Beautiful Dreams (The Beautiful Series) (14 page)

My whole face turned as red as her Camaro.

“I thought you loved me. How could you not tell me?” she bellowed out with a frown.

Shit.
“I’m so sorry, Abbey,” I said while shaking my head.
She should have never found out this way.
“It only happened last night, and I haven’t quite wrapped my own mind around it yet.”

Abbey sat motionless for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity. Then, she threw her head back, snickering, only to look back at me, meeting my puzzled stare.

“Gotcha!” she shrieked with mirth.

I wadded my napkin up into a tight ball and chucked it at her. “Oh my God, Abbey! You scared the crap out of me!”

Abbey could not contain her rolls of laughter.

“Go ahead”—I aimlessly waved my hand in the air, knowing I had just gotten punked by Abbey—“live it up.”

“Oh, I intend to!” she said while wiping tears from her eyes. “The look on your face was beyond priceless.”

A few seconds later, her expression became sincere. She reached across the table and put her hand on top of my left one. “Lily, I adore you, and so does my family. I’m honored that you will be my sister. How could you think I wouldn’t approve?” she asked without pausing for me to answer. Clearly, she did not want to hear any self-doubts from me. “After Kyle came home from the Army, we thought we’d lost him,” she said sadly. “My whole family tried to reach out and help him, but he kept his distance. You’ve not only brought him back to us, but you have brought the light back into his eyes.”

Now, I had tears in my eyes. Abbey also had a way with words. Hearing that Kyle’s parents, brother, and sister accepted me, too, truly warmed my heart. It gave me a sense of belonging—stirring a yearning from deep within me—not just from being with Kyle, but also from being part of a family again.

“I don’t know what to say, Abbey…except thank you.” I blinked back tears, so I could see her face. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know.” I stopped for a beat, recalling the latter part of her speech. “Was it that bad when Kyle came home from the service?” I asked in a low voice, holding back my emotions.

Abbey nodded. “Yes…though we still don’t know why, other than he was injured on multiple tours.”

Multiple tours
. A sudden numbness washed over me as my eyes scanned the room in a daze. I’d assumed there was more to Kyle’s story since he tensed up when I questioned him about going back to active duty after his injury. I was not positive, but I had a hunch that the worst was yet to be revealed.

“Don’t do that, Lily,” Abbey chided lightly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

My eyes landed on hers again.

“Don’t fear the unknown. He loves you, and you love him. That is
all
that matters.”

“What if he never fully opens up to me as I have to him?” I asked more to myself than Abbey.

“Do you know anything about his Army days?” she asked.

“Yes,” I answered honestly.

“Then, he
will
tell you…when he’s ready,” Abbey replied swiftly. “You knowing any detail is more than he has told us in years, Lily. That has to count for something.”

My mind swirled with how concerned his family must have been from being left in the dark. I could see they all wanted to help, but Kyle never let them in. I wished I could put on all my armor and slay all of his dragons the way he had done for me.

“You’re right.” I nodded, letting out a relieved breath.

“Good.” Abbey grinned. “Now, we have some serious partying to do. First”—she pushed my drink closer—“we are going to chug these red drinks to celebrate my sexy red car sitting outside.”

I lifted the glass, raising my eyebrows. “Uh, Abbey…I hate to break it to you, but these are pink.”

Abbey huffed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. “Work with me, Lily. They are red.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and nodded in agreement. “Yep. Red. Got it.”

“Good,” she teased. “Then, we are going to switch over to something a bit stronger and revel in your engagement.”

“Sounds fine by me.” I winked at her and took a sip of my fruity drink.

Abbey’s gaze diverted to the entrance. “Whoop! Whoop! Just in time, ladies!”

I rotated in my seat to see Gail and Kristen strolling through the bar. Their decked-out appearances could bring any man to his knees. We all greeted each other with smiles and hugs before sitting down.

Abbey must have ordered food when we’d arrived because the waitress brought salsa and chips, chicken tenders, and a large plate of fries for us to share. Abbey then asked for the first round of shots to be brought out.

The shot glasses barely touched the table before we all lifted them with a, “Cheers,” and chugged them back. The cold liquid burned the back of my throat.

“So, Lily, I hear that you relocated to California and moved in with Kyle. How are you settling in?” Gail asked in a friendly manner.

“It’s going great. Thanks for asking.”

I beamed at her while Kristen asked the waitress for another round of shots.

“How are things coming along with your job?” I asked Gail.

Gail grinned from ear to ear. “Fucking fantastic. My new job rocks,” she answered happily. “I am one lucky lady to get to work with gorgeous men all day.”

I recalled hearing about her job promotion during our last girls’ night out. She was a sports therapist who worked with hot football players all day, keeping them in peak performance.

“Yeah, you are,” Kristen added. “I think I need to switch careers.”

Abbey chuckled as our drinks were delivered. “Or you could join the corporate world. I get to work with men all day, too.” She frowned. “Although, they are clothed. Damn, Gail, you are a lucky bitch.”

We all chortled at Abbey’s revelation before we chugged back our shots.

“Alright, ladies, my legs are itching to dance. Who’s ready to shake what your mama gave you?” Gail asked eagerly.

The three of us all said, “Yes,” at the same time as we rose to our feet.

I was already feeling warm from the alcohol after only two shots and the pink—I meant, red drink. I didn’t drink often, so I was quite a lightweight, and I decided to pace myself for the rest of the night.

