Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest High #6)(67)

She looked at the paper as she started to fold and paused. “Wait. The Love Game?” She read one of the questions. “Who said I love you first?” She looked to me. “Are you serious? This is the type of game people play at bridal showers?”

I shrugged, starting on my pile. The questions were on the front of the page and the answers were on the back. No one was supposed to look, but Malinda had them printed this way on purpose. Everyone was going to cheat, but Becky would feel like everyone actually knew her that well.

“From what I Googled, this is common stuff,” I told her.

She snorted, starting on her pile. “Too bad it’s not Logan’s bridal shower. This game would have questions like Who offered to do anal first?”

We looked at each other and said at the same time, “Logan.”

I laughed. “That’s a no-brainer.”

Heather sighed. “I’m going to die of boredom at this thing. What did you blackmail me with to make me do this?”

I thought about it. “I threatened to tell Logan that Channing wants to marry you.”

“Oh yeah.” She shuddered. “I don’t want to think about what he’d say if he knew that. He’d be on my ass all day long.”

“If he didn’t have Taylor, he’d be begging to be your maid of honor.”

Heather barked out a laugh. “He would. He’d be stabbing you in the back, trying to get that position from you.”

“He could have it. I hate weddings.”

I cringed, realizing what I’d just said. The words slipped out before I knew I was even going to say them.

Heather paused mid-fold. “Are you serious?”

I looked around, making sure no one else had heard my flub. Then I shrugged, leaning forward. “Maybe.”

“This is the wrong summer for you to be saying that. You know that, right?”

I nodded. “I’m not proclaiming it or anything.”

“Becky got engaged. Channing’s been bringing it up more and more with me, and your mom is actually getting married very soon.”

“I’m aware. It’s all around me.”

She lowered her voice. “Has Mason mentioned the M-word to you?”

I shook my head, feeling some relief. “No. I think it’s just overkill. That’s all.”

“Bullshit.” Heather continued to watch me steadily. She wasn’t giving me any room to breathe. “The whole wedding thing is usually contagious for girls. If you’re around it, you suddenly want to do it, too.” She studied me. “You look ready to bolt just having this conversation. You really hate weddings, or you hate your own wedding?”

I hated this conversation. “I’m not engaged, so this is a conversation I don’t need to bother with.”

“But he will ask you.”

My heart jumped to my throat. “You know something I should know?”

She shook her head. “No, but it’s Mason. He loves you—like, really loves you. He’s going to want a ring on your finger.”

I knew that, but the thought of marriage sent ice through my veins.

“I’ll deal with it,” I told her.

The look in her eye said bullshit.

“It’s not a big deal.”

She snorted. Again. “You need to talk to Mason about that. For real, Sam. It’s a big deal. It’s on the same level as when a partner doesn’t want to have kids and the other does. It’s a deal breaker.”

She wasn’t helping. I felt a headache forming. “I know. I’ll talk to him.”

“Promise?”

I nodded.

“No, you have to say the word. I know you, and you’ll try to get out of it somehow. Promise me, Sam.”

I didn’t understand the problem. Mason never brought up marriage or weddings. We hadn’t talked about it, and he came from the same background as me. He’d understand. Right? But I remembered the fear I felt when I first realized how much I didn’t want marriage.

I didn’t want to promise, but Heather was waiting, watching me like a hawk. “I’ll talk to him,” I heard myself say.

She let out a sigh of relief. “Good.” She squeezed my hand. “It’ll be fine. I know it. That guy worships the ground you walk on. There’s nothing he wouldn’t deal with for you.”

Yeah…I hoped so.

Heather went back to reading the questions and groaned. “Honestly? ‘What’s your idea of a perfect weekend?’ Please. Hers is probably when there’s a slight breeze in the air, walks on the beach, and cuddling in front of the fireplace. His is probably a blow job to wake up, a blow job at lunch, a backdoor rally in the afternoon, and a good scotch after dinner.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t stand when couples like them get married.”

I laughed, wondering just how far off her answers were from Becky and Adam’s truth.

Then Becky walked in with Adam right behind her. They were holding hands and smiling, but the terror in her eyes and forced lines around his mouth were what caught my attention.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Heather said. “Since when does the groom come to these things? This completely blows all of my white trash stereotypes about what rich folks do.”

Malinda went over to greet them. As Adam hugged her, Becky glanced at me, and I stood.