Fate Loves (Twist of Fate Book 3) Read online

  I watch one of the guys walk over to Ryker and point at us. Ryker looks and his smile grows. He jogs over to us and jumps up on the bars in front of us. “Lulu!” He picks her up into his arms and gives her a big kiss on the cheek, ignoring the fans cheering behind us.

  “Ryker, look, I’m wearing your jersey,” she says excitedly.

  “It looks better on you than it does on me.” Her face beams. He puts her down and looks at me, shaking his head. “You’re killing me, Addison.” He grips his heart. I roll my eyes. My feet are up on the bar and his eyes move down my legs. “If it weren’t for those legs, I might be mad.” He winks at me.

  Aiden growls. “You better go before I break your throwing arm,” Aiden jokes. I think he’s finally figured out that Ryker likes to mess with him by flirting with me.

  “No,” Lexi says. “You can’t break his arm. He’s the dollarback.”

  We bust out laughing. Lexi looks at us perplexed, wondering what we think is so funny.

  “Tater Tot, he’s not that important,” Aiden chuckles. “He’s just a quarterback.”

  “Hey, Lulu, look at Addison.” Ryker points to me. When Lexi turns and looks at me, Ryker flips off Aiden. He laughs again and blows him a kiss. When Lexi figures out there’s nothing to see, she shrugs and spins back around. “Alright, Lulu, I expect to hear really loud cheers from you. It’ll help me win.”

  “I’ll be the loudest,” she promises. He fists bumps her and hops down to go back to practicing.

  From the “National Anthem” to halftime, Lexi never sits down. She cheers, yells, sings, and dances the entire night. At halftime, we take a quick bathroom break and grab some food just in time to start all over. Lexi’s like the band director. She stands on her seat and directs everyone to get out of their seats and cheer. Our section follows her like the Pied Piper, and she’s eating it up. By the end of the third quarter, the Cowboys lead by two touchdowns, so the crowd has quieted a bit. Except for us Cowboys fans.

  Lexi is sitting in Aiden’s lap and she seems to have stopped ticking. I look over and she’s dead asleep, her head resting on Aiden’s chest. Her hair is in French braids, except for the few errant hairs stuck to her face from either sweat or cotton candy.

  “I think she cheered herself to sleep,” I say, smiling at her. Aiden nods in agreement.

  When the fourth quarter starts, Ryker glances our way and sees his biggest fan conked out. He shakes his head and chuckles before putting on his helmet and running onto the field. Not two plays later, he throws it for a touchdown and the crowd goes crazy.

  Lexi sits straight up and looks at Aiden. “What did I miss?”

  “They just scored a touchdown,” he says. She jumps up and hollers, waving her arms around. Her little body must have needed to refuel because she’s up and raring to go again. And she stays that way until the very end.

  When the Giants win.

  ***

  “Knock, knock.” I look up from my files at Bryn standing in my doorway.

  “Hey, girl. Come on in.” Harper and I just got back from being out in the field all day, and I’m going over my notes. She sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk, crosses her legs, and reclines. “What’s going on?” Bryn doesn’t normally visit with me during work hours, so I have no idea why she’s here, but her smile tells me whatever it is, it’s good.

  “Have you looked at Page Six today?”

  I stare at her with confusion. “Why would I have looked at Page Six today?”

  “You’ll want to see today’s paper.” I cock my eyebrow. I doubt that. “No, really. You do.” Her persistence has me wondering what it could be. I know that Brooks is in Page Six a lot with the title of “Sexiest Bachelor Single Dad.” I roll over to my computer and type in the website. Page Six is the celebrity, music, and entertainment section of the New York Times. When it pops up, I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand.

  “Oh. My. God. You’ve got to be kidding me.” I look at Bryn in shock, and she shakes her head. I look back to the website and the first thing that shows up reads “Who’s Ryker Dallas’s New Girl?” and it has a picture of him kissing Lexi on the cheek at the game. I immediately start reading the article.

  Giants’ golden boy, Ryker Dallas, seems to have a new girl, but this one is cute as a button and seems to grab the attention of everyone around her. (We watched her more than the game.)

