Page 63 of Bottle Shock
I hate when she talks about herself like that—repeating the garbage some asshole made her believe because he couldn’t handle her brightness.
She steps closer, gaze steady, unwavering. “And now you’re offering to marry me. So what changed?”
“We’ve known each other most of our lives. Just because we’ve never been particularly close doesn’t mean I want to watch you struggle.”
She looks at me, something unreadable flickering in her eyes, before mumbling under her breath.
She straightens, and some of the hardness in her expression eases. “So where would we do this? It’s not like we can walk into the courthouse off Main Street and expect it to stay a secret.”
It takes me a beat to realize what she’s just said. “Wait. So, you’ll do it?”
She rolls her eyes, a ghost of a smirk playing on her lips. “It’s like you said—this is the fastest way to get insurance. And it’s not like anyone else is offering.” She pauses, thoughtful. “Though I could probably trick Shane into it.”
“Funny,” I deadpan. “I wish you luck. That boy’s allergic to monogamy.”
“No.” She smiles. “You’re definitely the better choice.”
She’s teasing, but the fact that she’d choose me, even playfully, has my heart pounding at the thought of belonging to her.
She’s right, though. We can’t just get married anywhere. Gossip spreads through town faster than a flashflood. We’ll need somewhere discreet, somewhere far from anyone we know.
And I might have an idea.
“What are you doing this Friday?”
She shrugs, her forehead creasing. “I don’t think I have anything going on. Why?”
“I have to take Lily to Seattle to her grandparents’ house. What if you came along? On the way back, we’ll stop in some random town with a courthouse and get married.”
She exhales, a shaky breath. “Whew, that’s fast.”
“Why wait?”
“Riiiight, she draws out, nodding. “Lily won’t think it’s weird that I’m tagging along?”
I shrug. “She might, but she’ll love the company. Anyone besides me is basically the coolest person in the world to her.”
Scottie still looks hesitant.
“We’ll tell her you have a meeting or something in Seattle and needed a ride. That way, if it gets back to my family, they won’t think anything of it.”
She nods slowly, like the information is settling in. “Okay.” It’s barely audible. “Let’s do it.”
I’m not sure whether to feel relieved or panicked. This was my idea, but the reality of it is finally sinking in.
I’m happy to do this for Scottie—that’s not the problem. The problem will be letting her go and pretending nothing happened afterward. That’s what’ll wreck me.
Scottie’s head tilts, her expression twisting. “Why did you come here? I feel like you came by to tell me something, but then we got...sidetracked.”
Shit. Right. There was a reason.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I wanted to remind you to get in touch with the listing agent. I think the sellers wanted to meet with us soon, and obviously this weekend doesn’t work—for several reasons.”
“Of course,” she says through a sigh. “I’ll do that.”
We’re quiet, staring at each other, unsure of what to do next. “I should get us rings. I don’t think they noticed at the open house, but we probably won’t be as lucky next time. Besides, we’ll need them for the ceremony.”
Scottie’s eyes widen. “Right. I didn’t even think about that.” She looks down at her left hand like she’s picturing it with a ring. “I think I’m a size six.” Her voice is distant, still staring down.
