Page 196 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
Especially when I was…so…
So…
Much.
Right now, I was at my limit of “muchness” and George wasn’t…batting an eye.
“But I should be— If you’re all out there looking for my watch, shouldn’t I be helping?” My voice was barely a croak.
“The only thing you should be doing is following orders.” George arched a blond brow.
“As you wish, your majesty,” I joked, though it felt hollow. BecauseIfelt hollow. And full. Hollow-full. Both. At the same time. Full of butterflies, of hope, and despair. Because even though George was here right now, doing the sweetest fucking thing anyone had ever done for me in my life—it was temporary.
It was temporary.
And that hadn’t changed.
Even though I loved him.
Even though I?—
Stop it, Alex. Stop it. You know how this will go. You know. Recognizing how deeply you care for him doesn’t change that.
“I’ll be back when my mission proves successful. Until then, I expect you to focus on feeling better. Rest. Relax. Take a nap. Take some time away from…all of this.” George’s attention was split between me and his legion of watch-hunters in the lake. “June, you need to go five feet to the left—” he yelled, before turning back to me. “Drink your water. Did you even eat lunch?”
“I ate.” I twisted the cap off obediently and took a swig.
God, I loved his mother-henning.
So fucking much.
“Good.” George nodded short and quick. “Finish the bottle.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted but George didn’t laugh. He did…however…lean over me, blocking me partially from view of the others.
“Are you…okay?” he asked, his severe tone dropping.
“I’m fine,” I promised.
He hovered for a second, his sweat-soaked, sunburnt cheeks close enough to smooch.
And then he kissed me. Just a peck. But still—a kiss out in the open—audience be damned. A cheer erupted behind us, which only further proved that our families were full of nosy motherfuckers.
“Such assholes,” George muttered against my mouth, but he didn’t look too miffed. Instead of storming off, or yelling at them all—he…stole another kiss, flashed me a little smile, and stalked off to go terrorize his younger brother again. The stalking part was made less intimidating by the way he waddled in the sand, like a rubber-coated penguin, squeaking all the way back to the spot where he’d abandoned Joe.
I…didn’t even know what to do with this.
With any of it.
But I was grateful. So fucking grateful.
June joined me an hour later with a new bottle of water. I woke with a groan, having actually followed George’s command like the “good boy” he wanted me to be. Guilt nearly overwhelmed me as she flopped onto the matching lounger at my side with a sigh.
“I’m sorry—” I said.
“Shut the fuck up,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s not a big deal. I chose to be here. This was achoice.”
“But it’syourwedding and I feel like all I’ve done is make it about me—between getting your advice about George and this, and?—”
