She throws her arms around my neck, pressing her tear-streaked lips to mine, kissing me hard. My arms wrap around her waist, lifting her to my height as my tongue sweeps inside her sweet mouth.
When she pulls away from the kiss, she’s breathless. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“You better be,” I grumble, letting her slide down my body until she’s standing on her feet again. I walk backward, pulling her with me until my back hits the tree behind me. I sit down, and Briar straddles my lap, her hands reaching to fumble with my zipper. She already knows where this is going.
“I can’t believe you thought I’d ever leave you,” she says, bunching her dress up and out of the way.
“It’s cute that you think you have a choice. You’re stuck with me forever now.” I shove my boxers down my hips just far enough to free my cock. She moves her underwear to the side and lowers herself onto my length.
“Like a bad habit.”
“Couldn’t keep it in your pants for another hour, Kelley?” I ask as a slightly disheveled Ash and Briar make their way back to the reception tent. I expect Ash to tell me to fuck off at the very least, but he doesn’t so much as acknowledge me.
“Why is your face like that?” Sutton points her beer bottle in Asher’s direction. “Oh my God…is he…is that…are you smiling?”
“You wanna take me out to the woods and make me smile, too, Sutton?” Lo’s brother Jess asks, bouncing his eyebrows.
“Come talk to me when you’re at least a sophomore.”
Jess is leaving for college after the reception. He scored himself a lacrosse scholarship, and while Lo acts like she’s okay, I know she’s not taking it well. I also know that her pride for all that Jess has accomplished outweighs her sadness.
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“I like this kid,” Adrian says, throwing an arm around Jess’ shoulder.
Lo laughs next to me, shaking her head at their banter, but her smile isn’t as bright as it usually is.
I bring my lips close to her ear so only she can hear. “You did this, you know. Your sacrifices—your selflessness—you made it possible. He’s lucky to have you, Sally.”
Lo smiles at my nickname for her. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without you.”
I’m about to argue that she didn’t need me—Lo is a fucking fighter, and she would’ve made it work without me—when Jess speaks.
“Shit. Henry’s here to pick me up,” he says, stuffing his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. “I
gotta go, Lo.”
I squeeze Lo’s thigh, knowing she’s trying like hell not to cry in front of everyone.
“Wait,” Cam says, walking up with a tray of shot glasses, Mollie right beside him. “Before you go, we’re all doing a shot.”
Everyone stands, reaching for their glass. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Asher sneakily down Briar’s shot before handing her the empty glass. I lift an eyebrow at him in question, and he just smirks in response. Motherfucker.
“To Mr. and Mrs. Hess,” Cord says, raising his shot glass.
“To second chances,” Asher adds.
“And new beginnings,” Lo says.
“To college pussy,” Jess says with a straight face, making everyone laugh.
“To you guys, who’ve shown me that you don’t have to be blood to be family,” I say.
Everyone raises their glass.
“To family.”
The End. For now.