Spiked by Love (Bellevue Bullies 6)

“What? People say ‘I love you’ all the fucking time, and it never means anything. Hell, I know for a fact that it doesn’t. And when I say it, I want it to mean everything and more.”

They don’t care. Hell, I probably should care. With a dark look, Stella proclaims, “You know you’re going to ruin this, right?”

“What are you talking about?” I throw back, even though my heart is pumping like no other.

“This is all going to blow up in your face if you don’t get your head out of your ass and see you are doing all this because you love her. A lot.”

“I’m really tired of people telling me how she feels or how I feel.”

“Well, you sure aren’t listening to your heart. Maybe you’ll listen to us,” Stella tosses out at me.

I go to tell her off, but Emery captures my attention. “What are you scared of?” Emery furrows her brow. “It’s Ally. She loves you.”

I’m well past the uncomfortable state and now into panic. “I don’t want to lose her. And if I say it, it’s real, and boom! We are in this for real. Right now, we feel all this, and no one can get hurt.”

“That’s not true. If you lost her today, what would that feel like?”

I feel my stomach twisting. “I refuse to think that way.”

“Because it would kill you,” Stella supplies, watching me. “Have you thought that maybe you won’t lose her if you make sure she knows she is loved and cared for?” she asks, and I look away.

“Mom didn’t leave Dad, or him, her. Maybe at one point, things were shitty between them, but then they loved each other and things were fine. Is it easy? No. It’s never easy. You’re giving your heart to someone and trusting that they love you like you love them,” Emery tells me, and I can feel her eyes burning holes in my skin. “You know you’re not only wasting your time, but Ally’s too, acting like this. Doing these little things won’t hold her off, Ash. They’ll make her fall deeper in love with you.”

I don’t know where my sister is getting all this, but it’s making me sweat. Stella touches my hand. “Ash, please. If you give her that ring, know you’re basically giving her the three words you have inside you. Don’t say them because you think you have to. Say them because you want to. Because you feel it.”

Emery nods once more. “What she said,” she says, holding my gaze. “Because at the end of the day, who do you want to spend the rest of your life with?”

With the snap of the box lid, I close my eyes.

I really shouldn’t have involved my sisters.

Not only are they annoying, but they may be right. Really right.

I don’t know what’s scarier.

Them, or my feelings for Ally.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ally

I feel like a princess.

I sit beside Asher at the bar, my legs pressed into his as he rubs my thigh. He looks devilishly handsome in a light gray shirt and black sport coat. The first two buttons on his shirt are open, showing a little hair, and thankfully, he’s wearing his new thick black frames. I lean my elbow on his knees, gazing into his eyes. “You’ve outdone yourself, Ash B.”

He grins, his eyes dancing with excitement as he drinks me in. “You look absolutely incredible, Ally T.”

And when he winks, my breath catches.

“Are you sure? I feel like this dress is so Stella Ann and not Allison Mae.”

It’s a tight, formfitting red dress that hangs dangerously low on my breasts. It stops at my knees with a slit up my thigh. Very much something Stella would rock and have men drooling all over her in. I’m pretty sure these are her red-soled heels. I can’t bring myself to ask, though, because if Asher bought these for me, I might hump his face right on this bar.

I’ve never felt more loved in my life.

Asher slides his hand up my slit to my hip, gazing into my eyes. “I feel Allison Mae is owning this dress. You’re hot as all get-out, baby.”

My lips quirk. “You’re so getting laid tonight.”