Laura's
Wedding
The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Series Book 1
By K.T.
Castle
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kassandra is
a single, independent woman who prides herself on her own success.
But when she’s asked by her best friend Laura to be the
Maid of Honor in her wedding, Kassandra finds herself
questioning her lifestyle. Helping Laura plan the wedding
is no problem—she’s done it before for all their other friends.
The first time was a blast, the second super fun, but doing it
without receiving any help from the rest of the girls gets old really
fast.
The whole event kicks off with the worst kind of surprise
when Kassandra discovers who her friend's fiancé really
is, and she's torn between supporting Laura's future
happiness and hiding the deeply buried, intimate past she shares with
the groom-to-be. Struggling to be the bigger person and do all the
hard work on her own, Kassandra finds surprising comfort in
Josh, the best man in the wedding and someone she's been avoiding for
years. He's charming, thoughtful, handsome, and the worst kind of
womanizer, but she just can't seem to stay away. All the
while,Kassandra can't help wondering if the wedding could be any
more cliché—until she finds unexpected ways to change things up a
bit.
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From
Chapter 1
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. I’d heard
that saying more than once now. And I was about to hear it once again.
“Kassie!
Kassie, wake up! I’m getting married,” a high-pitched voice squealed at me at
3:00 a.m.
Who the hell is this? I had picked
up the phone without even looking at the caller ID. Oh,
Laura. Great.
“Kassandra,
are you listening? I’m engaged!” Laura screamed from the other side of the
phone.
“Yeah,
wow,” I said. “Congratulations.”
“I
can’t believe you, Kassie. You should be more excited. You’ll get to be my
bridesmaid!” The volume of her voice kept rising.
“I’m
happy for you, Laura.” I really didn’t know at the moment how I felt. I was
trying to look around to see exactly where I was. “Believe me. It’s just…it’s
three o’clock, and I was sleeping.”
After
looking at my surroundings, I remembered I was in my own house. I had a minor
headache, probably from all the drinking the night before, and my body ached a
bit. I looked beside me and found the reason for my hurt.
Next
to me I found the silhouette of a beautiful man. The memories of the few hours
before my abrupt awakening came back at me:
A
bar. A blond. My home. Some sex...in that order.
“I
know it’s late, but I had to give you the good news.”
“And
news it is.” She was the last of my best friends who was single; not so long
ago we roamed all the bars in town together, looking for men to hook up with,
and suddenly she was engaged.
Marisol's
Wedding
The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Book 2
The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Book 2
Kassandra’s last
single friend got married in the summer. But even if Kassandra
herself is the only unmarried girl in the pack, she isn’t single
anymore. Now that all her friends are married and all the wedding
planning is over, she has a chance to concentrate in her relationship
with Josh. Or so she thought until Marisol visits her with
a major, life-changing crisis. Helping her friends plan their wedding
was no problem─dealing with an unexpected pregnancy is a whole
other thing.
Kassandra is unable to decide the best way to
help Marisol, especially when her relationship with Josh reaches
a level of commitment she wasn’t expecting. Both girls will have to
remember the past in order to move their relationships
forward.
Destiny is full of surprises, and sometimes, the plans
you have aren’t laid out on the path set before
you.
Join Kassandra and Marisol as they
remember how they planned Sol’s wedding while they solve together
the difficulties in the present.
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From
Chapter 1
My
apartment had an open plan. It wasn’t big—just big enough. I had it all
decorated in light neutral colors, white dominating most of the space. Marisol
had taken the pink piglet with her and placed it on the marble counter while we
had some tea and cookies.
She
was calmer after she revealed her true intentions to me, but we didn’t discuss
her options much more; we both knew that this was a decision she had to make on
her own.
An
hour later, Josh and Micah returned. We knew they’d already had dinner, since
anyone could see red thick tomato sauce smudged all over the toddler’s face.
The boys had hunted some chicken soup and green salad
for us girls, relieving me of my cooking duties.
After
having her soup, Marisol said her farewells. Michael texted her that he was on
his way home, and she wanted to be there to greet him. She took some leftover
pizza and salad for Michael’s dinner. Josh helped her out with Micah, who’d
fallen asleep watching cartoons in my room.
