Greek (Palm South University)

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Even after he’s done, he continues to move, in and out, feeling his slick release leaking out of me. And before we have the chance to come down, to breathe and prepare, he’s already hardening again.

“Round two already, Mr. Church?” I ask, arching a brow.

“Followed very quickly by round three, Mrs. Church.”

I bite my lip at that, and Brandon smirks, rolling until I’m on top.

And this time, I ride my husband until we both come again, and realize my wedding night might be the most sleepless of my life.

A WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING, I text the girls and call an emergency video chat call.

It takes more back and forth than I’d like for us to nail down a time for the call, given everyone’s schedules, but somehow — miraculously — I get them all to agree on six p.m.

Erin comes over to my room for the call, her hair wet from her shower and a bottle of wine in hand — along with two glasses.

“I don’t know what this is about,” she says, shuffling in in her fuzzy slippers. “But something tells me we’ll need this.”

I motion for her to hand me the bottle as I connect my laptop to the video chat, and then I pour us two full glasses as the other girls click into frame one by one.

Cassie and Skyler are together, too, cuddled on Skyler’s bed. Ashlei looks happier than I’ve seen her since the accident where she sits on her and Brandon’s couch — and a little too tan for all the moping she’s been doing.

I don’t even let the small talk happen. I just take a long swig of wine and say, “I’m calling an emergency Friendsgiving.”

Skyler frowns. “What’s going on, J-Love?”

I shake my head, tears already forming in my eyes — and provided I cry about as much as Cassie skips class, all the girls instantly sit up straighter, Erin’s hand smoothing over my back.

“I need you. All of you. I have no idea what to do. I feel lost and guilty and fucked up and sad. I’m so, so sad,” I admit. “I don’t care where we go, but I need us all to get away. Out of town, out of the vicinity of everything here. I just… please. I need you.”

“I’m there,” Erin says instantly. “I can’t bail on my family for Thanksgiving. I’m bringing Bear home for the first time. But I don’t have to be back at the office until Tuesday, so… long weekend?”

“That works for me,” Skyler says.

“Same,” Ashlei chimes in. “I can’t take more time off work, but we have Black Friday and the following Monday off already.”

I arch a brow. “What do you mean more time? Are they seriously punishing you for the whole two days you were out of the office for your surgery?”

“Um… not exactly.”

She bites her lip, and the girls and I exchange glances, waiting.

“Instead of a Friendsgiving… how would y’all feel about a belated bachelorette?”

I blink.

Cassie tilts her head.

Skyler and Erin both frown so intensely I’m worried they might get wrinkles on the spot.

And then Ashlei bites back a smile and holds up her left hand.

Showcasing a very large, very shiny, very new diamond ring.

Chaos erupts. Skyler and Cassie are bouncing up and down on the bed, their video frame shaking wildly as they squeal and demand details. Erin claps and grabs my laptop from me to see the ring closer, to which I smack her hand and grab it back, pushing a shortcut on the keyboard to make the window go full-screen.

“Jesus Christ, Lei! It’s gorgeous!” I scream.

“It’s huge,” Erin adds.

“What the hell happened?” Skyler asks.

Ashlei holds up her hands to calm us with a giggle. “He proposed,” she says simply with a shrug. “And then… we eloped. We just packed a bag and got on the yacht and sailed away. We shopped for everything we needed when we got there.”

“Got where?” Cassie probes.

“St. John.”

A collective sigh from the group makes Ashlei chuckle.

“You better have pictures, bitch,” I warn, pointing my finger at the camera. And though I’m joking and smiling and joining in the celebration, I can’t deny the way my chest aches, the way I feel both happy for my best friend and still wholly gutted for me.

“I do. Video, too,” she promises.

“Alright, that settles it,” I say, clapping my hands together. “Bachelorette party, next weekend, Black Friday through Cyber Monday. I’ll take care of everything. All you bitches need to do is pack and show up at the airport. And also help me figure out my life once we get there.”

“Where are we going?” Skyler asks.

I wave her off, letting her know she can find out once I do.

“Um, small problem…” Cassie says, holding up her finger. She sighs. “I’m sorry, but I’m flying to see Adam. And I don’t want to miss this. God, I don’t want to miss this, Lei,” she says more pointedly at Ashlei. “But I haven’t seen him since July, and things have been so hard lately, so…”