Blind Love (Sulfur Heights Series) (24 page)

The suits get delivered
; I’ve been secretly hoping Reggie has opted for jeans and t-shirts, but no luck there. “Hey Reggie,” I say while trying to figure out how to tie a tie. “Let me know when Darcie gives you your balls back.”

He glares up at me, frustrated
because he, too, can’t get his tie tied. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Reggie yanks the silk and tosses it to the ground. “Jake, will you YouTube this shit?”

Genius! I pull out my phone and find a tutorial
, soon realizing it’s not as easy to learn from some stupid dude on a tiny screen. “Ugh! This douche bag makes no sense. I say fuck it and go without the ties.”
Please say yes, please say yes.
I chant in my head.

“No! We’ll…
find someone to help us.”

Annoyed
, I tuck the tie in my pocket, “And who are we supposed to ask?”

Drake pipes in as we move toward the door. “Presley text
ed me and said Delilah knows how to tie them.”

I roll my eyes. Of course she knows. Now I have to stand close to her while she cinches a noose around my neck. God, I’m a dead man.

***

We make it to the chapel on time and are standing in the groom’s room off the chapel until
it’s game time when Reggie ushers Delilah into the room and she begins with him, tying the knot around his neck. I take a minute to look at her. She looks breathtaking in her purple dress and high heels. The fabric clings to her every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her hair is down and pulled to the side, exposing the part of her neck a month ago I got to taste. Feelings from that night flood me as I recall the sensation of her body pressed against mine.

She makes her way down the line and lands on me. Our eyes connect
as she tugs the tie from my hands and tucks it under the collar of my shirt. I fear for my life as she wraps the fabric around my neck with wickedness in her eyes. Damn woman, she’s so stubborn. Then again, I knew she would be.

I lean down so her ear is next to my lips. I take a moment to inhale the sweet smell of lavender and it springs me to life. God, I’ve missed her. I offer a truce. “I’m sorry, D. Do you forgive
me?” Her eyes gloss over and look directly at me. “Look, I was angry. I only want you to be happy, and if you’re happy with him, then I have to accept that.”

She finishes my tie and lays it perfectly down my torso. “I’m happy
, Jake.” Lie. Bold face lie, but I won’t call her on it. I will let her live with the lie until reality wakes up and slaps her in the face. Hopefully, for her sake, it’s not too late.

“Come here.” I pull her in for a hug and she immediately returns my embrace. “I missed you.”

She steps back and looks again in my eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

I hold her for another minute until we’re requested to line up and start the wedding.

Reggie is as cool as a cucumber, probably because he’s finally cut all that damn hair. I’m still pissed he wouldn’t let me do it, but it was about time.

I walk to my brother and clap him on the back. I pull out a flask and hand it over to my
role model. “Liquid courage?”

He lifts the metal to his lips
. “Don’t need courage, bro, but one little sip won’t hurt.”

We all pass around the flask, the three of us taking a drink while Jeremy sh
akes his head.

“No
w lets go get married, son!” I shout and we file out of the room, heading for the chapel.

Chapter 18

Delilah

The wedding
is beautiful. Everyone looks amazing, even Darcie in her black wedding gown. I wouldn’t have chosen the gown myself, but once it is on her, she looks breathtaking.

I
’m speechless when Reggie gets a little choked up reciting his vows to Darcie. There is so much meaning and devotion present in his voice. Then the waterworks start to really fall when I see him kiss her shoulder. I’ve seen him do it a million times, but recently Darcie has told me the story behind it.

Reggie drunkenly admitted he always hated that scar
. Then, the first time he admitted he loved her, he kissed that same scar, forever changing their relationship. It’s beautiful. Their love is beautiful and one I hope to have someday with Emerson.

We all count down as a group
, and when New Year hits, we toss confetti in the air and make our rounds, kissing each other. Jake and I keep ours friendly by only sharing a kiss on the cheek.

Afterward, e
veryone decides to go their separate ways. Leaving Jake, Jeremy and I to explore Las Vegas.

“Okay, D! Tonight is going to be an
all-nighter. Are you in?”

I look into his eyes and smile as I
shout, “Count me in, boys!”

“Now
, you know the rules. What we say goes. You’re not going to know what we’re doing and you have to do it, even if it kills you. Okay?”

“Yes, yes. I know the rules, Jake. Now let’s get this night started.” I can’t help the excitement in my voice. I bounce up and down with
anticipation, hoping to God I don’t do anything stupid.

“Now, first things first. You will need some liquid courage.”
Then he opens a flask and I can smell the whiskey. I shake my head while plugging my nose. “Come on, D! You just agreed to the rules. Besides, I’ve never seen you drink.”

“That’s because I haven’t.” Jake doesn’t care
. He only holds the flask in his hand, leaning it toward me. “Can I at least have something fruity?”

“Hell
, no! I said liquid courage, not lame girly drinks. Now toss this back.” I take the flask in my hand and smell the opening. Yeah, big mistake as my gag reflex awakens. “Let’s go, cupcake!”

Glaring my eyes at Jake, I tip my head back and pour the liquid gasoline in my mouth. I sputter and gag, but I manage to swallow it down. “That was disgusting. How the hell do you drink
that?”

“Lots and lots of practice. Come on
; let’s go!” We run to the street, hailing a cab. Jeremy tells the cab driver to take us to the Stratosphere hotel.

Thirty
minutes later, we take the elevator ride to the top and look at the views of Las Vegas. The lights are breathtaking, and from here you can see every part of the strip.

Jake yanks his tie off his neck and covers my eyes.

“What are you doing?” My nerves are in overdrive as the adrenaline pours over me.

