When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark 2)

And then he’s gone.

I look to Xander—expecting to see a smug smile—but he looks nearly as confused as I am.

“Well—” I toss my hands in the air “—what do we do now?”

Forget Cade, the thought of telling my parents that I went to Vegas and ended up married … I might as well dig my own grave in the backyard and save them the trouble.

Xander shakes his head, like he’s clearing away his thoughts. “Would it really be so bad?” he asks softly, looking at me from beneath his thick, dark lashes. “Being married to me, I mean?”

I swallow thickly. “No,” I admit, and don’t miss the flare of desire in his eyes. “But we can’t—”

He holds up a hand, urging me to be quiet. “Make me a deal.”

“What kind of deal?” I hedge, look

ing at him skeptically.

“Give me the summer,” he pleads. “Give me the summer to prove that this is more than some stupid mistake,” he grates on the word, “and if at the end of the summer you still want a divorce then I’ll sign whatever you want me to.”

“And if I don’t want a divorce?”

He grins. “Then we’ll tell everyone that we’re together and married.”

“What if you decide you want a divorce? What if you decide I’m not right for you?”

His eyes narrow. “Trust me, that isn’t happening.”

“How do you know?”

He looks away and a muscle in his jaw twitches. “I just know.” I let out a sigh, knowing that’s all the answer I’m going to get from him. “Do we have a deal?”

I bite my lip. Three months. It feels like forever right now, but in reality, three months isn’t that much time. I know I can hold out for three months. It doesn’t matter how sinfully good-looking he is, or ridiculously sweet; at the end of three months I will get that divorce.

“Deal,” I say. Before I can blink he takes my face between his mammoth hands and kisses me. I’m breathless when he releases me. “What was that for?” I gasp.

He grins. “Most people shake hands to seal a deal. I figure since you’re my wife, we should seal ours with a kiss.”

I give him the finger and turn sharply, leaving him behind as I exit the chapel. His laughter echoes behind me, and despite my anger, I smile.

Something tells me the next three months are going to be interesting.

We make it to the airport and through security just in time. Cade already stands in line to board the plane and gives us an incredulous look, like he can’t believe we cut it that close.

Xander and I step into the back of the line and slowly make our way toward the lady to hand her our boarding passes. She smiles and says a few words and then we’re on the ramp to board the plane.

Xander takes my carry-on bag from me and places it into the overhead compartment. I give him a grateful smile before taking my seat. I’m going to be stuck on the plane, sitting between Xander and Cade. Lovely. Thank God it’s only a two-hour flight from Las Vegas to Denver. Then, we have a forty-five-minute drive home, but Rae will be picking us up so at least Cade will be distracted.

Xander pulls out his phone and puts his earbuds in, effectively cutting off any sort of conversation I might have with him. Granted, there’s not much I can say with my brother right beside us. It’s weird, how one day has completely shattered our dynamic. I’ve known him forever, and never had a shortage of normal things to talk about, but now everything in my head comes back to us.

I can’t believe I agreed to give him the summer to convince me to stay married to him. There’s no way in hell that I will, but I’ll have to endure the whole three months as his wife. Working with him, coming home to the same house, and all the while keeping this a secret from the ones we love. Knowing Xander, he’d probably be fine with telling everyone what happened, but me …? I can’t. I don’t want my family knowing that the first time I was granted any real amount of freedom I ended up married.

Beside me, Cade rubs his hands over his face.

“Tired?” I ask.

“Yes,” he answers, swiveling his head toward me. His brown hair falls over his forehead, shielding his blue eyes. “I shouldn’t have gone out last night.”

I shrug. “You headed back to the hotel before Xander and me.” And thank God for that.