It
was a surprise to see Josh so helpful with the rowdy toddler. I didn’t know he
liked children, and it surprised me even more that he was actually good with
them. I finished cleaning the kitchen, and Josh came back to hug me from
behind. “How about I rub your shoulders before I go home?”
“That
sounds wonderful,” I said as he stepped back so I could continue with my last
task.
“You’re
really tense, babe,” he informed me. “What had Sol so upset?” He moved away and
leaned against the kitchen counter.
“She’s
pregnant.”
He
crossed his arms before commenting, “I thought that would be something to be
happy about. I know I’d love to knock you up.” My boyfriend said naturally, as
if we’d had a conversation of the sort recently—or at all.
We’d
only dated for six months, so the baby subject had never been discussed before.
To be honest, I’d never in my life even thought about babies. I was about to
ask Josh what exactly he meant by his comment when he distracted me with
another question.
“Michael
isn’t happy about her being pregnant, or what?”
“Michael
doesn’t know yet,” I explained, doing my best not to show the panic I felt at
his mention of us having babies. I wasn’t ready for
that at all, but this was really about Sol and Michael, not us. “And, please,
don’t tell him. I probably shouldn’t have told you anything.”
“Sure,
that’s for them to talk about.” At least we agreed on that, but I was still
stock on his revelation.
“Josh,”
I asked as calmly as I could manage, trying to control the arrhythmia suddenly
overtaking my body, “what exactly did you mean by the knocking-me-up comment?”
I stopped wiping the microwave so I could look at him and size up his reaction.
“Nothing
much,” he nonchalantly answered, his gray eyes clear with honesty. “Just a
silly comment.” Then he crossed his arms over the broad chest I loved so much
and gazed back at me as if he was gauging my own reaction in return.
I
didn’t know if he’d meant anything by those words or if he was just trying to
shake off the whole topic—maybe because of the doubtful vibes I was sending his
way. I turned and walked to the sink, rinsing the cloth I used to clean the
kitchen and placing it next to the wide metallic bowl. “You’d like to have a
baby.” It was meant to be a question, but I expressed it as a statement.
“Sure.
Why not?” Josh answered with complete honesty. “I’d like to have a baby in the
future.”
I
exhaled deeply. That made me feel a little better, even if he hadn’t said he
wanted to have a baby with me in that future. I walked
to the living room, made myself comfortable on the light couch, and took a few
seconds to think clearly.
It
was rational for anyone to think about having children in the future, wasn’t
it?
“I
didn’t even know you liked children,” I said. He joined me on the sofa and turned
me around so he could massage my shoulders as he’d promised.
“I
didn’t know it myself, so of course you didn’t know.” Josh cleared his throat
while his hands did their magic. “I thought my nephew was the only kid I liked,
and he’s older now. Playing video games with him is the highlight of our
relationship. But I’ve been spending some time with babies recently. Nat’s girl
is so cute, there are no words to describe her. And Micah—he’s super fun. We
had a good time together today.
“My
sister got pregnant in her early twenties,” he continued, “so I was still a
teenager when Elliot was born. I guess that’s why I didn’t have that much time
to enjoy him. He’s twelve now—a real teen nightmare. Of course, being the cool uncle and playing Playstation with him always helps.”
“Oh.”
I mean, what else could I say? I knew so little about his family. I already
knew he had a sister who was a single mother, but I didn’t know his nephew was
a teenager. He rarely talked about them, so I thought he wanted to keep our
relationship lighter than ‘meeting-the-family’ status, and I was perfectly fine
with it.
He’d
mentioned to me that I should meet his sister once or twice, but there’d always
been something else to do. Maybe he wasn’t that
interested in me meeting his family, but I knew why I didn’t want him to meet
mine. Knowing them, they’d make the situation much more formal than it should
have been, and I didn’t want Josh to get the impression I was out to tie him
down. Our intentions with each other were clear, but the formality and future
path of our relationship was a whole other topic. I didn’t know if he was ready
for something like that; I knew that at the moment, I definitely wasn’t.
“I
still don’t get it, though.” Josh completely changed the subject and therefore
my train of thought. “Why is her pregnancy a problem?”
