Lingus (45 page)

Zoey looped her arm through mine, resting her head on my shoulder. "I'm so happy that it makes me sad," she admitted.

Josh looked over at me from his spot on the other side of Zoey with wide eyes. We were both all too familiar with the random, senseless shit that came out of her mouth when she drank. Trading smirks with each other, we waited another two minutes before Nikki made her way to us while hiking up her dress. Nicole Jonasson, the Ball Buster of Seattle, was glass-eyed and beaming. It was kind of scary, like the calm before the storm, but I pushed the thought of my head.

"I'll call you guys as soon as I get back," she told us. They were leaving on a red-eye to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

We all nodded in synchronization, maybe doubting the strength in our voices as a whole but I'd never know for sure. "Have fun, I love you, Nik," I broke the silence, extending my arms out so that the giant of a woman could give me a hug. She squeezed me so tight my boobs started hurting and repeated my words to me.

I took in her face, and that of Zoey and Josh while they said bye in their own ways. Calum stood back, talking to Tristan, and smiling like he'd won the lottery or something. Our tight little circle had expanded and warped into a larger one so quickly it kind of took my breath away, but I knew it was life.

I knew better than anyone that life was unexpected and fast, and that you couldn't plan for anything. I mean, everything really did happen for a reason, even if it didn't make any sense. How different would our lives have been if Nikki hadn't of bribed some guy for passes to porn con all those months ago? We'd probably still be sitting on her couch talking about Calum’s gigantic dick and going out all the time. Happy but not to our fullest potential.

Five minutes later, the newlyweds were gone and we were all standing outside trying to catch cabs back to our hotels. Tristan and I rode along with tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, wishing them a goodnight while they headed out of the lobby to hit up a club nearby while we walked back to the hotel room with our fingers loosely linked. He smiled at me really goofily when we made our way in, and then again when he followed me into the bathroom after I told him I was going to shower.

He peeled his clothes off faster than I did, turning on the water and slipping in while I was still trying to undress, but really, I was too busy swallowing up the smooth lines of his body. Once I'd taken off the strapless, plum bridesmaid dress and underwear, I got into the double shower with him. There should be something said about Tristan all wet. He was already the most handsome man I'd ever seen fully clothed, but naked? There was no comparison for beauty when he had water dripping from every inch of his creamy skin.

He moved over to let me wash my hair, stroking the tips of his fingers across my neck while I lathered it, and then trailing them down my spine when I rinsed the shampoo off. He washed my back for me with just the palms of his hands and some of the liquid soap the hotel provided. I washed his back for him after he'd done mine, but I dipped my fingers to press into the tight curve of his ass when I got the chance.

"I'm going to start charging you."

"For what?"

"For touching my ass all the time."

My head fell back when I laughed in response. "Oh, please."

He smiled at me, those perfect white teeth coming out to say hi. "I'll meet you out there after you finish."

My shower was over a minute later, but he was already slipping out of the bathroom, so I took my time drying off and brushing my teeth before putting on my underwear and sports bra to sleep. I found him sprawled on top of the covers, long legs wide while flipping through channels using the remote. He winked at me and patted the spot right next to him. I climbed on, wobbling over the mattress until I could snuggle against his side.

I didn't say anything while he kept changing the channels until suddenly, a silhouette of a girl riding a guy popped up on the large, flat screen television. The sound of moans filtered through the speakers.

"Well, this is awkward," I snickered, trying my best not to think about Robby Lingus, but it was impossible. Just two months before, Tristan had been— yeah, I definitely didn't want to think about it.

"Sorry," he apologized discreetly, which only made me feel like shit. I knew what I was getting into. I'd known who he was. What he did. I couldn't change it, but I also really shouldn't hold it against him.

"It's fine," I said, reaching over to place my palm on the inside of his thigh.

Tristan placed his hand over mine, squeezing it. "You know you're the best, right?"

"Nah, you are."

He shifted back on the bed so that his back was resting on the headboard. "I am, but you are too," he chuckled. "Come here," he patted the hand resting on his thigh, trying to get me to sit on his lap. I made a big show about getting up and straddling him, tucking my legs under me with my ass on the middle of his thighs. Those large hands that I loved cupped my cheeks and brought my face so close to his I could smell the toothpaste on his breath.

"I missed you," he said taking my bottom lip between his, "the last few days," he took the top one, sucking it lightly.

I shivered, pushing my chest against his, feeling him hard and insistent against my stomach. "I've missed you too," I croaked out when he started kissing my cheeks and jaw.

"Did you like the wedding?" he asked me, earning a gurgling noise of response when he started sucking on the thin skin of my neck.

His long index fingers dipped into the material of my bra, pulling it down just an inch to reveal the tops of my breasts. "Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering," he said, planting a warm kiss on the exposed skin. He tugged down revealing more skin. "I have something important to ask you."

