I close my eyes and drift off again to the sound of snuffling dog snores.

CHAPTER 5

Elodie

I’ve never been a morning person, but this morning, I find myself blinking into the watery early morning light long before I hear any other noises. For a second, I don’t know where I am, but my disorientation only lasts for an unfortunately brief span of time before everything comes crashing back. The wedding that didn’t happen, the brooch Taylen’s granny gave me, Taylen stealing the wedding cake, the shart jokes, me leaving my wedding dress in the gas station bathroom, Jeffers drooling all over the back seat of the truck, and the king-sized bed we’re sharing.

I roll over and sneak a peek over the edge of the duffel bag wall I made the night before. Not that I was too worried about sharing a bed with Taylen or anything. I remember how it used to be, sharing a bed with him back when we were kids. It was just Taylen because his twin, Toren, never wanted to spend time with us. He was the complete opposite of Taylen, happy in his own little nerdy world. So, it was always just Taylen and me.

The days he spent at my house, though, I never got much sleep. He used to thrash around and sprawl all over the place, throwing long limbs and elbows in my face, back, and ribs all night.

He’s even bigger now, and I didn’t want to take the chance of getting crushed in my sleep. I knew I’d need a good rest in order to deal with everything I’m going to have to deal with, such as the major fallout from my wedding that wasn’t a wedding.

I throw my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle as my eyes land first on Jeffers. He’s on his side, facing me, his big doggy jowls flapping open, his tongue hanging out along the bed, and a huge wet stain beneath his mouth. He’s absolutely out, cold. And so is Taylen. Taylen has his arm wrapped around Jeffers’ shoulders, and his mouth is also open. But not on the pillow, unless Jeffers counts as a pillow since Taylen happens to have a huge mouthful of dog hair. I can literally see Jeffers’ bristly red and brown hairs coating his tongue.

Hotdogs and bananas, they’re adorable.

I wish I had my phone—my old phone, not the shitty burner phone that doesn’t even have a camera. I have no way of capturing this absolutely adorable, bribe-worthy moment.

I guess a giggle slips from my throat because Taylen stirs. His incredibly long and thick eyelashes flutter, then those mysterious gray eyes of his squint up at me.

“Gah!” He throws himself away from Jeffers as he sits up and claws at his mouth.

I stab a fist to my mouth to try to hold back more laughter, but it comes spilling out in great waves. I laugh until I’m shaking, my stomach hurts, and my eyes are tearing up.

“Very funny,” Taylen grumbles. “If you had a mouthful of your dog’s hair first thing in the morning, I don’t think you’d find it very funny.”

That just makes me laugh harder.

Taylen swings his legs over the edge of the bed, steps down, and…“Ouch! What the fuckstack?” He snatches something up off the floor and looks at his hand in amazement. I sit up a little further and lean over the duffel bag wall of no return. He’s holding the brooch. And his foot. There are a few bright red drops blooming on the upper part, a few inches below his toes.

Man toes. Taylen’s man toes, which are so much different looking than mine.

It must be very early if I’m thinking about his toes.

And no, I do not have a toe fetish.

“How the hell did this get down here?” Taylen casts an accusatory glance in my direction.

“Me?” I stab a finger in my chest, right in the middle of the black tank top I have on with the little pink hearts on the front. “But I…why would I throw it on the floor? I gave it back to you. That’s the last time I saw it.”

“Hmmm.” Taylen studies the dog.

“No!” I protest. “He wouldn’t have like rummaged through your bags and dug it out. That’s just craziness.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uhhhh, positive. Jeffers doesn’t have a taste for antique jewelry, thank you very much.”

Tay’s eyes travel back to his foot. “I didn’t even step on the pin. It’s still done up. Bastardly thing is sharp.” He shakes his head. “Bloody curse.” All of a sudden, his head snaps around, he looks at me with sheer horror, and it slowly dawns on my sleep fogged gray matter that he means it. It’s not just a saying.

My mouth drops, and when Taylen sees that, he scampers off to the bathroom like a freaking dirty shirt. My dad always says that. I don’t know why. In there like a dirty shirt. That’s his thing. However, thinking about my dad makes me think about my mom too, and worry churns my stomach, making it burn like I have bad acid reflux going on. I know it’s just me worrying. Worry that my parents will never forgive me for this. Worry that maybe they just might, and they’ll take me back home, and it will be like nothing ever happened. Like I never had a taste of freedom.

Tags: Lindsey Hart Romance
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