Page 162 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

“What’s going on?” I ask as Dora cautiously helps Lake into the robe.

“Well…” Lake starts as a waiter brings her a glass of pink champagne.

“Yes. What’s going on?” Amy says.

Lake holds up her glass. “Paisley, if it weren’t for you, I never would’ve mustered up the courage to let Mason know how I felt about him. Your presence has brought nothing but great things to my life.”

Hands stacked over my heart, I shake my head with conviction. “Thanks, Lake. But you would’ve eventually sealed the deal with Mason.”

“No, I wouldn’t have. And neither would he. When it comes to matters of the heart, Mason is not an alpha. He’s not even a beta. He’s a delta.” Lake lifts her glass of champagne higher. “Which is why I hope I can toast to you being my maid of honor.”

I’m speechless when Amy lets out a gasp of horror.

“No. She can’t be your maid of honor,” Amy roars.

Following Lake’s cues, I ignore Amy. “But what about Mason?”

“He’s fine with it.”

“I’m telling Uncle Scott,” Amy says.

Finally, Lake sets her even-tempered gaze on her cousin. “Amy, please put a lid on it, or else I’ll have the lovely Dora escort you out.”

Amy’s eyes expand so wide that they’re almost too big for her tiny face. Her skin turns patchy red as her lips quiver, and she leaps to her feet. “I’m leaving. And don’t waste your invitations on me or my parents or Evie,” she says as she stomps across the room and out the door.

The four of us look at each other as if we’re still processing what just happened.

“Who’s Evie?” I ask.

Eden and Jillian burst into laughter. And soon, Lake and I join them.

“Evie’s her sister,” Lake says when our laughter dies down. Then she lifts her glass higher. “Now let’s drink to my bestie being my maid of honor, damn it.”

“Okay, but first,” Eden says.

We’re all waiting for her to say more, then we all gasp after spotting the huge diamond ring on Eden’s finger. She must’ve just slipped it on, because she sure wasn’t wearing it ten seconds ago.

Jillian, who gasped the loudest, says, “No way. You and Nero?”

Eden smiles from ear to ear as she nods. “And you, darling, will be my maid of honor,” she says to Jillian.

I’ve come to grips that Jillian and Eden have become extremely close after we graduated college. Sometimes they even bicker like sisters. I love the fact they’ve remained friends over the years. While living in my apartment alone and during long talks with Lake on my rooftop, gazing at the stars, I accepted the fact that I always had a choice. Max isn’t to blame for me locking myself away to complete TRANSPORT. Nor is he to blame for my decision to infiltrate VTI. I could’ve said no. And actually, I’m kind of glad I didn’t—because I never would’ve met Lake.

Jillian waves her hands in front of her face, whipping her head from side to side. “Sorry, but no.”

“What?” Eden and Lake say at the same time.

I’m starting to think the two of them had a whole discussion about how to divvy up maids of honor before we arrived.

“Sorry, I don’t do wedding crap.”

Eden lowers her glass while frowning. “But then you’ll leave me maid of honor-less.”

Jillian is still shaking her head. “Sorry, Eden. I’ll accept an invitation. That’s as far as I go. And a warning to you both…” Her eyes shift between Eden and Lake. “I do an hour max at any wedding ceremony. No cake. No toast. None of that ridiculous stuff.”

Eden’s mouth is stuck open. She’s been rendered speechless. She sets her disappointed expression on me. “Well, then, Paisley, can you pull double duty?”

I shrug with nonchalance. How hard could it be? “Sure. Why not.”