"Shoot," I gritted out when he kissed me right below where he had a moment before.

Tristan slipped his hands around my lower back and tugged me forward on his lap just the right way so that I could feel him hard beneath me. "Would you have chosen the Elvis or the ship if it were your wedding?"

Another stupid noise came out of my throat when he lifted his hips up just slightly. I really wanted to focus, but I couldn't. "What?"

"Elvis—," he tugged down at the material even more, enough so that the deep pink of my nipples showed. "Or the ship?"

I gasped when he kissed and then dragged his tongue across the edge of my bra. "Um, Elvis."

He stopped for just a brief second, and then bucked his hips up once more, apple green eyes looking into mine. "Good answer."

His words and question nibbled at me, my subconscious having just enough reasoning to wonder why he would ask me that. Maybe I knew, but I didn't choose to think about it then, instead allowing myself to just feel his warm body under me and in front of me. He nuzzled my neck for the briefest moment, and I had to thank whatever god was listening right then for bringing this man into my life. He sure as fuck wasn't perfect but at the same time, he was.

What other man would care enough about my feelings the way he did? He was always telling me that he loved me and being sweet, while I returned the gesture afterward. Just like when I'd been dealing with keeping my emotions closed off from him to avoid attaching myself, which obviously didn't work very well at all. I realized that I was still guarding my words with him, still hesitating with really letting him know that everything he felt about me, I reciprocated even if I wasn't as bold as he was. He'd left me no doubt that he loved me and wanted to be with me, but I was still cautious.

"Mag?" I choked out, trying to think of my words. "I have an,
oh
," he passed his tongue over me again, "Important question, too."

"Hmm?" He murmured, not breaking contact with my chest.

"It's not a question, actually," I sucked in a breath. He'd let go of one side of my bra only to tug down the other so roughly I heard some of the stitching snap. He stopped though, looking up at me through long, dark eyelashes. "I just wanted to tell you," I couldn't help but smile, feeling a little insecure. "Don't laugh, okay?" He nodded a slight bit, probably worried about what I'd blurt out, but I knew it wasn't bad. I knew it was the truth even in the marrow of my bones. "You'll always be my favorite person in the world. Always."

Epilogue

In the distant… but not too distant future

"Marry me."

It looked like her ears perked up at my words; her whole body tensed up and I thought she stopped breathing.

We were lying on the grass in the backyard. Yoda's two-hundred and twenty pound body was belly-up next to me with Kat on my other side.

"What... uh, what did you just say?" Her voice was high and squeaky.

"Marry me," I repeated, rolling onto my side to look at her.

Kat was on her back with her mouth wide open and her hair a mess of tangles around her head. Those dark brown eyes I'd gotten used to waking up to every morning were darting from me to a tree behind my head. She flushed pink and coughed. "Are you asking me? Or telling me?" she croaked.

"I'm telling you. Marry me."

She rolled to her side, propping her head up on her elbow. Her face was still pink but this time her eyes were a little glazed over. "I don't think that's the way it works."

I shrugged in response, smiling so much I knew my face would start hurting soon.

"I don't even get a please or anything?" she asked, trying her best not to smile but like typical Kat, she couldn't help it.

"Goldie, marry me. Please," I told her gently.

She threw her head back and laughed, pretty face going from pink to red. "Try again!"

I was snorting loudly at her response. There was no doubt that I loved her, who the hell else would ever make me redo my half-assed proposal?

"Katherine Berger?" I said, lowering my voice.

She batted her eyelashes at me, grinning. "Yes, Tristan King?" She said in an equally low voice that changed in pitch when she started giggling.

"I think I've loved you from the moment you called me a pussy," I said, earning a howl of laughter from Kat. She had tears in her eyes, but I wasn't sure if it was from laughing or from what I was telling her. "You mean more to me than all of my collectible Star Wars figurines times a billion—"

"Only a billion?"

I rolled over, tucking my knees under me so that I could sit up on them. Grabbing her face between my hands, I lowered my head while still chuckling. "Times infinity, my sweet little gold digger."

Kat was breathing hard, her warm eyes wide and shiny but she smiled wickedly. "Go on."

"I love you so much," I told her, kissing the tip of her nose. "Marry me." I kissed her again, pulling away far enough so I could see her face clearly when she responded. I dug blindly into my front pocket to pull out the ring I'd been carrying around for weeks. "Please?"

She scrambled up to her knees faster than I could've ever imagined, not even looking at the ring I was holding out toward her, when she tackled me. I grunted from the impact knocking the wind out of me, but all I could focus on was the look on her face. She was smiling hard, wiping away the tears from her face when she kissed me. Pulling her lips back just a centimeter, she breathed out her answer. "Yes. I will."

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Lingus
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About the author:

Mariana Zapata has enjoyed writing since she was a little girl. She lives in Texas with her two great danes and spends a lot of time reading.

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