  I click the read more link and it opens the article. I skim through it. They mainly talk about Ryker’s stats and his record-breaking season. It’s not until the end that they talk about Lexi again.

  We don’t know who she is, but we can say when she passed out in her dad’s arms (did we mention he’s gorgeous) it was the sweetest thing ever. When we asked about her, Ryker ignored the question.

  I finish reading the article and I’m speechless. I’m not sure how I feel about Lexi’s picture being on a gossip website. I look at Bryn stunned.

  “Wow,” I say, shaking my head.

  “I know! And if that isn’t the sweetest picture ever,” she says, pointing to the screen. I look at it again. It is sweet. She sits back and groans. I look at her. My head tilts to the side, confused about why she seems upset. She rolls her eyes and huffs. “Why does he have to be charismatic, hot, a perfect gentleman, and now this…” she says, throwing out her arms. I furrow my brows. What the hell is she talking about? “I mean, my ovaries see that and they go spread eagle and say ‘come feed me’.”

  I slap my hand to my forehead and chuckle. “I did not need that image in my head.” She laughs. “Where is this coming from?” I finally ask.

  “We kind of hooked up the night of your party, before all hell broke loose.” I nod. I heard that through the grapevine so I’m not surprised. “He’s called me a few times since and we’ve…” Her voice trails off, but the blush creeps up her face.

  I cock my eyebrow. This, I haven’t heard. I lean forward on my desk. “Have y’all seen each other again?”

  “No. We’ve just talked on the phone.” She bites her lip and starts fanning herself. “It got hot in here suddenly.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” I say. Seems they did a little more than talk on the phone.

  “Anyway, he’s just not boyfriend material. But he keeps making me question things.” Her head jerks to the screen. “He really adores Lexi.” She sighs.

  “He does.” I want to tell her that he’s a good guy, but he is a total playboy. I understand her hesitancy. Guys like that don’t like to settle down, so I stay quiet.

  “I kind of wish he was an asshole. Then I wouldn’t have to be thinking what if. It’s not like I’m going to see him anytime soon.”

  I bite my cheek. Oh, it might be sooner than you think. I plan on asking Bryn to be a bridesmaid, and of course, Ryker will be a groomsman. And we planned on pairing them already. I’m not sure telling her will help the situation, so again, I keep my mouth shut. She’ll find out soon enough when I ask all the girls.

  When she leaves, I pull out my phone and text Aiden.

  Me: Did you see Page Six today?

  Aiden: I did.

  I look at his response. That’s it? I wait a minute to see if he writes anything else. When he doesn’t, I respond.

  Me: And …

  Aiden: I’m gorgeous and I’m the dad :) It’s a win-win for me!

  I roll my eyes. Seriously?

  Chapter twelve

  “First question, when’s the date?”

  It’s Saturday morning and I’d much rather be out with Aiden and Lexi doing fun things. Instead, I’m here with the wedding planner, Ava. She’s a serious, straight to business, no bullshit kind of woman. I like her.

  “April 29.”

  She stares at me and blinks. I bite the inside of my cheek, second-guessing my date. “I know it’s far away, but I don’t want to get married in the winter,” I say, defending my date. She snickers at my response.

  “Far away?” she replies. “I was thinking that it was too soon.”

  My
eyes widen. “It’s almost seven months away.”

  “Exactly.” She flips open her laptop and starts typing. She looks over my head and says, “Most women start planning their wedding at least a year in advance. Especially if they expect to get the venue they want.”

  “A year?” my voice breaks. Holy shit. Why would I want to spend a year of my life planning a wedding?

  “It’ll be okay. I think I can make do with seven months. Especially if Ryker Dallas will be there.” My eyebrow quirks. Why the hell would that make a difference? We had to give her the names of our party when we filled out our initial questionnaire. She obviously went over that.

  She waves her hand in the air. “Venues always love when celebrities attend because it gives them free advertising. Have you thought about where you want to get married?” I guess that makes sense.

