Page 33 of In Every Chapter

“Ooh, drama!” I said, settling further into the cushions and picking at a slice of Liz’s Black Forest cake. The vibrant flavours danced on my tongue. “I can imagine the showdown.”

We’d spent exactly one Christmas with Stephanie and her whacked family during the course of our friendship, and one was enough to last a lifetime. It was the Christmas before I married Jared, and it didn’t seem like we’d gone back. Probably for the best. Although some of her family was admittedly great. Particularly her older brother and his wife and their kids. Oh, and Nana and Hailey. But they were the exception, not the rule.

“How are Gabe and Ivy?” I asked.

Stephanie smiled. “Good. Gabe’s about to get out of the Marines.” She bit her lip. “You won’t remember this, but Gabe was Greyson’s commanding officer while y’all were dating.”

“Aww, Nash is rubbing off on you,” Liz crooned. “He might make a Texan of you yet.”

Stephanie shook her head and pulled out her phone, showing me some pictures of her and Nash together. They were too cute. I’d never seen Stephanie in love, and she was radiant.

“Nashanie,” I said softly, testing out the couple’s ship name. “Y’all are adorable. Is he still your boss?”

Stephanie laughed. “Nope. I started doing photography full time in April, and we hired a new personal assistant for him. Nancy. She’s sweet. Nash said she reminds him of his grandmother, who passed when he was in his teens. Anyways, we had dinner with Nancy and her husband a few weeks ago, and they’re lovely. Plus, they’ve been married for forty years.”

“And you?” I asked Liz. “Met Ben because of something to do with Valentine’s, speed dating, and teen karaoke?” Leave it to Liz to meet the love of her life in the bizarrest way possible.

“Yup.” Liz popped the p with a grin. “Plus I thought he ghosted me, so there’s that.”

“What is it with you guys and karaoke?” Juliet shook her head.

“Don’t forget she also accepted a ride from him,” Stephanie interrupted. “Practically a stranger. At midnight.” She glared at Liz.

I shook my head. “You’re playing fast and loose with survival, Lizzie. Have I taught you nothing? He could have been the next Ted Bundy.”

Liz laughed gaily. “But he wasn’t a serial killer. He is my hunky dreamboat of a husband.” Then it was her turn to show off pictures, and they were admittedly every bit as cute as Stephanie and Nash.

When I glanced at Juliet, she threw up her hands. “Yes, yes. I married Myles, my big brother’s best friend and my childhood buddy. We had an enemies-to-lovers thing going for a while there, too.”

“Only from your perspective, Grinchy,” Liz teased. “That man was smitten with you the minute he laid eyes on your grown-up, bombshell self. And don’t get us started on your fake engagement on vacation. Paisley kept us in the loop.”

“Wait, vacation?” I asked.

Juliet sighed. “Mama and Pops surprised us all with a family trip to the Florida Keys for Thanksgiving a couple years ago. The one right after you and Grey got married.”

I’d been to Florida, seen the Atlantic, and couldn’t even remember it? How disappointing was that.

“Pretty sure it was the fake-engagement-turned-marriage-of-convenience-with-a-threatening-email that sealed the deal,” Stephanie added, arching an eyebrow with a smirk.

“Threatening email?” I asked, bewildered. Juliet was a consummate professional, and I couldn’t see her jeopardizing her job. “Wait, marriage of convenience? You did that?!”

Juliet sighed. “It’s a long story. And I might have signed off one particular email, ‘I hope this email finds you before I do.’” She rolled her eyes. “Definitely love at first sight.”

“Our grinch has a soft side though,” Liz stage-whispered. “She’s a puddle of loooooove for her man.”

Juliet chucked the pillow at Liz’s head, but she dodged it with ease.

I stood, planting my hands on my hips. Like the change of position would help me assimilate this new information. “You married Myles. For convenience? You, the woman who hates every Hallmark movie and mocks every romance trope, are in a marriage. Of. Convenience?”

“Were.” Juliet smirked, her hand shifting unconsciously to rest over her stomach. “We are happy now.”

I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around that. “You owe me that story one day.”

“Deal.”

Once we started the second movie, Liz and Juliet started arguing about the Chris Pine versus Andrew Jacoby love interests. (Liz was Team Chris and Juliet was Team Andrew, but we were all Team Joe and Clarisse.) I didn’t think we’d ever made it through the movie once without rehashing this argument.

“You can’t convince me she didn’t cheat,” Juliet protested with a frown. “She was legit engaged to another dude when she kissed your McDreamy.”