Page 120 of Holiday on the Rocks
“No, as a matter of fact I think I’m going maybe kidnap Allie for a while just so I can figure out what’s going on. Not really kidnapping, just an ordered discussion?”
“In my opinion that’s a bad idea.”
“A good place for your opinion is up your ass.”
He punched my arm. “I see we’re playing stupid again. Looks like your winning.”
Clint walked to the center of the room, grabbed Allie by the hands, and pulled her to him.
“First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for welcoming me here.”
Nods around the room, and I would’ve been blind to not notice the fucking overjoyed look on Will’s face. I couldn’t recall seeing him happy. Ever. But there he stood, arms across his chest, wearing a smile.
I hate being hated by him.
Clint turned. “Allie, I know I surprised you by coming here, but sometimes absence clears things up.”
He reached into his pocket, and every ounce of oxygen was squeezed from my body when he pulled out a little red velvet box and dropped to his knee. I’d reached the point in my life where I need a stronger word than fuck.
“Allie, I don’t want to imagine another day without you.”
Everything was in slow motion, and my vision was hyper focused. Her eyes went wide as he opened the box while douchbag wore a fucking smile that could curdle milk.
“Allie, will you marry me?”
Everything froze. I couldn’t breathe and felt Evan’s hand on my arm. And then it happened. Allie’s hands went to her cheeks as she stared at the ring. I don’t know shit about diamonds, but as he pulled it out of the box all I knew was that it was big. A large, shiny diamond that made me want to hurdle the coffee table, grab dickhead, and drown him in the lake out back.
Time stood still as I awaited her refusal. There was no fucking way she wanted to marry this dude after our time together. We were back—Allie and Levi.
“Yes.”
My ears melted off my head. What in the hell was happening?
Clint slid the ring onto her finger before standing and hugging her as the room burst into applause, and I couldn’t seem to suck in any air. I wanted to leave, to disappear, but my feet were stuck. While Clint hugged her, Kristina’s eyes were on me.
I stood there while all the ladies went and looked at the ring as Allie held out her hand. She had a few tears under her eyes she wiped away.
FIFTY-SIX
ALLIE
LEVI = EVIL
I stared at the ring as the voices in my head were requesting booze pronto. Sobriety and whatever in fuck this was were not mixing well.
This could be the worst idea in the history of time, but it was my steppingstone to get where I wanted to go. A way to get out of Colorado, and I’d deal with it once I was home. Or maybe I’d move away and start a new life with a new less fucked up identity.
This morning was a time for fake smiles and head nods all in the spirit of getting away from Levi. He’d hatched up the closure plan knowing he made me weak. One look and he made my bra want to pop open.
My mind was racing with visions of the last few days hurling through my brain like an asteroid. Currently it seemed my brain had ten tabs open, a GIF of a guy falling down, and an alarm going off; I was in the danger zone. My life is like when you’re holding your laundry basket and a sock falls and you pick it up and two more fall, and eventually everything is everywhere.
He had beautiful women in Brazil and he just wanted to be shagged and bagged in Colorado because he’d grown into an awful human. I wondered if the one in his home knew of the other ladies. He needed to burn in hell.
He wasn’t my Levi anymore.
Levi = evil.
I turned to find Will beside me and pulled me in for a hug. “Congrats, Sis.”