“Marisol
hasn’t worked since Micah was born,” I explained. “She’s the best financial
manager I’ve ever met. Sol’s great at her job, banks were always throwing money
at her to work for them, but most of all, she really enjoyed working with
numbers. She was really truly happy. Not that she isn’t right now,” I
clarified. “She’s completely in love with Michael and Micah. I don’t think
she’d have it any other way. But she was happy to go back to work, to feel fulfilled
in her professional life. Now that Micah’s in preschool, she accepted a
proposal from a bank she used to work for. Marisol’s super happy getting her
chance to work with all those numbers. And she feels that a new baby will
change it all. Somehow, she thinks that Michael and her family will pressure
her into staying at home with the baby. She’s terrified of that.”
“That’s
why she was so upset.” Josh seemed to really understand Marisol’s
situation—seemed completely sympathetic. “But there must be other options,” he
added. “Besides, a new baby should be a source of joy in any family. I love how
children light up a place.”
OMG.
I had never expected something like this from a man like Josh. A man I saw with
so many different women, I once considered him a womanizer. A man who worked in
the fashion world at a modeling agency, scouting models at bars and pubs. A man
who kept telling me he was so in love with me. And now he mentioned babies and
how wonderful they are.
It
was too much for me right then.
“Whether
they’re planned or not, having a baby is a big deal. People should be happy
about it,” Josh continued, voicing his opinions in a parallel universe I never
thought existed.
Yep,
too much. I needed to stop this conversation.
“I’m
sure,” I said, trying to stop any more ‘how wonderful are babies’ comments.
“You know what, Josh? I’m really tired.” I stood and ran from his loving
ministrations. “This whole thing with Sol completely drained all my energy and
I have an early day tomorrow. Do you mind if I go to bed now?”
“Oh,
sure, gorgeous,” he said. “I completely understand.” Josh walked to the door
and I followed him closely. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” The way he said
goodbye sometimes made my body physically reluctant to let him go. His kisses
completely melted me, and he knew just how to ignite my body so I couldn’t do
anything but want him. Tonight, though, I felt like being alone, and I really
needed him to go.
“Will
you meet me tomorrow at my place?” he asked as his mouth left a trail of kisses
down my neck. “Or should I come back here?” His hands had already unbuttoned my
shirt, exposing one of my breasts, and his skilled fingers played with my
nipples.
“You’re
the devil,” I said, pushing him against the door. He dropped his hands and gave
one his most deliciously impish smiles. “Stay away from me.”
“Until
tomorrow?”
“I’ll
call you tomorrow and let you know,” I answered.
“I
love you, baby,” he said.
I
kissed him lightly and closed the door behind him as he left. It might have
been silly, but at that moment, I was really thankful that I was on the pill.
Natalie's
Wedding
The
Bridesmaid's Checklist Book 3
Kassandra
never thought she’d be in another committed relationship, but now
she’s living with her boyfriend Josh. Things can’t get any
better. But they can get worse.
Natalie
has dropped a major bomb on her, confessing she believes her husband
is having an affair. Kassandra is always ready to help a friend, but
accepting that one of their marriages isn’t working goes against
everything she believes about the people she loves. Wanting to help
their friend overcome this difficult situation and provide Natalie
the support she needs, Kassandra and the girls pull a lot of strings
to help Natalie uncover the truth. In the process, Kassandra
discovers remarkable similarities between Josh’s recent changes and
those in Natalie’s allegedly cheating husband. She’s always been
an independent woman who prides herself on her own success, and when
she digs up one dirty secret after another, she can’t help but
wonder if her man’s womanizing days are really behind
him.
Sometimes,
love makes us twist reality to avoid hurting those we hold closest to
our hearts. Join Kassandra and Natalie as they struggle to reconcile
their fears in love with the truth.
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From Chapter 4
Saturday
morning, Josh headed out for a photo shoot he expected to last all day. He
didn’t usually work on weekends, but it happened from time to time. It still
bothered me a little that his job involved being surrounded by beautiful young
women so he could capture that beauty, but whenever I dropped by for a visit,
everyone knew who I was and what I meant to him. That made it easier for me,
and I knew it made it easier for Josh. He loved working for himself and had
grown JAG Modeling Agency from the ground up.
