Mine to Have: A Claimed Story by Jade Sinner Read Free Book Online Page A

diamond engagement ring.
    Jess pulls her hand back and her words slur. "We were fucking supposed to be married!"
    No longer sad, she springs up from the couch. In only a moment, she changes from jilted fiancée to the Jess I've known most of my life, the one who threatened to kick my ass when we first met at five years old, the one who wouldn't let some asshole walk all over her, and the one who's been my best friend for the last twenty-three years. Finally pulling herself out of her wine-induced funk, she staggers as she says, "In three weeks!" She holds up three fingers, narrows her eyes as she concentrates on them and then repeats, "Three!
    "Holy shit," she continues, "do know how much money my parents are spending on this wedding? Have spent? As in, can't get it back? Fuck! My mom. Oh my God, my mom is going to have a coronary. And my dad, holy fuck, Ash, he may never recover."
    I stand ready to catch her if she wobbles again.
    With her green eyes glistening, Jess stares up at me, silently demanding an answer.
    "I don't know how much they've spent. But I do know they hated his guts."
    "No they didn't," she answers defensively. "They loved him. Everybody"—she elongates the word—"loves Jack. Jack and Jess. Jess and Jack. The perfect fucking couple."
    "Jack, the asshole who fucked some other woman in your bed." I shake my head. "Your dad would have voted him off the island a long time ago."
    Her dad has this obsession with reality TV. That and zombies. If there were a reality zombie show, he'd be set for life, or the apocalypse. And then, after years of watching Survivor and The Walking Dead , I'd definitely want him on my team. I already have him programmed in my phone, for phone-a-friend, just in case. According to her dad, Paul, you should always be prepared.
    Jess takes a deep breath. "No, he wouldn't. Dad was thrilled that I was marrying Jack. And well, no one knows about that other woman thing—no one but you and of course Jack and her." She nods her head. "Yep, that's everyone. Hell, they were so into it, I doubt they even know I was there."
    I run my hands over her arms, up and down. "You should have grabbed a lamp and cocked them both upside the head."
    A smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "That's why I love you. Violence is always your first thought."
    I shrug. "Usually fucking is my first thought. But...well, that was already happening."
    She playfully hits my shoulder. "Thanks for the reminder."
    "Ouch! Be violent with Jack, not with me."
    As I wrap my arms around my best friend, she falls against my chest. The scent of strawberries tickles my nose, and I take a deeper breath. For just a second, Jess seems to relax and melt against me. Our friendship has seen it all. We know each other's deepest, darkest secrets and we're still here—through childhood, our teens, college, and now. Always.
    The one thing we haven't done, not ever, is move beyond friendship. It is our agreement, the one we made when we were young. Never would we cross that line.
    That was easy when we were running around the neighborhood or swimming in the lake. Then it was like we were brother and sister, but sometimes now I wonder what it would be like to be with her, inside of her, loving her.
    But then I remember our agreement.
    No matter how fucking beautiful she has become, or fun, or happy, or sad, we are friends and we can't jeopardize that. If we did, I'm sure I could help her forget that asshole, if we crossed that line, but her friendship is worth more than keeping my dick happy.
    It isn't like my dick is sad. It gets plenty of action. I've taken many women places they didn't know they could go, all in the name of forgetting some asshole who wronged them. But that wouldn't be how I help Jess.
    'No, sorry, boy,' I say silently to my dick, 'you're staying put.'
    Earlier tonight, when I got Jess's hysterical call, I was on my way to a date and my dick was happy. The date was just drinks and supposed to be with some chick from the