Entangled (Evolve Series Novella 2.5) (11 page)

“You ready to leave, baby?”

“No,” I giggle, knowing he’s dying to go, but I may
never have the nerve to do this again—I’ve gotta make the night last.

“Then we need to take a break or I’m gonna give it
to ya right here.”

I turn in his arms now, emboldened, and all of a
sudden dying to try out a move I saw in a movie once. I fist his shirt in one
hand and drop to the floor, then pull myself slowly back up his body,
straddling one of his legs.

“Fuckkkk,” he moans in my mouth as he grabs me by
the back of the neck and kisses the hell out of me. “Enough. We leaving and doing
this for real or not?” he pants, begging me with his eyes to pick the former.

“Dayummm, Gidge, you been hiding your freak!”
Sawyer laughs in my ear, now right beside us. “You guys, come on, everybody’s
at a table. Whitley wants to do a toast.”

I have to chuckle when Dane lets out a pouting huff
and makes me drag him to join our friends. More shots are waiting when we get
there and Whitley raises hers.

“To old friends,” she taps her glass to Dane,
Sawyer and Tate, “to new friends,” now she taps me, Bennett and Zach, “and to forevers.”
She clinks with Evan last. “May this year be filled with love, laughs and
straight A’s. Cheers!”

We all join glasses now and down them, though this
one not my favorite. Coconut, yuck. “Whitley, truth or dare?” I wipe my mouth
and ask, amidst the collective moans of the guys.

“I’ll go tell em’ last call,” Tate’s already in
motion, “something tells me this just became a private party.”

~Dane~

“
H
ave you ever been this drunk before?” I
ask my very inebriated, cute as hell girlfriend, currently chanting “The Roof’s
on Fire” as we’re driven to my house.

“Nope, have you?”

I only did one shot, no one noticing, so obviously
I’m fine but explaining that to her now would be futile. “Come here,” I chuckle
and pull on her belt loops. She’s climbing around like a monkey and I think
she’s about to go for a sing and spread your arms out the roof moment. “There’s
no moon roof in this car, baby,” I try to explain as I pull her down into my
lap. “You’re one sexy mess.”

Tonight was great, though, aside from the one issue
early on. After we’d closed the doors and thinned the crowd, Laney really let go
finally, Whitley and Bennett happy to follow suit. You’d think with one fight
and an appearance by an ex, we’d be out of highlights, but alas, it gets
better. The most interesting part of the night had to be the drunken, more
risqué than usual game of Truth or Dare, because of which I now know several
new exciting facts. For starters, Whitley could easily be a pole dancer if she
ever desires. Bennett has a belly button ring of a “T.” Sawyer does a mean worm
and has seven piercings, which not only was he not allowed to show, but I
refused to try and guess as to their whereabouts. Evan’s actually not a bad
singer and can shotgun a beer fastest of the guys. Zach has a very white ass
and cannot tie a cherry stem with his tongue to save it. My brother, when
forced to judge, gives Laney “best ass” (tell me something I don’t know),
Whitley “best tits” and Bennett “best all in one.” Yep, TOD led by drunk girls
is super informative. And everyone else is now fully aware that I have some
bossy tendencies in the bedroom—Laney’s truth share, not mine. Miss Too Many
Shots Blabbermouth got ahead of herself though and spilled the beans about “Pussy
Persuasion.” I could go on and on, but I’d rather just figure out a way to
self-induce amnesia, except for the last part—I’m on to her now, the little
minx.

Her light snoring grabs my attention and I look
down at the beautiful girl now asleep with her head in my lap, body curled into
a little ball half on top of me. She’s gonna be a hungover bear tomorrow, but
for now, for now she’s a snoring, snuggly angel. That sweet little mouth
puckers as she blows out her signature puffs of air, her cheeks flushed from
the alcohol and her hands wrapped around my waist under my shirt. I brush the
hair off her forehead and kiss her there. “I adore you, Laney Walker. I can’t
wait to marry you.”

“Okay,” she purrs, snuggling deeper into my side.

God, what I’d give for her to say that sober and
awake.

Chapter 13

~Laney~

“
S
awyer, we’re gonna be late!” I scream
through a mouth full of Crunchberries.

There’s a knock at the front door, interrupting my
breakfast. When I open it, I’m met with a sea of blue…roses. I gasp and reach
for the vase, uncovering a young delivery boy.

“Laney Walker?” he asks.

“That’s me!”

“Here you go,” he hands me a light blue envelope,
“have a nice day.”

I shut the door and take them to the kitchen
counter, inhaling their sweet fragrance. I know who they’re from, but once
again, he has floored me—where does one even find a
blue
rose? And this
early in the morning? I open the card, more than anxious to read what it says.

My Disney,

I’m sorry I
can’t see you off to your first day of sophomore year today. No doubt you look
beautiful and will kick butt!

Blue roses are
thought to mean “the impossible” and eleven of any color mean “you are my
treasure, that which I love most in my life.” Both are true. You are absolutely
the most treasured and loved thing that will ever exist in my world, impossibly
so.

I will see you
tonight. Nothing could keep me from it. I’ll want to hear all about your day.
And how much you missed and loved me of course.

Do your thing, baby,

XOXO D

“Gidge, you shouldn’t have.” Sawyer saunters in,
grabbing my bowl of cereal. ”How’d you know blue were my favorite?”

“Lucky guess,” I sigh, still on my cloud. “You ready
to go? I don’t want to be late the first day.”

“Yup.” He turns up the bowl and drinks the milk. “I
even made my bed and picked up my room like a good boy.”

“Very nice.” I pat his chest. “Now have a great
day, play nicely with the other kids and I’ll see you at lunch.”

Sawyer’d moved in, just like he promised, and seems
to be a bit more chipper every day. I haven’t asked and he hasn’t shared, but
things seem…better. We walk out together, him locking the door behind us, and
head down the driveway. “You want a ride?” I ask him, climbing into my truck.

“Nah, I’ll take the bike. I have a long break in
the afternoon, I’ll come home and make dinner. Meatloaf good? It’s my
specialty.”

“That’s sound great, Saw.”

I can’t wipe the grin off my face as I drive to campus.
Dane and I are fantastic. All my friends, including Sawyer, seem on track;
happy
or happier
and healthy. My dad is dating. My mom learned to use
the laptop we brought her to Skype with me at least once a week. Hayden’s doing
great and Angie’s truly thrilled, chomping at the bit for her grandbabies to
come.

And always, I think of Evan. He may be happiest of
all, so wrapped up in Whitley and now living with her, I might add, that the
smile he permanently wears is bigger than my own. Whit got her lobster or
seahorse or whatever she says, and Evan got his Juliet.

We’re all just one, big, crazy, loving, extended
family…forever entangled in one another’s lives, and pretty damn blessed.

Life is good.

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