Since
I’d be on my own for the day, I decided to take advantage of the situation and
invite the girls over for a chat with Natalie. She had asked
me not to intervene in her situation with Andrik, and while I respected her
wish of me not talking to her husband, I knew she needed support from her
friends.
I’d
asked them to be at my place around nine and to leave the children at home with
their fathers. We needed some girl time alone. Then I tried to cover all my
bases with breakfast—fresh juice and fruit in case anyone was on a diet,
spinach omelets without cheese for those who avoided dairy, and pancakes just
in case someone needed something a little stronger. I also bought some
high-quality steak cuts, potatoes, onions, and corn, thinking that if our meeting
ran too long, my friends’ husbands would show up and turn our breakfast meeting
into a barbecue. Even though all my friends had the space and furniture to
throw these get-togethers in their own homes, Josh and I had taken on the role
of hosting them every week since we’d moved in together a month ago. I wondered
how much longer we’d be able to keep up that kind of consistency.
Marisol
and Laura showed up early, and I gave them a small briefing on what the
gathering was about. The news shocked them, too, and they wanted to try to
convince Natalie that it had to be something else. While they helped me set up,
I reminded them that we needed to be delicate and careful not to overwhelm her.
Natalie
arrived not much later, looking far less than her normal, glamorous self. Her
bleach-blonde hair was now long enough to pull back into a messy ponytail, and
I wasn’t sure the look suited her; we were used to seeing her with a little
more care given to her appearance. She wore beige capris with a floral,
short-sleeve shirt—something much more suited to Marisol in her mommy role. The
little changes Natalie made now leaned more toward comfortable and away from
posh, and I knew it was because she was unhappy. She’d never let being a wife
and a mother distract her from presenting herself as if she were about to make
her way down a catwalk. She still looked good, but it wasn’t her.
We
sat on my terrace around the glass table Josh and I had added to the patio
furniture. I was happy to see that everyone seemed to enjoy the food, and the
conversation was amicable. But it didn’t flow or feel comfortable. I guess we
were all waiting to see who would bring up the elephant in the room first.
“I still can’t
believe you let Josh adopt a dog,” Marisol said as she crossed her legs in her
chair, doing her best to avoid the beautiful American Pitbull licking her toes.
“Let?” I
asked. “This is his house. How could I say no? Besides, have you looked at this
guy? He’s gorgeous!” I called the goofy mutt by offering him a piece of bread.
Josh was adamant about only feeding him the holistic dog food and healthy
treats, but I couldn’t resist. “Come here, Jagger.”
Josh
and I had fallen in love with him the day we stepped into Malibu’s Pet Shelter.
Someone had found him in one of the parks around our neighborhood, and we
helped the people at the shelter look for his owners; someone had to be missing
him dearly. Sadly, no one responded to the ads we posted on social media or the
flyers we handed out at the park, so we took him home. Jagger was perfect for
us. His coloring was a soft silver that reminded me of Josh’s eyes, and oddly
enough, Josh had said the dog’s blue eyes reminded him of mine. In that way,
bringing Jagger home meant we had officially started our own family. I never
had any pets as a child; Babushka never allowed it, even when I
almost convinced Dzed to get me one. I started out
not knowing exactly how to take care of a dog, but I sure was having fun
learning. Josh adored animals, and his nephew Elliot wanted to come live with
us to spend as much time as possible with Jagger.
“No, dog. Go
to Kassie... Shoo.” Laura swatted at him after he went for her toes next.
Surprisingly, she was rather warm toward him, but she didn’t seem excited about
all the drool.
As
I went to get him some water, Natalie called the pup to her and scratched him
behind the ears. Jagger would do about anything for a little love and
affection. “How are you, big guy?” she asked. “I’m bringing Ella to meet you
soon. Yes, I will. Yes, I will.” She rubbed his chin. “You better be nice to
her.”
“Aren’t you
worried she’ll be afraid of him?” Marisol asked with a frown. “Michael thinks
Micah would adore him, but I think he’d scare Maya too much. He’s huge!”
“He’s not.
He’s perfect.” I corrected her. “He’s as gorgeous as Josh.”
