Page 8 of Duty Became Desire

“How you all got those bands is really beyond me. I think I even went down later to see if you were in the club, and I saw neither of you.”

I watched him, checking for any sign of a lie. But if he was telling one, he wasn’t giving himself away. Which was saying something, because James did not have the best poker face.

“Look, Alec, if you hate it so much, just get a divorce. You, of all people, know that Vegas is the marriage and divorce capital of the world.”

“I know. I’ll let Skylar know that I’ll get the paperwork and she can just sign it. I was just hoping there were answers. Because she and I can’t stand each other. I can’t believe we’d be drunk enough to hit up some chapel and just tie the knot.”

“Stranger things have happened, man. I mean, look, you got drunk again, and still ended up naked. Just in her bed rather than the beach.”

I glared at him, something being off about that comment. Sure, he was part of the crap that happened in Cali with my drunk ass. But I never mentioned anything about her bed. I mean, he could have concluded that, but that wasn’t James’s style.

Yeah, something was rotten in the state of Denmark, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it, even if it was after a divorce.

Chapter six

Skylar

“So, how was your wedding night?”

I grabbed the pillow and tossed it to Demi as she poked her head around the corner of the curtain. She laughed as she ducked, knowing that would have gotten a rise out of me.

“You can tell me, Sky. I’m your best friend. You share all your secrets with me.”

“Right. Best friend,” I snickered. “I can’t remember the night, so why don’t you share what happened, huh? You might know more than me.”

She stepped out, walking over to the platform and I made a face. The dress was pretty on the rack, and it wasn’t bad on her, but it wasn’t her style. Not that Demi showed a lot of skin, but even this was too covering for the beauty.

“You’re right,” she told me, turning every which way in the mirror. “And I can’t tell you about your wedding night. I wasn’t privy to it.”

“But you were at the wedding?”

She glanced at me in the mirror, then shook her head, smoothing the dress down over her hips before walking back to the changing area.

“No, I wasn’t at the wedding. I don’t even know where you got married at. I was in the room. I know we were having fun, there were drinks, you two were dancing. Then you two left, and James took me up to the room. I do recall telling him the room was spinning a lot.”

“That doesn’t help me, Demi. I can’t be married to that jerk!”

She poked her head out again; her brow lifted in question.

“Is he really that bad?” She held up her hand to stop my speech. “Beyond the hooker comment. Which, I would have done the same thing. I’m just saying you two have a lot of issues, a lot of anger with each other. Have you ever stopped to wonder what’s fueling that?”

“Age old bitterness, thank you very much.”

“Really, Skylar? You’re far too old to play the playground games. You aren’t like that, never have been.”

I sighed, twisting my hair around my finger as I waited for her to come out, thinking over what she said.

What kept happening to make us bump heads all the time? I mean, he did always go out of his way to be a dick to me, sure. But was it because I might be a little on the bitchy side? Maybe.

I also didn't want to acknowledge that she could have a point. That there might be something else fueling this. But that's a road I didn't want to take.

"What do you think of this?" she asked.

She walked to the mirrors, and my jaw fell. The dress was a beautiful, snug fitting gown with an intricate lace detail over it,but the back, the back was gone, the material dipping down to right above her ass.

It was shocking.

It was stunning.

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