“That’s for you to find out.” We finish going up to the
top, and when the blind fold is off, I’m seeing a sign for bungee jumping off the one hundred eighth floor of this hotel. Oh, my God, what have I agreed to do? I immediately want to pee my pants. I look over to Jake and he’s smiling with delight.

“Absolutely not! I can’t do this!”

“Well, I just paid two hundred bucks to do this, so yes you are.” He grabs my hand and pulls me over to the gentleman hooking everyone up in the cords. I am freaking out, more so than the night he took me for the first drag race. This is dangerous taken to the extreme. Anything could go wrong.

As w
e wait in line for another thirty minutes, and I’m shaking the whole time, Jeremy is on his phone, opting to sit this adventure out. When I argue it should be all of us, Jeremy reminds me that this is between Jake and I.

Finally our time is up
, so we stand outside the platform, getting suited up for our deaths. The instructor is reciting the dos and don’ts as he attaches Jake and me together. I’m praying silently now.
God, please don’t let me go splat. Oh, please.

Jake smile
s his wicked smile as he guides me in his arms onto the jumping platform. I’m shaking uncontrollably, but I’m not cold. I’m burning hot and really wish I would have taken another sip of liquid courage.

He connects his eyes with mine
. “Are you ready, D?” I shake my head no when Jake lifts my chin with his hand and whispers, “All you have to do is trust me.”

All the worry dissipates and floats away
as I look in Jake’s eyes and know, without a doubt, he will never do anything to harm me.

I stand up on my tip toes, kissing him on the cheek and reply, “I trust you.”

Then we fall. I don’t scream. I only hold him tighter as we free fall one hundred and eight stories. It’s a life changing moment. Plummeting down to earth, I realize how much I love this. I’m letting myself go and shedding everything I’m expected to be, living in the now—the now with Jake. I feel alive. I feel free.

We are suspended upside down while being hoisted back to the platform. I can feel his breath on my neck
, and when I pull back, the biggest smile is on his face. “I missed this. I missed us doing stuff like this.” I nod in agreement, unable to speak just yet. My stomach is still in my throat. “I promise this is the most extreme adventure. The next one is just as exciting, but on an entirely different level.”

We make our
way back into the cab and take off down the strip. Jake ties the silk fabric around my eyes again, preventing me from seeing our next adventure.

Soon we come to a stop and Jake
helps me out of the car. I can hear the club mix over the speakers and I instantly get excited. I love going to dance clubs because I love to dance. I don’t need booze to start shaking my hips with the rest of them. I can feel the energy coming off this place and the vibration of the bass as we pass through the doorway.

“Can I take this off yet?” I’m so excited
, I could just scream. Marybeth will be green with envy when I tell her I went dancing at a hot Las Vegas nightclub.

“Not yet!”

I hold Jake’s hand in a death grip while we wind and move then walk up a million stairs until we finally reach the top where the music has changed. The song is still full of life, but it’s not nearly as loud as the downstairs.

“Now?”

“Hang on, D.” He guides me over to a plush couch and sits me down. “Okay, now!”

I yank my blindfold off like a
five-year-old does with the wrapping paper on Christmas morning then blink several times to make sure we are in the right place because Jake must be out of his mind if he thinks I’m going to sit and watch a bunch of strippers.

“Are you kidding me?”

Jake is laughing hysterically and Jeremy joins in. I am sitting on a beautiful, plush couch in a private VIP room, with a small stage and two girls dedicated only to us. “Come on, cupcake. We’re in Vegas. I’ve paid an ass load of money to be here for two hours on New Year’s.” He kisses the top of my hand then chuckles. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So live a little!”

Jake flashes a fifty dollar bill and a topless brunette saunter
s over to the three of us. “Not for me.” He points to his brother and she begins to grind on his lap. Jeremy is in heaven. The grin is huge across his cheeks as he mouths thank you to Jake while the dancer dry humps his groin.

This is blasphemy! I cannot be in a Las Vegas strip club wat
ching my friends get lap dances from tramps while I am forced to watch. This is not fun, not fun at all.

“I don’t like this.”

Jake leans into my ear and says in a warm, seductive tone, “This isn’t for me, cupcake.” I snap my head up and watch him as he flags the other dancer over to our direction. “What happens in Vegas, right?”

I watch a very beautiful Hispanic woman stalk her way over to me. She
is wearing a gold sequined thong and matching six inch heels. Her breasts are small, very perky and real. While “Blurred Lines” comes booming through the speakers, she swings her hips in time to the music as she makes her way closer to me.

I lean forward
, dump something clear in a glass and then tip it back. I cough as Jake curiously raises his eyebrow. “I need more liquid courage.”

He releases a big laugh, handing me dollar bills just as the sexy woman stands before me. I put my hands under my legs and turn my head to the side
, not wanting to be so close to her breasts. When she kicks off her shoes and stands up on the couch, Jake motions for me to give her the dollar bills and I take another shot of poison then shove the money in her thong.

I keep putting the money into her panties until it’s gone, but I can’t help
noticing her perfectly firm rear is in my face. Wow, I’m amazed by this. I’ve never seen a rear look so hard in all my life. I find it fascinating.

Then she dips down to the floor in
a stealth-like move. Very acrobatic and smooth, again very impressive. I now have fallen into a trance with this woman. She is exotically beautiful, can have any man she wants, and she works at a strip club. It seems wrong to me. Poor little creature.

I’m off in my own little world when I get slammed back into reality. The two perky mounds
on this woman’s chest are right in my face, and she’s straddling my lap while gyrating her hips onto my lap. Jake is just sipping on his drink, enjoying the show and Jeremy
—
well, he’s in a whole other world with the other dancer. It looks like they’re about to have sex in front of everyone.