“Don’t pass
your fear on to your children,” Natalie explained. “They’ll be just fine. And
believe me, you’d rather bring Micah and Maya to visit Kassie and Jagger than
have a dog at home. Think of it as practice.”
“Oh, no way!
We’ll never have a dog,” Marisol replied. I blamed Mama Tina for her reaction;
no one in that family had ever been allowed to bring home a pet. “Michael has
two children. That should suffice.”
“I’m sure
he’ll find a way to convince you, Sol,” Laura said. She’d said very much the
same thing to me some time ago, hinting that Josh had sexed me up perfectly to
convince me to get a dog. He had, although he didn’t have to try too hard.
As
soon as Jagger saw me place his water bowl on the floor, he ran to me. Then I
laid out some of his toys to distract him from my friends’ toes. This dog was
the start of a completely new adventure in my life with Josh, but talking about
him only moved us further away from the reason we were all here.
“Okay, I’ve
had enough.” It didn’t surprise any of us that Laura took the plunge. “We all
know the food is good. Micah, Maya, and Ella are doing great. We all look like
freaking supermodels.” She grabbed her glass and refilled it with orange juice.
“And Kassie and Josh’s house is homey and warm. None of us can believe Josh
found a way of convincing Kassie to have a dog, and we all think this means
he’s a sex god...” As she spoke, she waved her hands about in exasperation and
splashed her drink all over the deck. “But what the fuck did you mean when you
told Kassandra you think Andrik is having an affair?”
“God, Laura.”
I took the glass from her hand and placed it on the table. “We agreed we would
take it easy.”
“Yeah, we did.
But not talking about it at all isn’t enough,” she said, raising an eyebrow and
glancing at me. “I can’t believe it, Natalie. Andrik is not that
kind of man.”
“Why did you
have to tell them?” Natalie looked at me, hurt and disappointment overflowing
in her eyes, and her whole body tensed, her back growing rigid and protective.
That look was exactly why I’d asked the girls to take it easy. I should have
opened a bottle of wine for Laura.
“‘Cause she
knows we’re your friends and you need us right now,” Marisol interjected and
grabbed Natalie’s hand.
Natalie
sat with perfect posture that reminded me of a ballet dancer—back straight,
shoulders squared, head held high, so very proper and untouchable. “I don’t
think I’m ready to talk about this.”
“Well, I’m not
ready, either, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s cheating on you, does
it?” Laura countered, giving our friend exactly what she needed to confront her
demons.
“I guess not.”
“So start
speaking, Little Angel.” Laura had been using this nickname for Natalie since
they were roommates in college. Neither of them had ever explained its origin,
but Laura was the only one to this day who ever used it.
“We just want
to know how we can help,” Marisol added.
“I don’t think
there’s much you can do about it. I just have this feeling in my gut that
Andrik’s cheating on me.”
“So it’s just
a feeling?” Laura leaned forward, and I knew she’d take this on as her own side
project. When Laura decided to take matters into her own hands, there was no
rest for the wicked. Never thoughtful or delicate, she operated boldly and
directly; she could have been a Sergeant at times. And even if her tactics
didn’t work for the faint of heart, her aim was to help her friends no matter
what.
“You haven’t
talked to him yet?” I asked, surprised after the conversation Josh and I had
had with her.
“I tried to
talk to him about it when I left your house the other night, but I just
couldn't find the words. How could I even start?”
“You just grab
him by the balls and ask him what the fuck is going on,” Laura almost shouted.
Marisol placed a hand on Natalie’s knee the same time I did. Our friend needed
the opportunity to vent, and we all knew pushing her to do things with force
never worked for her.
“Calm down,
Laura,” Sol said gently. “Not even you would do something like that.” I nodded.
“You’re right.
But I wish I would,” Laura replied, her fire dying down just a bit. Everyone
remembered the time Laura had found out an ex-boyfriend had been cheating on
her when they were dating. It had completely devastated her when she’d
discovered that her boyfriend had been sleeping around with the guy I was
dating at the time. Things had gotten really ugly. “That’s what I should have
done with Julian.”
I
patted Laura on the back to let her know I understood exactly what she was
talking about.
