Page 43 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

“What’s up, little man?” I asked.

“Nothing. Nice Timbs.”

A grin spread across my face. “Glad you like my style.”

Sebastian smirked before holding out his fist. We dapped each other up, and I ruffled the top of his head before we went to the seating area. As people continued filing into the venue, we found our spots and settled in to wait for the ceremony to begin. A few rows ahead, couples were taking pictures while family members laughed and mingled. While I was chilling, Crow glanced over at me.

You ever think about getting married?”

“Nope.” I frowned. “Why? You finally gonna marry your baby mama?”

Crow barked out a laugh. “The hell?”

I shrugged. “Ain’t that what people usually do when they got a kid together?”

“Not happening.”

“Damn,” I smirked. “That’s cold.”

“It’s reality.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Crow shook his head before looking at me.

“Shit, I’d marry your ass before I married her.”

I nearly dropped my phone. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Crow, have you been drinking already?”

He laughed. “Nah.”

“Then you need your head checked.”

“Why?”

I stared at him for a second. “Because that might be the dumbest thing you’ve said all day.”

“All day?” He grinned. “It’s still early.”

I rolled my eyes. “Exactly. Plenty of time for you to say something even dumber.”

Crow chuckled and leaned back in his seat. The fool looked entirely too pleased with himself. For some reason, I had a feeling he wasn’t joking as much as he pretended to be. That thought alone made me immediately look away. Nope. I wasn’t about to unpack that. Not today. Not at somebody else’s wedding.

An hour later, we watched Mama Joyce get married. It was cool to witness. Seeing the smile on her face as she exchanged vows and finally got her happily ever after made me genuinely happy for her. At the same time, the moment hurt more than I expected. As everybody clapped and celebrated, my thoughts drifted to Rose. My big sister had always dreamed about getting married one day. She used to talk about her wedding like it was already planned out. Rose wanted the big ceremony, the beautiful dress, and a husband who looked at her like she walked on water. More than anything, she wanted children. Now she’d never get the chance, and the realization settled heavily in my chest.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my eyes on the ceremony. The last thing I wanted was for anybody to notice the sadness creeping across my face. Today wasn’t about my pain. I wanted to celebrate Mama Joyce. Still, that didn’t stop me from wishing Rose could’ve been here to see it. At some point, I must’ve zoned out because the next thing I knew, Crow was standing in front of me.

“You good?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Come on,” he said, jerking his head toward the reception hall. “Let’s go get a drink from the bar before everybody starts crowding it.”

We sat at the bar drinking. I tossed one back, and he did the same, matching my energy. Unlike me, he wasn’t really a drinker. I could tell by the way his eyes hung low that he was already faded. He took another shot and then grabbed me by the hand to go on the dance floor. Usually, I wasn’t the type, but since it was Mama Joyce’s wedding, I decided to show out. The second we stepped onto the dance floor, a grin spread across my face. The music was loud, the crowd was hyped, and for the first time all night, I felt completely carefree. I threw my hands up and started moving to the beat.