Fate

Chapter 3

Skye

The rest of the honeymoon is a daze. I took advantage of the unlimited drinks. Spending most of the time by the pool or the ocean. I had tipped our personal server, Lucas, at the beginning to make sure that while I was on site, a drink was always in my hand. I wanted to get through the remainder of the trip in a good mood. Jason was always with me. I pushed through the conversations about our future. Kids. Family. House hunting. He knew that if I was in a good mood, I'd want to continue talking about all the bigger picture items. He didn't dig too deep, maybe knowing I was still on edge from the question he posed that first day. We ate at all the restaurants on site. I practiced my Italian and Spanish with various couples we met around the resort. By the time we flew out 10 days later, I was spent.

We arrive home to our apartment. Barreling down the steps comes our dog. Rescued when she was a puppy, Bella was a wild child. She was a mix. Black and white with big bug eyes. Jumping right into my arms. I give her a big kiss and squeeze before putting her back down. I take a look around. Our friends were watching Bella while we were away and delivered our presents to the house. Everything stacked neatly on a big comfy chair that I use for reading. I take a big breath and glance at Jason. "Do you want to settle in or tackle the gifts first?" I asked, really not caring where to go first. He stared at the pile. "Better to get it over with now." His answer short and to the point. I pause for a moment. "Ok how about this... lets put our stuff upstairs, go see the crew across of the hall, give them their gifts, come back, order a pizza and get through it?" He nods in response. He grabs both our bags and heads up the stairs. I follow after him. While Jason is getting the few gifts for our friends out of the bags I send the group chat a text. 'where ya'll at?' a second later a response from Connor 'our place c u soon'. I hearted the message, grabbed the bags and we head across the hall.

We had the kind of relationship with this group to not have to knock. I walked right in to Connor and Sari's apartment. They have lived directly across from us for almost 2 years now. We met them about 3 months after they moved in. Next door to them, and sitting in Connor and Sari's apartment now, lived Carter and Maria. We had been friends with them a little longer, the friendship going through a bit more trials and tribulations than I, personally, found necessary.

I walk into the kitchen, where Connor and Carter are pouring shots for themselves. Connor finishes before wrapping me in a big bear hug. Jason dabs Carter then Connor before heading over to the living room with the girls. I remain in the kitchen. Carter places a friendly kiss on the top of my head, handing me a shot glass. I have always been closer with them. They were like brothers to me. They liked Jason but it was obvious that we preferred to shoot the s**t with the three of us. We take our shots in unison, not having said a word yet.

Carter is the first to speak, glancing into the living room where Jason is now in reverent conversation with Sari and Maria. "So," he says low, "how was it? Did you have fun?" I looked up at him, grabbing the newly poured shot that Connor instinctively held out. Carter chuckles. "That bad. Typical." Carter and Connor were both bigger men, both in construction, so they have the arms and chest to prove it. They work hard to support their fiance's lifestyles. Carter stood at 6' even. He was half french have English, short crew cut brown hair, full beard and dark green eyes. I always joked that he had resting b***h face but when we smiled, it made him look like the biggest teddy bear. He loved hard and was protective of anyone that cared about him. Connor was only 2 inches taller than Carter. He was adopted but his birth parents were from Africa. Unfortunately, his adoptive mother didn't know where in Africa so he always called himself a mutt. It made him laugh, and after watching his birth mother get killed by his birth father when he was 2 and that being his first memory, I let him say whatever he wants. Connor also had a beard and his hair was starting to grow out. He wanted to do knots in it but Sari kept pulling them out.

I place two bags on the counter for them. They took my change of subject with ease and dug in. I found ashtrays for them, both matching. Intricate, handmade and made out of ash and bone with skeletons on the edges. Very gothic. Which they loved. They scooped me into a group hug. We walked into the living room to join the others, Sari and Maria taking the ashtrays to examine them. Jason had chosen to take a singular chair. I opted to sit on the giant bean bag, close to him but enough room for others. With Sari and Maria on the couch, sprawled out enough for no one else to be able to sit, the boys plopped down next to me. Carter hitting my knee with a gentle fist. Connor handed me a new book. A dark romance that I have been looking for. It had a small bow on it. He just smiled. Carter reached behind him grabbing another and a few carefully picked out bookmarks. Pushing them into my hands. They just smiled and turned to the group to join in on the conversation. I opened one of my new books.

An hour later we head back across the hall to our apartment. I was already halfway through one of the books they had given me. I put my bookmark in as we walked through our door. Jason was drunk. He grabbed Bellas' leash and hooked her up. "I'll be back" he slurred over to me. I nodded. I grabbed a notebook and pen and climbed onto my comfy chair behind the presents. I started to go through them. Writing them down, who they were from.