Page 73 of Only Ever You

I was about to become a part of their family.

I’m not sure there’s enough alcohol in this room to make me forget that.

Maybe if I empty the minibar …

* * *

How long has that alarm been blaring at me?

I shake my head to wake myself up. My brain’s on fire, and a quick glance at the minibar tells me I made short work of it last night.

Pain sears through my chest.

Pippa.

I push myself to my feet. Empty bottles litter the table, and I can smell the booze on myself.

Whoops.

Staggering to the wardrobe, I grab my suit and fold it into my bag. If it gets rumpled, I don’t care. I’m out of here.

I don’t bother checking out. It’s 9:30 a.m. and I have a flight in half an hour.

Thankfully, there’s a taxi right outside the hotel.

I’m sure I’ll regret this later.

“Deacon?”

Mallory’s voice comes from behind me. I swallow hard and turn. Confusion swamps her features, and her brows dip.

She’s got the coffee I asked her to get in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. “Where are you going?” She screws up her nose. “And why do you smell like you’ve been drinking all night?” She places the bag on a bench beside her.

“I’m out of here.”

“What? Why?” She grabs my arm. “You’re supposed to be getting married in an hour and a half.”

“Pippa knows what she did.”

I tug my arm away from her and slide into the back of the taxi.

“You’ll regret this. She doesn’t deserve what you’re doing.”

Shrugging it off, I lean forward. “Let’s go.”

As soon as we’re on the road, my mobile rings, but I reject the call and shove the phone into my pocket. To hell with this.

To hell with everything.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Pippa

This is the life.

From the moment I got out of bed, I’ve been pampered.

My old high-school friend, Rachel, is a bridesmaid alongside Mallory and Simone. She stayed last night, so we spent the time reminiscing about our school years to Simone’s entertainment. Mallory spent the night at the hotel with the others and she’s due here any minute.