouquet sails over my head, I don’t even reach for it.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cash

“Hey, babe.”Cullen waves to get Lauren’s attention. She’s propped up in a hospital bed with her phone balanced on her belly. “If you don’t take a break from your phone, I’m afraid your corneas might meld to the screen.”

“I appreciate your concern,” she quips without looking up. Sounds chirp and blare as she scrolls. She’s cut her hair short since I saw her last. Her normally big eyes are in a squint.

“Why don’t you read one of thoseUSmagazines Cash brought you?” Cullen suggests.

“Good advice,” she says flatly. “I’ll be sure to take it under advisement.”

I clear my throat. “Do you need more ice chips?”

Lauren glances at the full bowl I got her a half hour ago. It’s sitting on the rolling tray. Ignored. Then she returns her focus to the screen. “I think I’m good, Cash. Thanks.”

Cullen shoots me a look. “Our daughter’s going to be born with an Apple logo on her forehead.”

“For your information,” Lauren says, “I’m merely distracting myself from said daughter, who’s trying to squeezeher way out of my body.” She grunts and adjusts her position. “Emphasis on MY body, not yours. So you don’t get a say in how I’m choosing to deal with labooooor—AHHHHH!”

She reaches for Cullen’s hand, her knuckles going white in a death grip.

“Awwwwww.” Cullen grimaces as Lauren gasps and blows in a rhythmic pattern. He starts hissing along with her, until they’re both pushing air through their teeth.

“Hee-hee-hee-hoooo. Hee-hee-hee-hoooo.”

Lamaze. What a trip.

Thirty seconds—or an eternity—go by, and Lauren finally stops panting. Cullen mops at her forehead with a cloth. “You did good, babe.”

“Wow.” I wince. “That was a big one, huh?”

Lauren frowns at me. “You know, if this whole Powell MedTech thing doesn’t work out, you really should get a job as a detective.”

“Sorry.” I shift my weight. “I’ll just sit here and keep my mouth shut. Or, I could … leave you two alone, if you want.”

“No, no, no.” Lauren shakes her head. “I need you here to keep me from killing your brother.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll just try harder not to be annoying.”

She sighs. “It’s not you, Cash. It’s me. Turns out this being-in-labor thing is kind of a drag.” She nods at the stack of magazines I picked up for her at the gift shop. “And I do appreciate the tabloids. And the ice chips. But all I really want is an epidural.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Cullen clears his throat. “I thought we decided to go fornaturalbirth, babe.”

“Well, WE might be changing OUR mind about that, BABE,” Lauren grits out.

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