  I tap my fingers on the table as I think about it. “Hmm…” I can’t think of anything. “We don’t need to get married in a church.” I’m happy giving her a specific detail, but she crushes it when she replies.

  “Addison, have you thought about any of the details for your wedding?” I thought I just gave you one.

  “No,” I sigh. “That’s why I hired you.”

  She stares at me for a beat and then nods like she’s answering her own question. I’m getting the feeling I’m not her typical bride.

  “Okay,” she says slowly. “I just need to ask this before we proceed. Do you want to get married?” Her voice turns serious as she sits back in her seat and crosses her arms.

  I laugh out loud and lean forward on the table. “That is the only thing I’m sure of. Listen, I just need my wedding to go off without anyone ruining it. The details aren’t the most important thing. As long as we’re married in the end, that’s what matters most to me.”

  “That I can do.” She smiles.

  “I’m warning you, that might sound easy, but you don’t know how much Fate likes to screw with me.”

  She sits up tall and her smirk tells me she’s up to the challenge. “Addison, I promise you that you and Aiden will be married on April 29.” Yep, I like her.

  The next couple hours are spent going over detail after detail. I’m blown away by some of them. What the hell is a groom’s cake for anyway? I tell her I want simple. Classy, but simple. I don’t need over-the-top decorations. I don’t even care if my girls’ dresses match.

  “There’s a website that you pick the color of the dress and the girls can choose between over a hundred designs,” Ava says, writing down the website for me.

  “Sydney will love that.” I take the paper from her and put it in my pile of things to do. She pulls up the website and turns her laptop around so I can see. We go through the colors, and I finally decide on burgundy.

  “What will the guys be wearing?”

  I hold up my hands and shake my head. “That’s a question for Aiden.” He can make some of these damn decisions, too. If I knew I’d have to make this many decisions, I would have had him here with me. My head hurts. I get up and grab a water for us as she clicks on her keyboard, hopefully writing out a list for Aiden. I twist the cap off and take a long drink. My mouth is dry from talking so much.

  When we return to the subject of venues, I have no freaking clue. She goes over some of the popular ones around New York City. When she talks about the Central Park Boathouse, I stop her.

  “I want it there,” I say quickly. Central Park is one of my favorite places ever.

  She twists her lips, tapping her pen against them. “It usually books up fast, but I’ll check it out. I need a couple other options just in case it isn’t available.” I nod and we continue to pick a couple more places.

  By the time she leaves, I feel like I’ve drained every cell in my brain. I mindlessly go through my to-do list, which needs immediate attention.

  Tell bridesmaids and groomsmen they are in the wedding.

  Find a dress.

  I drop my head onto the kitchen table. I’ve officially been thrown into wedding planning hell. Time to get the girls together for a dinner.

  ***

  “I’m so glad you set this up,” Macie says, sitting across from me. Her smile reaches her eyes. “I needed a girls’ night out. And I have news.”

  We all stare at her expectantly. She waits for the waiter to put all our waters in front of us before she continues.

  “I’ll be right back with your drinks, ladies,” our waiter says before walking away. We politely thank him and turn back to Macie.

  “I’m pregnant,” she beams without hesitation, clapping her hands together.

  “That’s awesome news,” I say, standing and running around the table to hug her. Aiden told me she and Ryan have been trying for a while, so I know how much this means to her. Bryn, Sydney, and Harper congratulate her, and we do a toast when we get our drinks. Of course, Macie toasts with a Shirley Temple. Now I know why she didn’t order an alcoholic drink.

  “Oh, no. Can you eat something here?” I ask, concern in my voice. Had I known, I wouldn’t have picked a sushi restaurant.

  She waves her hand. “Yes, it’s fine. I’ll just get a roll with shrimp in it.”

  Syd bounces in her seat. “I’m so excited for you, Mace. Has Ryan told the guys?”

  “He’s going to tonight. You guys couldn’t have planned this night any better! We were so excited that we could tell everyone in person.”

  Aiden and I each planned a dinner out with our friends to check off the first thing on our to-do list. Hannah took Lexi to a new Disney movie so it worked out perfectly. Oh, shit. I start counting months in my head. My fingers move as I count each month.

