Huh? Where the hell did this come from? “I don’t know. Don’t you have lawyers on retainer for that sort of questions?”
“I’m not asking them. Goog
le didn’t help, but I thought you might know.”
Everything inside me stills. “Uh… Nate? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I told you that already. Hey, can you ask your lawyer?”
“I don’t have a lawyer. Percy’s Dad’s lawyer.”
“All right. Never mind.” He hangs up.
I stare at the phone. What was that about? Then I say, “I’m doing fine, too, thanks for asking,” and start the car.
I have her parents’ blessing. I have the ring. And I have the place (not Z, even though Tony said I could use it if I wanted). It’s going to be freakin’ perfect.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Pascal
When I arrive at Z with Curie after a day of shopping, we don’t go to the regular line. We go straight to the VIP line, and the huge, bearish bouncer who let us in last time smiles.
“Hey, Pascal.”
“Hi, Zack.” I smile back.
Curie winks. “Hello, handsome.”
“Handsome? What does your husband think about that?” the bouncer says. “I mean, it’s true, of course, but…”
“Nothing, because he knows he’s the handsomest in my eyes.”
I giggle at her deadpan delivery, but I also know it’s true. Joe and Curie are super tight, just like me and Court. Although I was worried that things might be awkward or somehow different than they were before, our relationship couldn’t be better. Curie told me it’s because every trial that doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Not that I plan to repeat the experiment ever again.
Zack lifts the rope, and we go inside, weaving through the pounding music and the crowd. The gang’s already on the upper level—Tony, Ivy, Yuna, Edgar, Joe and, most importantly, Court.
He looks breathtakingly gorgeous, his eyes smiling at me. I slide next to him on the long, round seat and kiss him. “Missed you.”
“You too.”
“You were only apart for a few hours,” Edgar says.
“You don’t get it because you don’t have anybody you love,” Court replies.
“You mean, I’m a rational, normal human being.”
Court arches an eyebrow. “Let’s put it to a vote.”
“Don’t be so mean to us,” Yuna says in a cheery voice. “I love being single and not missing anybody.”
She and Edgar high-five each other. The two women who always tag along after Yuna look pained. Huh. Maybe they’re tasked to keep her away from men she has no plans to marry. Or maybe they’re worried she might take Edgar out for a week-long test ride.
I turn to Ivy. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good.” She puts a hand on her still relatively flat belly. “It’s fun to be out and about.” She gives Tony a teasing look. “He’s been keeping me home, worried I’m ‘overdoing it.’”
“If he could, he’d carry her everywhere,” Yuna adds.