Always Mine, Forever Yours

ly

ing, trying to relieve the stress of their week, and I’m sitting here completely on edge. I shouldn’t b

l into my ear. “We ha

e from years ago where the woman was holding her baby in a bar. However, neither Natalie nor I have had o

me into this. I shouldn’t be here. I should be at home with my swollen feet propp

sleep when the baby is sleeping. And I talked you into this because you can’t ke

ick of the baby. Wow, that was a good one. I run my han

ing. “Fine, you wanted me out, I’m out. But I d

coming here since the day I turned twenty-one. Basicall

ecure in her relationship, I’m single and have no one. Well, I have Austin. He’s my best friend who would literally do anything for me, but it’s not quite the same. Natalie’s husband Beau is one of Aust

smiling ear to ear as she pulls the book from her bag and

he bar to see if anyone saw it before glaring at Olivia. “Why do you do that? Why? I swear, I think you do it just so you can embarrass me.” She waves her

they have live music. This place would be packed, and we wouldn’t be able to

out of Abby’s hands. “You are such a pr

There was way too much

“What did you think,

I thought it added to the story. Nope, the reason I’m embarrassed to talk about it is because I couldn’t help but read the s

first time. “Duh! We all

ls way smaller than normal. I take the lemon off my glass and squeeze it into my wa

eeks ago, but I am already loving it. The past few months I’ve spent way too much of my time at my house on the couch. It’s only after m

the stares or the righteous people to tell me everything I’m doing wrong, but it hasn’t happened yet. If anything, everyone in town has been rea

french fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, and potato skins. She takes the last item off the tray

y food. “Good for you, but I’m going to

y my doctor that I needed to rein it in because my blood pressure is high. My last visit, I had a ten-minute talk on the importance of nutrition

ations, by

in here all the time. Heck, I’m pretty sure she’s helped me out a time or two, even holding my hair the night I turned tw

ations on the baby too, but I meant on your

, waiting for my response. I never talk about my relationship with Austi

ulder. “We’re going to be sisters, and our kids a

iends. Well, I shouldn’t say just friends. Truth is, we’ve been best friends since we were in middle school so yeah, over half our lives. I thank the server again, and when she walks away and is out of hearing ra

ng awful when I’m only speaking t

m not marrying Austin, and this baby i

tin, because I know how he is. Any time I ever have a problem, he fixes it. In my mind, this wasn’t something he could fix. Or so I thought, anyway. It was

s family that if any of them want something from him, they go through me to get it. But this was not somet

y friends are looking at me. Olivia is the first one to speak. “Okay, so you’r

end on the arm and ad

e just says it like it is. We work in the same salon, and even though we’ve never really hung out together outside of work until rec

is a Blaze and one of the richest men in the state for right now, but your best friend wants

de-eyed while jutting my chi

wn in a trailer park. I’m sure they know that I don’t fit in with Natalie or any of the rest of the Blaze family. Under the intense scrutiny, all I can do is ramble. “Look, yeah, of course he offered to help me. That’s what Austin does. He’s a helper. Since the day we met in middle school, he’s bee

f disgusted with myself. I’m stronger than this. I don’t cry, but th

s her hand, palm out to me. “I’m sorry, Ally. I know this is none of

ve. It’s not like whatever she’s about to

all, we’re all on your side. I know you’re new to the group, but you’re one of us, and unfor

. I know I’m not really one of them

e way he looks at you. You may think he’s doing this because of his need to look out for you, but there’s more to i

oubt that Austin and I have a good friendship. The best. But t