As soon as we hit the dance floor, men surrounded us. I carefully kept my distance, not wanting to mislead any of them. The music filled my ears, and my hips swayed to the beat. I wished Kyle were here to wrap his arms around me. That man could move. Within a handful of songs, my skin started to break out in a light sweat. I signaled to Abbey that I was going to head back to the table.

I was surprised when Abbey, Gail, and Kristen all followed. Their only explanation was that girls always stuck together. I smiled, agreeing that it was a great motto. We took our former seats as the waitress brought us another round with blue shots.

“Hmm…blue?” I asked and shook my head. “Blue is not usually my color.”

“Girl, you mean to tell me that you’ve never had a blue moon shot?” Kristen questioned.

I shook my head in disagreement.

“Then, you’re about to have your world rocked.”

Whoa.
“World, huh?” I laughed. “That must be some drink.”

Gail chuckled next to me. “Oh yeah. It will also knock you on your ass if you have more than three.”

Abbey nearly choked on her drink. “Anything with hard liquor would knock Gail on her ass after three.”

We all giggled and then threw back our shots. I was relieved that they were going down smoother now. The four of us talked randomly about our work, and I learned that everyone seemed to enjoy their jobs. Abbey and Kristen were still single, and Gail was dating one of the football players she had been treating for months now.

Abbey and I talked about our shopping adventure and how much fun we’d had shoving it all into her new car. Gail and Kristen congratulated Abbey right away. They were excited to see that all of Abbey’s hard work was paying off.

Gail noticed my engagement ring. I couldn’t help but blush and smile at the same time. Gail gushed about how happy she was for Kyle and me. On the other hand, Kristen was rather quiet as she sipped her drink. Then, I remembered that she had a crush on Kyle, so that explained her mood.

After chatting for a good hour, we all went back out to the dance floor to burn some calories and blow off some steam. Thankfully, I had stopped taking shots after the blue moon. Abbey was throwing them back like water, so I switched over to actual water. After I heard about how hard Abbey truly worked, I was pleased to see her letting loose. It seemed that Abbey was pretty much dedicated to only a few close friends, her family, and her job.

I checked my phone once we took our seats again. It was eleven thirty, and I had missed a text from Kyle.

Hope you are having a good time. We are just about to head home. Be there in thirty.

I could not help but smile as I texted him back. I missed him like crazy.

Okay. Hoping to be home by twelvish.

His reply was quick.

Okay. Be safe.

Always my overbearing, protective alpha.
My heart skipped a beat at his sweet words as I sent him a message.

Always…

As I put my phone back into my purse, another round of shots were set on the table. I grinned at the color.

Looks like another round of blue moon.

Thank goodness I’d stopped drinking because it appeared that I was about to be the designated driver of that sweet red beauty outside.

I pulled into the driveway at half past one, and Kyle opened the front door as soon as I turned off Abbey’s car. I exited the car and locked it, following through with the promise I’d made to Abbey when I dropped her off. I strode toward Kyle, who was gaping at me like I had grown two heads.

“What in the…” Kyle mumbled in a state of surprise. “You bought a car?” His expression was a mixture of awe and pure shock.

I was flying high on adrenaline from driving such a sweet car as I closed the gap between us. “I wish,” I said as I lifted my arms to reach around his nape.

He automatically returned my embrace, and I kissed him like I had not seen him for days. I pulled back, taking in his raised brow.

“So, you stole a car?” he joked.

I tipped my head back and laughed. “No! It’s Abbey’s. She got toasted tonight, and I had to drive her home.”

His eyes widened in amazement. “That’s Abbey’s?”

I nodded.

“Damn,” he said, glancing back at the car. “I guess my excellent taste wore off on her.”

I chortled. “It must have, and she drives like a dream. I might have to get one myself someday.”

Kyle chuckled and pulled me closer before smelling my hair. “Hmm, it feels good to have you in my arms again. Not seeing you all day has nearly driven me out of my mind.”

“Mmm, the feeling is mutual,” I replied. “It was a great day but a long one at that.”

“Let’s go to bed, and you can tell me all about it.” Kyle dropped his hand to the small of my back and led me inside.

Now that I was home, I felt dead on my feet. Dancing sure had a way of wearing a person out.

As we passed through the living room, I looked around for my cousins. “Where are Jason and Damon?” I asked curiously.

“They were wiped from traveling and headed to bed as soon as we got back,” Kyle answered quietly.

“Oh,” I said, feeling my eyes start to throb with tiredness.

We entered the bedroom, and Kyle began to slowly peel off my dress. After it fell to the floor, he scooped it up and hung it over the clothing rack attached to the bathroom door. He then walked to his dresser, pulled out one of his tees, strode over to me, and slipped it over my head.

I leaned up on my toes, pressed my palms against his chest, and kissed him tenderly. “Thank you,” I said softly.

He affectionately kissed my forehead while stroking my back. “For what?”

“Loving me,” I answered before yawning. I lowered my cheek against his chest.

He tightened his hold around me and whispered, “Always,” right before he swooped me up into his arms and carried me to the bed.

He tucked me in, and I heard his own clothes hit the floor. He climbed in next to me and pulled me into his side before covering us with the blankets.

I wanted to fight off the drowsiness I felt, so I could hear more about how his day had gone. But the warmth of his body soothed me, and I swiftly fell into a deep slumber.