Salvation (Surrender 3)

“Chances are slim to none.”

“Shit. I wanted to get your belly button pierced for your trip.”

The idea sinks in and I love it. “Let’s do it Tuesday night. He won’t push me to be undressed if I can fake a stomach ache for one day.”

“Perfect. Now le

t’s figure out which store to go next. I saw some cute bikinis earlier. Lord knows you need them.”

“Cruz!” I try to slap him, but he catches my arm and spins me around so I’m pinned against him. His free hand tickles me until I squeal. “Stop! You’re causing a scene!”

“Ember?” The vaguely familiar voice still causes me to freeze. I look up to see Abbi and Harper coming toward us.

“Hi.” I halfway expect Abbi to hug me, but she stops short and looks between Cruz and me.

Immediately, he’s next to me, his hand on my elbow. Both women’s eyes dart to the gesture, and Abbi openly scowls. Harper types something in her phone.

“How are y’all?”

“Who’s your friend?” she asks icily, crossing her arms.

I search my mind, trying to figure out why’s she being so cold, when Cruz nudges me. My mouth opens to introduce them, but he stops me.

“My name is Cruz. Who are you?” His tone is equally as frigid.

“Abbi Collins. A friend of her boyfriend,” she spews.

Oh my God! She thinks I’m out with Cruz. I try to correct her, but he starts laughing so loudly I jump. His body shakes and he bends over, propping on his knees.

“Little Star, you want to jump in here?”

“Cruz is my cousin.”

“Her gay cousin, who is very familiar with her boyfriend.”

A horrified expression washes over both their faces. Harper turns a bright shade of pink and goes back to typing on her phone furiously.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I assumed… it looked like something else. How embarrassing.”

“You’re embarrassed? I sent a video of them to Gabe, telling him Ember was here with another man,” Harper states.

My mouth drops. Cruz’s laughter stops all together, and he straightens up. His earlier amusement is gone.

“Cruz, this is Abbi and Harper. Obviously, they’re friends of Robbie’s.”

Abbi flinches and looks at me apologetically. “We are so sorry.”

“That’s okay. I—”

“We’re just leaving. We have a lot to shop for the birthday surprise Ember has planned for Robbie. Maybe next time, you can get your facts straight. Goodbye, ladies.” Cruz takes my elbow again and leads me away. Harper tries to say something, but I’m out of earshot.

“Stupid bitches,” he mumbles. “Last time you saw Abbi, she told you that she considered you family. One glance at us and she jumped to conclusions.”

“They’re protective of their friends,” I say sadly, my heart racing in my chest. “They’ve never really asked me about my family before.”

“Protective is one thing, but that shit was ridiculous. I know what I’m talking about. Trust me. Robbie is going to fucking flip.”

My phone vibrates in my pocket with a text.