AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He thrust his hand through his hair. “Fuck, Lanes. You scared the shit out of me.” He turned away, pacing the small space in front of me, breaths coming out in jagged, harsh gasps.
Sherry barged into the kitchen. “Where is she?”
I waved from the counter. “I’m over here, Sher.”
She hurried toward me. “Are you okay? Was it shrimp? I never should have let them on the menu. But I thought everything was marked properly and they promised they would fry them in separate oil and keep them separately. This is all my fault.”
I forced a smile. “I thought they were macaroni and cheese balls. This is not your fault.”
“Lainey?” Laurent rushed into the kitchen, Phoebe on his heels. Laurent’s parents were behind them. “What the fuck happened?” he asked.
I was making a scene. I did not want to make a scene. “I’m okay,” I said, holding up my hands and letting a slight nervous laugh slip. “Thanks to Nero. He got me to my pen in time.”
Rose and Wyatt squeezed in behind everyone. Wyatt’s tie was wrapped around his head, the top three buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. A clear sign he’d already been on the dance floor.
“Lainey, you okay?” Rose asked. “Were you choking?”
“Shrimp,” I said.
“Why the hell was there shrimp here?” Franc asked from the doorway.
“You can’t not have it on the menu just because of me,” I said. “I should have asked what it was before I ate it.”
“Did you know that shrimp have their hearts in their head!” Gio announced.
“Not now!” Franc exclaimed.
Quinn came in and grabbed Gio’s hand, pulling him out of the kitchen.
“Lainey!” Dad’s voice rose above everyone.
“I’m okay, Dad,” I said, letting my head fall into my hands. This was horribly embarrassing. “Everyone go back to the wedding. Please. I’m okay.”
“You sure?” Austin’s head popped up over Dad’s.
“I’m good. Go dance. I’m sure Rhone and Sutton are already on the dance floor.”
“They’re trying to distract everyone else, so we don’t wind up with the whole guest list in this small kitchen,” Austin said.
“Even more of a reason for everyone to go back out there. Go have fun. I didn’t die, so no need to crowd around me like a corpse.” There was a wedding going on, and I was not supposed to be the center of attention.
I laughed, trying to lighten the mood and get everyone back out on the dance floor.
“Why are you laughing?” Nero’s blue eyes were practically black as his gaze crashed into mine. “This isn’t fucking funny. Everyone get the hell out!” His hand flung toward the door, waves of anger rolled off of him.
“Oh shit,” Laurent said. “I know that feeling all too well.” He looked at his bride, who was even more stunning in this light. She radiated beauty and grace. Despite my little emergency, she still looked happier than any bride I had ever seen. “Not easy when someone you love almost dies in front of you.”
Someone you love? My heart stuttered, and Nero’s gaze met mine. My lips parted, wanting to say something, but remembering we had an audience, I snapped them shut. We could talk later. Right now, we needed to tame the circus.
“I didn’t almost die,” Phoebe said with a roll of her eyes.
“Tell that to the medical staff that had to hook you up to multiple IVs because you depleted all your nutrients.”
“It was nothing,” Phoebe said.
“Nothing?” Laurent crossed his arms over his chest. “Unbelievable. You could have died.”
“But I didn’t.”