“It’s not as
easy as you’d think,” Natalie replied, rearranging her hair. “I have so many
things in my mind that I need to say. So many questions to ask. But when I’m
alone with him, I can’t think straight. I can’t find my voice to say what I
have to say. I just want to hug him and show him that I’m the one he should be
with and not anyone else.” She hugged herself, looking down at her lap, and
even though her baby-blue eyes were hidden, we could all see the tears falling
from her face.
Marisol
was the closest to her, and she rapidly moved her chair and placed her arms
around Nat. I reached out to rub her thigh. Laura wasn’t close enough to offer
physical comfort—maybe for the best. She remained in her chair with a vicious
grip on her orange juice. Even Jagger offered his support, sniffing at
Natalie’s toes and licking her pink-painted nails.
Everyone
was silent when Denise arrived.
“Sorry I’m so
late, you guys,” she said as she dropped her purse on one of my deck chairs. “I
just had an argument with Clay this morning. Can you believe him?” Without
realizing what was going on, she sat next to Laura and angrily piled everything
edible on a plate, quickly throwing Jagger a small piece of pancake when he
approached her to say hi. Josh was so going to kill me. “He finally got a job
offer. After years! After five years of unemployment, he’s finally offered a
job, and the idiot tells them that the salary isn’t enough. It isn’t enough!
What the fuck was he thinking? Anything is better than nothing. Is he blind?”
Only
Jagger looked up at her, probably waiting for something else to eat. When she
finally took in the sight of us, she noticed Marisol holding Natalie in her
arms and Natalie’s eyes flooded with tears. Natalie seemed to be crying harder
now, either in solidarity with Denise’s story or relief that the topic had been
changed, even if just a little. I was unable to decide which friend to
comfort—the one who was apparently losing her husband or the one who was about
to murder hers.
Finally,
Denise asked, “What’s going on?” Laura grabbed her hand surprising me with the
sympathy in her eyes.
“Andrik’s
cheating on me,” Natalie said.
“Shut the fuck
up.” Denise dropped her fork, along with the piece of pancake she was about to
eat. “What’s wrong with men today?”
“Come on,
Denise. I’ll tell you all about it.” Without releasing her hand, Laura stood
and took Denise with her into the kitchen. “Kassie, I think we need a drink.” I
couldn’t have agreed more.
Jagger
followed them inside the house, and I hoped they’d remember to bring him back
outside when they were done. He didn’t like to stay on his own for long.
It
took a few minutes for Natalie to calm down, dry her tears, and start breathing
normally again. When she was feeling better, continuing the conversation felt a
little safer, especially with Laura and Denise out of the picture for the
moment.
“So you aren’t
sure?” Marisol asked. “Right now, you just think he
might be cheating on you.”
“Why is it so
hard to believe that he’d do that?”
“I told you
before, Andrik seems so completely in love with you,” I said. She needed to see
it from our perspective. It wasn’t hard to believe because we thought she was
wrong; it was hard to believe because we put so much faith in the kind of
relationship they had. “You’re the greatest couple. We all live by your
example. It’s difficult for any of us to think that of him. I wouldn’t believe
it of Michael, either. Would you believe Michael would cheat on Sol?”
“I guess I
wouldn't,” Natalie confessed.
“It would be
completely different if Laura suspected Edward of an affair…” Marisol said with
a flippant wave of her hand. It probably still amazed all of us that their
relationship was so functional despite their naughty quirks.
“I heard that,
Sol. Not cool!” Laura stepped out of my kitchen and onto the terrace, followed
by Denise. They had several bottles between them, one of which was vodka. My
grandmother always said everything could be cured with a little vodka. “My man
is completely satisfied, of that I’m sure.”
“I’m sorry. I
didn’t mean to offend you.” Marisol was just being herself, which meant being
completely honest, sometimes to a fault.
“Well, I
wouldn’t be surprised if Clay was cheating on me,” Denise added. “He certainly
has the time.”
“How can you
say that?” Natalie asked. “Clay absolutely adores you.” Clay had loved Denise
since high school. His lack of income had less to do with his faithfulness and
more to do with him being a lazy ass.
Denise
just rolled her eyes and drank whatever was in her glass.
“It’s so hard
for any of us to believe Andrik’s cheating on you. We all know how much he
loves you,” I repeated, trying to avoid derailing the conversation yet again.
