Gray’s eyes met mine from across the room, and then they bounced back and forth between the idiots on either side of me. I gave him a reassuring nod, silently telling him I would keep these guys in check.
“That door was big enough to fit them both, dammit,” Ash said, leaning forward a bit to glare at Jake.
“It’s been over two decades since that movie was released,” Jake whispered, shaking his head. He kept his eyes on Carrie. “It’s time to move on.”
“Both of you need to be smacked,” I grumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“And to Grayson’s team, the Red Snake crew,” Carrie said. All three of us snapped our focus to her. Out of the corner of my eye, Dominic, who had been by the front window the majority of the night, shook his head at us. “You boys saved my life,” Carrie croaked. My jaw tightened to the point of pain as her eyes filled with tears. Grayson pushed off the wall, coming to stand beside her. “I can never repay you for that.”
“And you’ll never have to, sweetheart,” Dominic said, and the rest of us nodded.
My skin prickled, feeling Margo’s eyes on me then. As Carrie began to tell everyone how amazing we were and how we’d saved her life—leaving out the gory details—my eyes dropped, instantly finding my angry girl. She was sitting on the far end of the couch, curled up under Carrie’s strawberry pink blanket, a hint of red blooming in her cheeks.
“I never expected to fall in love,” Carrie continued in the background as everything around me faded away, my world narrowing to only Margo. “I didn’t think I deserved to be loved the way that Grayson loves me, but he showed me the truth. Everyone deserves to be loved, even the ones who make mistakes.”
Margo’s lips closed, the tattooed butterfly on her neck shifting as she swallowed as if she was parched.
Parched for me.
“Our wedding day wouldn’t be special without our family there to support us, without our best friends standing beside us as Grayson and I promise each other forever.”
My head tilted to the side, my gaze burning into Margo, pleading for mercy.
Come on, Temper.
Give me a chance to explain.
Tell me the truth.
Please.
“Which is why I want to ask Margo and Sarah to be mymaidsof honor.”
The spell between us was broken as the world came rushing back. Everyone was clapping. Sarah had her hand over her mouth in shock and looked down to Margo, who was gaping at Carrie. Ash nudged my arm. “Clap, man. Jesus.”
Automatically, I started clapping, watching in awe as Margo rose from her seat, the blanket falling to the floor in a heap. Carrie practically jumped over to her friends, a pink gift bag in each hand. “Will you both stand beside me on my wedding day?” she proposed. “I can’t do this with you. I need my girls.”
Sarah nodded, already a blubbering mess. Her husband shook his head, chuckling. She wrapped her arm around Margo’s shoulders, shaking her. “Earth to Margo! You going to answer?”
The room fell silent again as Margo stared at Carrie in disbelief. “You can’t—you don’t want me for this.”
Carrie’s face twisted in bewilderment. “What do you mean? Of course I do. I can’t do this without you, babe.”
“Cardinal,” Margo rasped, lifting a trembling hand to her lips, tears sliding down her cheeks now.
It took everything in me not to cross the room and wipe those tears from her face. I couldn’t stand the sight of them.
How many tears do you think she cried when she woke up to an empty bed, asshole?
A broken sob filled the room just before she nodded, falling into Carrie’s open arms. Seconds later, Sarah joined too, and I looked at my feet, that wretched sound echoing in my ears.
“Carrie’s got a good group of friends here,” Jake noted.
“Agreed.”
The doorbell rang then, and my head snapped up to find Grayson answering the door. He smiled at someone before stepping aside, gesturing to the room.
“So sorry I’m late,” a sweet voice announced.