Rose In Bloom (12 page)

“So she forgave you?”

“Oh yeah! She actually forgave me a few times last night and again this morning,” He shoots me a mischievous smile.

Yep, Nik is back!

“It’s about fucking time.”

“Well, come on, dude. Let’s get you married.”

Lucas

I’ve tried calling her and Kylie both, but I only get their voicemail. With Brandon now out of prison, I am terrified of him coming near her. I need to make sure she is all right, but I can’t get anyone to answer a damn phone. As much as I hate to do it, I have no choice but to call Thorne Enterprises and see if I can find out what is going on.

“Good morning, Mr. Drake. How are you doing?” Sara’s sweet voice answers the phone.

“Hello Sara, I’m afraid this call is a bit urgent. I have some very important documents that need some signatures. I’ve tried calling Sebastian’s cell phone, but can’t reach him. Is he in town?” I pry my way around things.

“No, he and Ms. Rose are on vacation for the next couple of weeks.”

“Is there any way I can get the address where he is staying so that I may overnight them to him?” I ask, knowing that now I’m REALLY pressing my luck.

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. Drake, but even I don’t know where they went. A designated board member can take care of matters until he returns. Shall I pass the info along to him?”

“What? Oh, um… no. I will see what I can do until he returns. Thank you, Sara.”

Running my hand through my hair, I am jolted back into reality by a phone call. Looking down at the screen, I see that the number is blocked
.

Maverick
.

Sliding my finger across the screen, I answer the call.

“The plan has been put into place.” His stern voice booms on the other end before the line suddenly goes dead. I wish he’d let me in on his plan. I don’t like being in the dark with everything, especially when I’m supposed to be a huge part of it. Maybe I shouldn’t care what his plan is though. Sebastian has to pay for what he has done. She’s going to hate me for this, but he can’t possibly ask her to keep such a secret. I have to get her away from him. Whatever the cost is, I can’t risk telling Maverick that I have a thing for Skylar. At this point, it will be like putting gasoline on an already raging fire. His aim is for Sebastian, not her. If I add her into the mix, it only makes matters worse.

My life has been absolute hell. There is no way of sugar coating that one. Alcohol helps me most nights, and even though I’ve had more than my share of offers from women at the bars, I’ve never touched any of them. I won’t. I only want one girl. The old Lucas would have just grabbed one of them and fucked her senseless. But I have already tried that last time I lost her, and it didn’t do anything but make me crave her more. Sometimes you have to be patient to earn your prize.

She’d loved me before. Even if it wasn’t like she had loved him, she still saw a possibility of a future with me. I’m not some scorned lover or lovesick puppy. I know what he’s done to her and I can’t allow him to destroy her. It isn’t fair to her or the baby. The baby that I’d happily raise as my own. The baby I’d happily make a brother or sister over and over again. If I knew Sebastian was a good man, I’d walk away. I’d let her have her happily ever after and ride off into the sunset. But she’d picked an arrogant piece of shit and murdering coward to do that with. No matter the cost, I won’t allow her to be destroyed by him again. This time I will save her even if she thinks she doesn’t need saving.

Skylar

I know I put my phone over here before I went to bed. Or wait! Did I leave it at that club last night? SHIT!

Oh well, I guess it will show up sometime. It isn’t as if I need it anyway because everyone is right here on this island with me. I won’t lie. I miss talking to Lucas. He will never know how much it killed me inside that I’d broken his heart again. This is different from last time though, because this time, he isn’t walking away. Even though Sebastian has more than reassured me we are safe, I’m still terrified he is going to dig up skeletons that need to stay buried.

Thankfully, a light knocking on the door brings me out of my worried thoughts. I look up to find my gorgeous sister staring back at me. Waving her on in, I finish pulling my hair up into a ponytail and meet her at the door.

“Morning, sis!” she says, lugging in her suitcases. Everyone had decided that we are all getting ready here since there is more room in my bungalow.

“Where’s Kyles?” I ask, looking over her shoulder, expecting to see her dragging in behind her.

“Well, seeing as I saw Nik leaving her place this morning when I went for my run, I’m sure she’s recovering.” She giggles.

“Well? What are we waiting for? Come on! Let’s go wake sleeping beauty slut up and torture out details from her!” I say, grabbing my sunglasses off the dresser.

I only knock once on Kylie’s door before it opens on its own.

“Kylie?” I call, stepping one foot inside. Holy shit! It looks like Victoria Secret exploded all up in this place.

Confused, I stop dead in my tracks eyeing a bra that is going around and around on the ceiling fan above me. How the hell did that get up there? Two more steps reveal torn clothes in the hallway along with high heel shoes against the wall. Pictures hang crooked on the walls and two broken lamps lay on the floor of her bedroom.

Her suitcase lays dumped on the floor with her purse dumped right beside it.
Jesus! This place is a complete disaster
! When I move closer to the bed, I spot her lying with a pillow over her head. For a minute, I panic.
What if someone had broken in on her?

