A growl interrupted the moaning as she glared at Jillian over the hand covering her nose. Staggering to her feet, she stumbled hunch-backed to a table and grabbed something off it before heading toward the stairs.
The familiar puffing sound followed by the slow exhale was the last thing Jillian heard before the slam of a door. An inhaler. That’s what she grabbed from the table. Psycho Bitch had asthma.
Luke was right. Monsters were weak. Survivors were strong. Jillian was a survivor.
Chapter Ten
Day
“We’re not inviting Cathy to the wedding.” Jessica shot her mom a warning glare over the kitchen table as they narrowed down the guest list.
“Jessica Mauve Day, she’s my best friend. Of course she’s invited.”
“Your best friend is a cheater. I can’t believe you’ve sided with her. Daniel is the perfect guy. Who cheats on perfection?”
“I thought I was the perfect guy.” Luke surprised her from behind, kissing the top of her head. “Good morning. It’s Saturday. Why is my bride-to-be and her lovely mother not at Samovar?” Luke ruffled Jones’s ears on his way to the coffee pot.
“You are the perfect guy … for me. You’d like Daniel, babe. He’s a middle-school guidance counselor and track coach. Incredibly nice guy. And Saturday tea has officially been relocated to here until the wedding because we need more space. Your mom and sisters are coming next weekend to get fitted for their dresses. Have you taken Jones to your tailor yet to get fitted for his tux?”
Luke narrowed his eyes over the rim of his coffee cup. Jessica bit her lips together.
“My mom’s going to knit him some argyle socks too.”
Sunny looked at Luke then rolled her eyes. They never forgot the shitty dog incident at Kelly and Gabe’s wedding. Jessica didn’t want to deal with Jones on their wedding day any more than Luke did. She just enjoyed his reaction to the possibility.
“Jones is not going to be at your wedding, but Cathy is.” Sunny grabbed the list and wrote Cathy’s name next to the scribbled area where Jessica had crossed her off the list.
“She’s not—”
“What if I had an affair? Would you never forgive me and ban me from your wedding?”
Jessica’s head jerked back. “Why would you even say such a thing?”
Luke raised his eyebrows, leaning against the counter in his navy pajama pants, no shirt. He seemed to enjoy the show.
“Because I didn’t raise you to be this way. I’ve never seen you be so unforgiving … so judgmental. You’re getting ready to marry the man of your dreams. You’re a few months from happily ever after and you’re letting Cathy’s affair eat at you. I just don’t understand why. She fell in love with another man. She didn’t kill—” Sunny slapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with regret. “Oh, God. I’m sorry, sweetie.”
Jessica restrained her response behind tight lips and a slow nod. “I think we’re done for today.”
“Jessica!” The pain in her mom’s voice wasn’t enough to stop her from retreating to the bedroom and answering with a slam of the door.
Stripping off her clothes, she pulled on a T-shirt and jogging shorts, yanking at them as if they too had offended her.
“Want to talk about it?”
Her chin dropped to her chest on an exhale as Luke’s body pressed to her back. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, protecting her, loving her, reminding her that he was her home.
“I don’t need Dr. Jones right now. I need my Luke.”
His lips brushed the side of her neck. “And he needs you.”
She closed her eyes. “I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of having …” The words caught in her throat.
“Of having what?”
“Everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“Oh, baby …” Luke turned her in his arms. “I adore you. This is happening. You deserve everything you’ve ever wanted. Instead, you’re getting me and Jones.” He grinned. “But the three of us are going to make it work anyway. Forever.”
The feel of forever beneath her lips as she pressed them to his bare chest, brought happy tears. “Cathy and Daniel were my and Jude’s godparents. I idolized their marriage, just like I do my parents’. Through everything, I’ve held this shred of hope that there is truly someone for everyone … that happily ever after really does exist. But when Cathy left Daniel, I questioned everything I held on to. Then my mom stood by her side without question, as if she somehow empathized with Cathy, and that’s bugged me for years. Why would she do that? I get forgiveness, I really do. But not once has my mom acknowledged that the affair was wrong and then today … Can you believe she asked me how I would feel if it was her and Dad instead of Cathy and Daniel? Talk about fucking with my mind and kicking my dreams in the gut.”