“And you probably should stop right there” came Demetri’s voice. “Because I want to be totally surprised. Alec already has bets with Jaymeson that I’m going to pass out.”
I shot to my feet, still clenching my hands. “Hey.”
Why the heck was I acting like a fangirl who’d just barely been introduced to Demetri? Nervous, I licked my lips and waited for him to say something.
His eyebrows drew together as his eyes looked their fill. Man, the guy was beautiful. Between his tan skin, dimples, and blond hair, he looked like he belonged on a surfboard or maybe just as an underwear model.
With a sigh, he stepped into the room then pulled me into his strong arms. “You and I… a date… right now. What do you say?”
“A date?”
“Aww!” Gabe cooed from the corner.
Demetri flipped him the bird.
“Only encourages him.” Wes coughed.
“You, me — date.” Demetri’s forehead touched mine. “C’mon.”
“Right now?”
“Now.”
“But the baby…”
“Sleeping.”
“And we have guests…” I said, lamely turning around and pointing at the group.
Wes stood. “Hey, we’ve just spent the day at the hospital, practically family now. Besides, Alec said something about showing Gabe the recording studio, and I need to get the wife home…” His eyes flashed.
Must. Not. Look. Directly. In. Them.
“Right, Kiersten?”
She blushed.
“Yeah…” Saylor shook her head. “…I think we all know exactly why you need to get her home… or back to the condo.”
“So…” Demetri shrugged. “…it seems our guests will be fine.”
“But we still have so much to do, and…” I had no more excuses. “…Gabe is new to town?”
“Let Alec handle Twilight.” Demetri rolled his eyes while Gabe hissed, possibly his version of a manlier Edward.
“Okay.” I squeezed his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Perfect.” He tugged me against his warm body and led me out of the waiting room. The whole time we walked, he talked about Ella. The way he spoke her name was even reverent. I never thought I’d see the day where Demetri Daniels was owned by a girl who couldn’t even speak yet, but he was. His eyes were glowing, his body buzzing with excitement.
I was happy for him.
Happy for them.
But still… sad, and feeling so stupid that I felt that way in the first place! How selfish could a person be?
“So…” He started the Mercedes but didn’t put it in reverse yet. Instead, he put his arm around my seat and tilted his head in my direction. “…you’re upset.”
“Me?” I pointed at myself. “NO. I’m fine. Everything’s fine!”
“We’re getting married tomorrow,” Demetri spoke slowly. “And you deserve to have that spotlight.”
“No.” I shook my head again. “Really, it’s fine Demetri. It’s—”
“Wanna know what I learned today?”
“You mean besides where babies come from?”
“Cute.” He winked. “Besides that.”
“How to not get high and eat taffy instead?”
“Lyss—”
“Fine.” I crossed my arms. “What?”
“I learned that moments are special.” He swallowed. “Each moment is a gift, but each moment builds, you know? Each second of the day, each decision you make helps build your future, your destiny. When I looked into Ella’s mind, all those moments, those precious seconds of my life flashed, and I realized that the good choices, even the bad, all propelled me toward you. My great moment, my epic moment, the girl I’d be with forever.”
My breath hitched. I forced myself to swallow to keep from crying as his eyes pooled with tears.
“And, Lyss, I don’t want to miss those moments, even the ones that are hard. I think too often we take life’s little moments for granted, and right now we’ve been given another chance to enjoy one of ours. We’re getting married, freaking married, Lyss. You and I. The hometown taffy pusher and the recovered drug addict who just happens to know how to play the guitar really well. Us. That’s us, Lyss, and, I guess. the moments leading up to that really big one that we’re going to have tomorrow? I want to savor every single one… with you. My future wife. The mother of our future children. My partner in crime. My soul mate. So… we’re going to spend time tonight. We’re going to collect some of those precious seconds, and it’s all going to be about you.”
“Us,” I whispered. “How about it’s all about us?”
“When it’s about you…” he shrugged. “That makes it automatically about us… because I’m a part of you, Lyss. I always will be.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Demetri
I HAD OFFICIALLY ASKED help from an enemy.
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t an enemy, but, you know, if a person had an arch nemesis, I’m pretty sure Ashton Hyde would be mine. Alec sent me a text and said Alyssa was shaking her leg again.
Which meant she was freaking the shit out.
And it was my fault.
We were getting married! And in all the haste of getting ready, I realized that Nat had been the one to plan the surprise bachelorette party that was supposed to be taking place tonight after the beachside clambake.