Page 74 of Six Wishes

CHAPTER34

Okay

Van

“Do you think we made a mistake?” Chloe swings our arms together in between us.

“About what?”

“Not getting married…” Her face is scrunched into a slight frown that makes her look just adorable.

I stop in the middle of the lobby and turn her toward me. I need her to pay attention to what I’m about to say. It’s that important.

“I love you. I don’t give a fuck about a piece of paper. I want to be with you without it. I need to know if you feel the same.”

“One hundred percent,” she responds without hesitation.

“There you go then,” I shrug and we go back to swinging our arms between us. “I do have some news for you though…” I need to tell her everything about my trip to New York since it will now affect her life as well.

“Is it something bad?” I hate the apprehension in her voice. I want to tell her again how sorry I am to have put us on a break. At the same time, I got a lot done while we were apart, and I feel so much better about our future together now.

“No, but I do hope that you will agree with me.” I take a deep and fortifying breath as I prepare to break some news to her. “I’ll start with the pictures that were posted online.”

“Ugh, why?” she about stomps her feet at me, making me chuckle.

“No, it’s good, I promise,” I rush to reassure her. “I found out who did it.”

She rolls her eyes, then looks at me sideways. “Tinker Bell?”

“What? How do you know?” I am shocked that she already had the information. And here I thought thinking that I’d be blowing her mind with it.

“That day when Maci and Damian took me home, she pointed out that the face looked funny. I recognized her from that night at the bar,” Chloe shrugs and looks at the floor, almost embarrassed by the entire thing. “I tried telling you when you came and broke up with me,” she kicks me lightly in the shin in a playful manner.

“We were not broken up,” I insist. “We were on a break!” We both bust out laughing at that because it sure sounds close to the whole Ross and Rachel thing my mother scared me with.

“Anyway, Tinker Bell wasn’t at it by herself. My ex from a bazillion years ago, Brandi, was also in cahoots with her,” I explain and watch when her eyes bug out of her head.

“Shut up!” She pushes me sideways and just stares at me. “Why?”

I shrug in self-deprecation. “She was missing me. I’m a lovable guy…”

“Jesus Christ,” Chloe huffs in disgust. “That is just crazy! Who does things like that?”

“Crazy exes?” I guess.

“So what happened to her?”

“I sent all the information to Wyatt. He will file for a permanent protection order against them, for the both of us. They agreed to it so that I wouldn’t get the police involved.”

“Wow,” Chloe seems to be in awe. “Just… wow…”

“Yeah,” I agree with her. “Anyway, that wasn’t all I wanted to tell you.”

“Okay,” she drags the word out just a touch, betraying her nervousness.

“I met with the team doctors, and then with the team owner, the manager, too.”

“Oh,” her hand is squeezing me tighter, like she is afraid for me, for what my future holds.