“Kylie?” I nervously say, while nudging her on the bed. She groans and flips me the finger and I breathe a sigh of relief that she is all right. “There is no doubt someone had some good makeup sex.” Picking up a pair of ripped panties, I laugh. “Evidently some damn good makeup sex at that.” I whisper back at Sophie, who is laughing and shaking her head.

“Shut up you two! I can still fucking hear, you know,” she says, moving the pillow away from her face and sitting up in the bed, keeping the sheet wrapped around her body. She looks like shit.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” I say, bouncing beside her on the bed.

“Do that again and I will straight punch a pregnant bitch! Wedding day or not, you’re gonna get smacked.”

Sophie runs and jumps on the other side of her, earning her an evil look from Kylie.

“So? Tell us!”

“Tell you what? You know I don’t speak without coffee!” she says, trying to stand.

“Don’t give me that shit! What happened between you and Nik last night? I thought you and that other guy left together.”

“What? Oh him… yeah, well he just wasn’t it for me. I ended up going home straight afterwards. All I could think about was Nik and his tongue down that girl’s throat.”

“Oh, give it up! We know Nik spent the night here. Sophie saw him leaving this morning.”

“We just talked,” she smirks, holding her head in her hands.

“Well, judging by the looks of this place, Nik and you must have done some serious talking then.” I can’t help but bust out laughing.

“God, it was so amazing, Skylar! Like epically amazing. I swear that man can go for hours,” she says, falling back against the bed.

“Are you guys back together, then?” Sophie asks.

“I’m not sure, but I think so. We still have a lot of stuff to talk about. We didn’t actually get a chance to talk last night.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” I tease, waving my hand around the room.

“You should have seen him. Nik came over here looking all cute and pitiful. He thought I was with that guy, so I made him sweat a bit. But when he hit his knees in the sand and begged me back, I kind of melted. Oh my god, we have had some hot sex in the past, but this had been off the charts. I lost count how many times he made me cum.”

“Lucky girl.” I nudge her on the leg.

“Oh, come on! It’s not like you and lover boy didn’t get it on in the bathroom last night. Or every chance you get.”

I look at her with shock in my eyes and she laughs.

“Psh, you think I didn’t notice Sebastian go by, and how you just had to suddenly go pee? Bitch, please!”

“I’m pregnant! I always have to pee.”

“Whatever you say,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“Oh good grief, Kyles! We didn’t do it in the bathroom.” Kylie raises her eyebrow at me. “We… um… well, okay, we had a little hot fun.”

“You slut! That’s my girl!”

“Sophie, don’t be like your sister. Be a good girl.”

“Shut up, you wench! And get your ass out of that bed before I drown you in the shower. I have a wedding today. That is, if you can squeeze that in between your orgasms with Nik.”

“All right, slave driver! I should have known you’d be a Bridezilla.”

Picking up the pillow beside me, I slap her across the face with it.

“SHOWER, RIGHT NOW! You smell like sex and tequila.”

Dropping the sheet, my shameless friend sticks her tongue out at me and bounces towards the bathroom completely naked.

“Skank!” I yell, earning me another finger.

Sophie’s pinning my curls up when Kylie finally comes dragging in.

“Motherfucker! I swear I hate fucking sand! It’s going to be in my vagina for months!”

My sister and I can’t help but laugh at her dramatic behavior. She has a wonderful habit of making every task somewhat overwhelming.

Turning my head, I see her hang a garment bag up in the bedroom. Smiling, she unzips it and lays it on the floor.
Damn it! I can’t see it from where I am sitting.
Any woman will tell you that putting someone else in charge of picking out your wedding dress is completely terrifying. My best friend has a known flair for tight, flashy short dresses. I think she shops at Tramps R Us. So, when Sebastian told me he had put Kylie in charge of choosing my dress, I won’t lie… I became petrified. Now that I am showing a little, I can only imagine her putting me in some sort of tight see through gown with my tits hanging out just to piss me off.

If she tries, I swear I’m gonna kill her.

Sophie smiles knowingly back at me through the dressing table mirror.

“So help me, if she has me looking like a street walker, I’m gonna bury her in the sand she loves so much.”

“I heard that!” she yells from across the room. I roll my eyes and watch her come into the bathroom with her hands on her perfect hips. I’m barely pregnant and already I feel fat.

“Well? What the hell are you waiting for? Go look at your dress!”

Gulping down my nerves, I stand and tighten the sash on my silk robe. It’s now or never. If it’s bad, I’ll just marry him in this robe.

When I see the cream lace dress hanging on the hanger, I can’t believe my eyes. It’s my original wedding dress, but it’s obviously been altered.
How did he know?
That dress has been packed away in storage for months now. Ever since I moved out that horrific day. Turning around, I catch my best friend smirking at me.

“You and I both know that there is only one dress for this day. I pulled some strings and had Lucy at the dress shop alter it for you. I think you will actually have room to spare.”

Throwing my arms around my best friend, I hug her tight.