  “We’re due at the end of May, first of June,” Macie says, finishing my calculation for me. I wonder how she’s going to feel being eight months pregnant in the wedding. I hold off asking so we can enjoy her excitement for a little bit.

  The waiters place our food in front of us. My mouth waters just looking at it. My rolls are filled with shrimp, crab, and tuna with a creamy wasabi sauce on top. My nose tickles in anticipation of the wasabi. I break apart my chopsticks and pick a slice up. Dipping it in soy sauce, I bring the roll to my mouth and savor the flavors in each bite. My nose burns and my eyes water from the heat; that short burst of burning is why I love wasabi.

  We chat about everything while we eat with lots of laughs in between. By the time dinner is done, I’m rubbing my sore cheeks. I take a quick drink of my wine before talking.

  “Okay, ladies. There is a reason I asked y’all to come to dinner.” Syd flashes a knowing smile. She already knows what I’m about to say. I hate that Katie isn’t here, but I talked to her right before dinner. She screamed through the phone in excitement. I’m surprised I can hear out of that ear.

  Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I’m not sure why I’m so nervous. I clasp my hands together and say, “We set a date, April 29.”

  “Finally,” cheers Harper. I roll my eyes, but laugh. I know I’ve been avoiding the planning stage, but it hasn’t been that long.

  “And I’d like it if you all would be my bridesmaids,” I say shyly. My heart beats fast, and I can feel my face flush. My feelings catch me off guard. I don’t know if I’m afraid they’re going to say no or I just don’t like being in the spotlight.

  Cheers and yesses are repeated around the table. I let out a soft breath and fan myself. Syd looks at me, shaking her head. I stick my tongue out at her. She’s always been the social butterfly out of the two of us. She craves the spotlight, while I try to keep out of it.

  I glance at Macie who’s biting her lip. “I know you’ll be eight months pregnant, but that’s okay, right?” Aiden won’t let Ryan back out, so if Macie doesn’t want to be in the wedding I’m going to have to find someone else. And I don’t have anyone else, so I’m hoping she says yes.

  “If you don’t mind a huge whale in your wedding.” She scrunches up her nose.

  I slam my hand down on the table, glasses clink together. Crap. I
grasp the round table, steadying it. “What! You worked hard for the baby, you better be showing that belly off loud and proud. And you’ll be adorable pregnant.”

  She smiles and her eyes well up with tears. I blink back the tears threatening to form.

  “Y’all are making me cry,” Sydney says.

  “Sorry. These damn hormones. Yes, I’d be honored to be in your wedding,” she says, blotting the tears with her napkin.

  “Yay!” I clap, looking around the table. “Thank y’all for being such good friends. You’ve been there for me for so much, and I love y’all.”

  “This isn’t helping me,” Macie cries and laughs at the same time.

  “Dessert, ladies?” the waiter says.

  “Yes,” everyone replies at once.

  A few minutes later, we’re all staring at the decadent chocolate cake in front of us. “Holy mother of chocolate,” Syd says. The cake’s icing looks like hot fudge, smooth and silky. Strawberries line one side of the cake, laying in melted chocolate. The other side has a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled in the chocolate. My taste buds are already buzzing, telling me to hurry the hell up and take a bite. I bring a forkful to my mouth and as soon as the rich, warm chocolate hits my tongue, I close my eyes and drown in chocolate-induced euphoria.

  Bryn clears her throat. I open my eyes and glare at her. She’s ruining the moment. This better be good. She laughs at me. “So…” She pauses and looks around the table. “Who am I going to be paired with?”

  “After you just interrupted my chocolate orgasm, who do you think?” I say, jokingly. She is with Ryker but that decision was already decided.

  “Really? Can’t I be with Max?” she whines.

  Harper figures out what’s going on and jumps in. “I don’t mind being with Ryker,” she boasts as she brings a forkful of chocolate cake to her mouth. She lets out a moan when she pulls the fork out. “This cake is amazeballs,” she mumbles.

  “Max is the best man so he’ll be with Syd.” I shove a piece of cake in my mouth before I have to talk again.