Page 140 of All I Have Left

The waitress delivers the check, Josh insists on paying for us and throws his arm over Ethan’s shoulder as we’re leaving. “Let’s get the kid married.”

I’m not looking forward to their wedding. Not because I don’t want them to be happy, but because that should be Evie and me. I go back to trying to be thankful. Baby steps, I guess. Maybe I’ll be thankful in a week.

63

EVIE

Idreamed of my wedding when I was younger.

What little girl didn’t? I thought about it constantly from the dress I’d wear, to how Grayson would look in his tux, to the way his eyes would hold mine when we said “I do.” I always knew it’d be with him. Or, at least I knew I wanted it to be.

Frankie and Ethan’s wedding? Extraordinary. Every single detail from the lilac-colored roses to the lace around hay bales is perfect. They say their vows at sunset underneath an arbor Wyatt had built for them and everything is exactly the way she wanted, despite her being five months pregnant.

It’s after the ceremony itself when the real drama begins. Courtney shows up, flirts with Grayson right in front of me, and then proceeds to lay it on thick with Ethan too. He lost his virginity to her when he was sixteen and she never lets Frankie forget it. Even on her wedding day.

Grayson, he’s… extra today. That’s the only way I can describe it. His mood is off and I understand why. There’s simply too many people here for him.

“My granny is shitfaced,” Grayson notes, watching his grandparents as they hold one another up, laughing hysterically.

Leaning into him, I smile. “They’re cute.”

Wyatt’s parents, Gordy and Eden, are a trip. I’ve never met a couple their age so full of life. Eden, she still does headstands in the grass. Which, she’s doing now, thank you, tequila.

It’s while Ethan and Frankie are dancing to their first dance that Grayson reaches for my hand and presses his lips to my temple. “That should be us.”

With his hand on my knee, I lean into him, his warmth radiating into me. “Is that your proposal?”

“No.” He chuckles, his shoulders shaking. I watch his eyes, their spark, their beauty as he sighs. He looks so freaking good in a tux it’s hard to accurately describe. “I can do better than that.”

Moving his hand an inch higher, he grins. “Blood pressure is staying down.”

Heat rushes through my body, settling between my thighs. “Maybe we should leave early?”

Blinking slowly, his tongue darts out to slide across his bottom lip. “Whenever you’re ready.”

And then I think about where we are and the fact we can’t leave the wedding early. Frankie would kill me if I didn’t perform every maid of honor duty she has lined up for me tonight. Which, I have no idea what most are. I just run around telling people what to do and pretend I know what I’m doing.

Their song ends and couples flood the dance floor at The Point. I motion toward it with my hand, smiling at Grayson. “Do you want to dance?”

He snorts, swirling the water in his glass. “Spinning around on a dance floor? Nope.”

I hadn’t thought about that and immediately feel like a jerk. I slump in the chair. “Sorry. I didn’t think about that.”

He sighs, shaking his head as he draws in a deep breath, his hand withdrawing from my thigh. “Don’t let me ruin your fun.” He flips his hand to the dance floor, leaning to one side. “Go for it.”

Without warning, Kelly yanks me up. “Come dance with me.” She eyes Grayson playfully. It’s funny seeing Kelly drunk because she acts so reserved all the time. Until she drinks. “I promise I’ll keep my hands above her waist.”

Grayson rolls his eyes and lifts the water in his hand to his lips. “Probably the most thrill she’ll have in months.”

Kelly and I exchange a look. Blowing out a breath, I let her lead me to the dance floor. “Bad mood today?” she asks, nodding toward Grayson.

I follow her through the crowd. “More like every day.”

Colt Ford’s “Crank It Up” is playing, and a line forms quickly. I have a good view of Grayson, slouched in the white folding chair, the black in his tux giving him a mysterious look I can’t ignore. He’s sexy.

With one hand on his glass of water, his gaze slides across the dance floor to mine and I sway my hips to the music, wishing it was him holding me now.

He smiles, his gaze lingering on my hips. Laughing, Kelly grabs me at the same time Paul comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “Hey, pretty lady,” he says playfully. Paul doesn’t mean any harm, but tonight, he’s high, and probably drunk too and a little grabby. He’s always been that way with everyone.

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