Page 73 of Run to Me

The fuck?

Luca

It’s been a fucking week since my wedding, you really couldn’t wait, huh?

Dad

Happy for you, son.

Marco

That poor girl.

Izzy

She did agree to this, right? You better not be forcing that girl to marry you Enzo.

Alec

Why am I included in this?

Thanks Dad. Fuck you to the rest of you.

Isend the last text off to the group chat before turning off my phone. The assholes I call my family can be there if they choose, but I honestly couldn’t give a fuck. I’m marrying my girl either way.

Robyn called Lia while I called Judge Harris to arrange the time—which was easy since he knows my reputation and didn’t dare say no to me—and sent the message out.

I walk into the kitchen to find my girl standing at the counter rubbing her temples. She takes my fucking breath away every time I see her, especially when she’s standing inmykitchen, wearingmyt-shirt and sporting messy hair as a result of havingmyfist wrapped around it. Though I can’t say I enjoy the look on her face right now, which is a mixture of worry and irritation.

“What’s wrong?” I demand as I approach her. I grab her hips and lift her to sit on the counter before stepping between her legs and taking her face in my hands.

“I haven’t seen Lia in months, she only got back two days ago and let’s just say she was… shocked,” she mumbles with her eyes downcast.

Panic hits me as she fails to meet my eyes.

She hasn’t changed her mind, has she?

Well fuck that, I’ll handcuff her to me and drag her down to the courthouse if I have to, I won’t have her friend disappearing for months only to come back and fuck up our plans.

“You still wanna do this, right?” I ask tentatively, while also running one hundred different scenarios through my mind of how to convince her without resorting to forcing her hand.

Her head snaps up, and she must not like the look on my face because she blanches.

“No, no.” My heart stops momentarily until she continues, “I want to do this. I want to marry you; it was just a hard conversation. She doesn’t understand why we had to do it today, but I told her that I love you, and how happy you make me, and she promised to be there. It was just awkward for a moment, maybe I should have told her what was really going on with me back when we started, it could have made this easier.”

I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear before pressing my lips to her forehead. “You were protecting her, angel, if you explain everything and tell her why you didn’t tell her back then I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“You think so?” she asks hopefully, those vibrant green eyes flicking over my face, looking for a lie.

“You’ve been friends for years, she won’t throw that away because you chose to omit certain details in order to keep you both safe,” I reassure her, hoping like fuck that I’m right.

I don’t want Lia upsetting my girl, because if she’s upset, I’ll end up losing my shit and doing something I shouldn’t, and I really don’t think my wife will appreciate me decapitating her best friend.

I bring my lips to hers in a quick kiss before lifting her off the counter. “Come on, we need to get ready, wifey.”

“I’m not your wife yet,” she says with a roll of her eyes.

“Semantics,” I mutter.