“I wouldn’t be
saying any of it if I didn’t believe it.” Natalie seemed calmer now, but she
still couldn’t make eye contact with anyone. She tried to hide it and pretended
she was focused on playing with Jagger.
“Then what
makes you think he is?” Marisol asked.
“I’m not
stupid.” Natalie’s eyes flashed up to meet Marisol’s, her face flushing in
anger. “It’s something you just know.” Her words came out clipped and harsh.
“Especially when he leaves early in the morning to go to work. He doesn’t have
time to come home for lunch. Not even to text a complete sentence and let me
know he isn’t coming home to eat. And especially because he comes home late at
night, takes a shower, and falls asleep.”
We
were all quiet; it didn’t sound good now that she’d explained it. I said a
little prayer for her and hoped I never saw myself in the same situation.
“But that
could just mean he’s super busy at work, not that he’s cheating,” Marisol said.
“Sometimes Michael has loads of work and needs to stay long hours. He tells me
about it, and it's disappointing, but I just deal and wait till he’s done
before we can spend some time together.”
“We don’t spend
any time together,” Natalie replied.
“I believe she
means sex, Nat,” Laura bluntly explained.
“That’s what I
meant, too.”
Silence
fell all around us once more. Now we knew he spent a lot of time out of the
house, supposedly working, and they didn’t have sex. Fuck. That didn’t look
good at all.
“There must be
more to it than that,” Denise said, trying to sound reassuring. “Clay and I
have been married for almost ten years. And we’ve been through some dry spells
in our marriage. I’m sure that now that you have a baby, it isn’t as easy as it
was to have sex. Or am I wrong? Sol, are you and Michael getting at it all the
time?”
“Well, we do
have sex,” Sol explained with a small, shy shrug. “When it was only Micah, it
was a bit easier, but now that we have Maya, it’s more complicated.”
“See, it’s not
only about not having sex,” I told her. I couldn’t imagine what it would be
like to have a baby and try to maintain a healthy sex life, but I was grateful
Sol was here to help with that.
“I’m telling
you, Nat, Andrik isn’t cheating on you. When I was with Julian, there was more
to it than just his lack of interest in sex. He had mood swings, and he was
secretive about some parts of his life. Especially his finances. He was always
hiding his phone and computer, and when I asked him about it, he explained to
no end why he was so private about them. I should have known.”
“But Julian
wasn’t just cheating on you, Laura. He was also gay.” Yes, Denise was dealing
with her own issues, but she could have saved that comment.
“I remember
clearly, Denise. I was there,” Laura said with a pert shake of her head. I’d
been there too, when she and I walked in on her boyfriend sucking off my date
at Marisol’s wedding. “What I’m trying to say, Natalie, is to give Andrik the
benefit of the doubt until you find something that proves he’s cheating on
you.”
“How am I
going to do that?” Natalie shyly asked.
“Find proof?
Don’t worry, baby. I got your back,” Laura said with a confident smile. “Leave
it all to me.”
I
just rolled my eyes at Laura’s evil grin, finding it only too easy to imagine
what was going through her mind. “Talk to him, Natalie,” I reminded her.
“There’s no better way to find out than to ask him directly and see how he
reacts.”
“I can be
there if you want me to,” Laura offered.
“So can I,”
Marisol said quickly behind her.
“Me too,”
Denise added.
“We’re always
here for you,” I finally said. If Natalie needed her friends behind her, she
certainly had us.
K.T.
Castle loves reading, writing, and painting. She's on a quest to find
the words, forms, and colors to materialize the worlds and people of
her imagination. She loves reading Romance, especially Young Adult,
New Adult, Contemporary, and Paranormal. She never saw herself as an
incurable romantic, but lately, that's what she finds herself musing
about. Love is found everywhere, regardless of whether it comes from
a nice person or an ass—mundane or even vampire.
When
she's not busy with work, in front of a computer placing many
thoughts in order, she does her best to be creative or relax with a
good TV series and snacks. Some of her favorite characters are
Lucifer, Jace, Clary, Affton, Cable, Poppy, Zack, Maleficent, and
Ariel.
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1 comments:
Hello,
Thank you for having me over. It's been an amazing day :)
I'll be around if there's any questions or comments.
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