Page 138 of Love, Luck & Clusterf*ck

“Maybe I didn’t know you yet, but my heart did. The moment I saw you, it knew who the necklace was meant for.”

This man. I let the tear escape down my cheek. I didn’t even fight it that time. If there was any man worthy of my sappy feelings, it was him.

He kissed it away. “You never finished your thought before. What does it mean when an amazing guy gives you something on the luckiest day of the year?”

Good thing I didn’t believe in superstitions, only facts. And there were too many signs pointing in our direction for it to be a coincidence. I held him tightly to me, recalling exactly what it meant.

“Whoever gives you a token on Saint Patrick’s Day is the one you’re meant to be with.”

“Tone it down, you two. PG-13, remember?”

I rolled my eyes, smiling up at Stephen. “We’re just kissing, Jills.”

“Yeah, well, they’re kids around. And that looks more like groping than kissing.”

I giggled. “Then you obviously haven’t been doing it right.”

Three months of seeing each other daily and having a crazy amount of sex, and we still couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I knew we were still technically in our honeymoon phase, but there was more to us than that. This was it. For both of us.

Jills walked away, shaking her head as she set the table. I knew she couldn’t be happier for us, but it was just hard for her to understand the passion part. Her kisses with Mike looked as dry as my emery board.

“Can we help you with anything?” I asked. She’d invited us overfor dinner, and all we were doing was making out in her dining room. I turned around so my back was pressed against Stephen’s chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist. Then I elbowed him in the side.

“Hey! Oh yeah, do you need me to, uh, man the grill or something?”

“Nope, everything’s taken care of for now.” She headed towards the kitchen. “I could use a beer, though. Anyone want anything?”

“I’ll take one,” Stephen said.

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

I watched Daniel and his friend out the back patio door tossing the football around. He’d finally started warming up to me. All it took was impressing him with my mad milkshake drinking skills. A couple weeks back, I brought over a few chocolate fudge extra-large, extra-thick ones from Freddy’s. I bet him that I could chug it down faster than him. He said not possible. Ha. I said just watch me. I ended up winning both the contest and his respect that day.

Jills came back in, handing Stephen a Spotted Cow. “Don’t forget,” I said, “we’re taking you out for your birthday next week.”

“Haven’t forgotten. Looking forward to it.”

“And you’re letting me dress you up.”

“No, you’re not.” She climbed on top of a chair, reaching up to the ceiling fan.

“Aww, come on. It’d be so fun.”

“She’s not a doll, Perry.”

“But she has a smokin’ hot bod, and she should show it off sometimes. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“No, I wouldn’t. She’s my fucking sister.”

“She’s also my good friend, so you’d better get used to me talking like that.” We’d grown so close it was kinda unbelievable. It felt like we’d known each other for years, not months. The way she was there for me, wholeheartedly supported my relationship with her brother…. I was going to make it up to her someday. Wasn’t sure how but I would.

“I thought I saw something. How the hell did this get up here?” she said, plucking a fuzzy object off one of the blades.

“Is it a camera?”

“What?” Stephen said just as she whipped it at me and hopped down. It was a little cat toy. “Why would it be a camera?”

“You say the strangest things sometimes,” Jills said.

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