One Little Lie, page 18
He grunts.
“Any special requests for your birthday?” I ask.
“I wish my mom was here,” he says. “But other than that...nah.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight. “How’d lunch go?”
He shrugs and the move makes my whole body rise and fall as he strokes my back. “Good, I guess. He told me about his parents.”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak for a second. I can’t help it. Watching my big tough guy bonding with his equally tough dad is just too sweet for words. They’ve started weekly one-on-one lunches, which is just adorbs, and Marsha has instituted regular date nights for the two of them where they order out or go to one of her favorite restaurants and get to know each other outside of all the drama and chaos that tends to occur at family dinner.
His family is still pretty messed up, but they’re his family. And he’s finally starting to accept that.
“So?” I tease. “Excited for your big party tonight?”
He groans as he carries me over to his bed where he sets me down gently before cuddling up next to me. “Not even close. Why did I agree to this again?”
“Um, I think because Eloise is a force of nature and you were physically incapable of defying her?” I offer.
He nods. “Right. I knew there was a reason.”
“It won’t be so bad,” I say.
He grunts. It’s a grunt of disbelief. I’ve been pretty fluid in his grunts since day one but now it’s like we have our own language.
“At least your party isn’t geared toward eight year olds,” I say.
He laughs and tucks me in against his chest. “I’d rather stay in here with you.”
“Hmph. Well, too bad because I’ll be out there making nice with our new friends.”
“Then I guess you haven’t heard,” he says.
There’s mischief in his voice and it has me pulling back to eye him warily. “What don’t I know?”
“If your dad and Gina didn’t tell you…” he teases.
I smack his shoulder. “Vince, don’t keep me in suspense.”
He chuckles as he kisses my forehead. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
I frown up at him but before I can ask him what he’s talking about, I hear Eloise shouting for us to come out because I have guests.
“I have guests?” I ask in disbelief.
He shrugs but his eyes are dancing with laughter. I’m already halfway off the bed and I hear him chuckling behind me as I take his hand and drag him along to find—
“Celia?” I practically scream my friend’s name when I find her and Heath in the Barons’ massive foyer. Leo and Savannah are grinning as they watch my reaction, and Eloise is clapping quietly, her smile a giant beam. “Surprise!”
I squeal as I throw myself at Celia and then Heath, and it seems like everyone is talking at once. Well, everyone except for Vince. He’s watching from the sidelines, his gaze fixed on me and me alone as my friends fill me in on how Heath and Celia had come up with this plan to take a road trip out West to visit me.
Turns out everyone was in on this plan except for me.
“The others wish they could be here too,” Celia says. “But I promised to get all the juicy gossip while I’m here so we can fill them in.”
“Juicy gossip?” Leo teases. “In this family? Never.”
“Well, I’m more interested in hearing about the gossip at home,” I say. “I can’t believe I missed all the excitement with Noelle and Elijah.”
“I know, right?” Celia laughs. “We have so much to catch up on.”
Vince and Heath are right behind us as we head to the rec room. The rest of the guests will be here soon. Believe it or not, Vince and I actually have friends at school now. Word got out that Vince isn’t as terrifying as he seems—he still blames Leo for this new rumor. And any scandals I might have caused during my first few weeks have died out.
Now I’m just that nice redhead again, the friendly girl with the long skirts who will tell anyone she meets just how much she loves her pockets.
My friends plop down on the sinkhole of a couch as Vince wraps his arms around me from behind. “Good surprise?”
“The best,” I say. Turning my head, I meet his gaze. “But this is your birthday. You’re the one who’s supposed to be getting presents.”
He kisses me lightly, his lips firm and tender. “I got my present.” He holds me tighter. “I’ve got everything I want and love right here in my arms.”
I lean back against him with a sigh. “I love you, Vince.”
He nuzzles my neck. “Not as much as I love you.”
Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for Noelle’s story. And in the meantime, be sure to check out Leo & Savannah’s romance next. The Prom King & The Ice Queen is the fourth and final novella in the Fall in Love Like a Princess series but can absolutely be read as a standalone.
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About the Author
MAGGIE DALLEN IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL
Maggie Dallen, One Little Lie
