Page 83 of Mischievous Lies

“What did you just say?” I ask quietly. My mother turns to me and pulls me in for a hug. At that moment, Hawke stops at my side, and I look at him.

“Did you two have a bet about me?” I ask, unsure how I should feel about it or what it was even for.

My father curses as he looks at the sky, the muscle in his neck bulging.

“Fuck yeah, we did. And he lost,” Hawke says proudly.

“Okay, I didn’t so much as lose…” Dad begins.

“Outright lost. I told you I’d marry your daughter one day. Welcome to the wedding, Pops,” Hawke says, bringing him in for a bear hug that he’s clearly not excited about. My eyebrows pinch together, and my mother shakes her head.

Hawke then turns to me, grabbing my hands with a shit-eating grin. “The first time I saw you, we were at Uncle Alek’s house. I was only sixteen then. I didn’t know who Will was, but when you walked in, I knew immediately you were the girl I was going to marry.”

“Little shit had the nerve to say it right beside me. Couldn’t even keep it to himself,” Dad adds, recalling events. “I told him a girl like you would be too good for him.”

“So I said, ‘Wanna make a bet?’” Hawke smirks.

My father is shaking his head.

“This is why you never liked Hawke,” I say, finally getting it, and then look at my mother, who is smirking. “And you always loved him.”

“I always had a feeling about you two,” she says smugly. “But I wanted you to have some fun before you settled down, of course. Nobody wants to settle for the same old dick unless it’s exceptional.”

My father clears his throat and shoots her a pointed look as he says, “Way to kick a man while he’s already down.” She just laughs.

“Wait. So what do you lose?” I ask my father, and he turns a shade paler as he glares at Hawke again, who can’t wipe the smirk off his face. It’s so strange to see my father back out of any kind of bet.

“Go on,” Hawke encourages, which seems to only piss my father off.

“Have I mentioned how much of an asshole this guy is?” Dad says to my mother, pointing a finger at Hawke.

She smirks. “Takes one to know one, dear. Now, tell her. You made the bet.”

He sighs and looks me dead in the eyes as he says, “I have to streak at your wedding in front of everyone, and at least one photo must be taken as evidence.”

I snort and glance at Hawke, who seems impressed by himself. I throw my head back and laugh, folding into Hawke’s chest as I try to keep my makeup from running with the tears of amusement welling in my eyes.

“I thought it was good too,” Hawke says, laughing.

And even with all the people here who we love, it still just feels like us. I don’t feel an ounce of ill will at this bet. In fact, it reassures me that from the very start, Hawke had always noticed me. Even amidst all the games and taunting, we were always going to end up right here. It’s also hilarious because I can just imagine my smug father being challenged by a cocky sixteen-year-old Hawke.

“Wait. If it’s a shotgun wedding, isn’t that supposed to mean Ivy’s pregnant?” Ford asks, and everyone falls silent. It’s like the other shoe has finally dropped, and the energy in the crowd shifts.

“Yep!” Hawke says proudly, lifting me into his arms to parade me around.

“We’re having a baby!” I yell out excitedly, and my father drops to his knees, staring at the ground. My mother laughs as she drops to his side, most likely whispering encouraging words.

“You can’t be upset. Remember, we weren’t expecting Ivy either,” I hear her say.

But I know he can’t hear anything right now. We might actually give my father a stroke today.

I notice Alek still standing beside him, looking down at him. When he raises his head, there’s a slight smirk on his lips. His wife, Lena, nudges him as she pulls Hope in for a hug.

“Are you kidding me?!” Eli growls. Hawke shifts to turn and face the lake where the sun is setting. Eli is holding Jewel by the waist. “I’ve been trying to impregnate my wife for over a year now.”

“Yeah, well, we’re on birth control,” Jewel says, tapping his shoulder.

“No, we’re not because I’ve been tampering with it,” he admits.

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