The Gamble, Book 3

Chapter 27

Payton

"So, when is that bitch ass punk dropping on one knee?" Emma demanded as we were sat at her's having a catch-up.

"Jesus Emma," I coughed, choking on the glass of wine I'd been sipping on as I spluttered at Emma's sudden question, "we literally got our own house almost three weeks ago. Derek's not even moved out yet, and we've barely been home ten weeks since we hung up Guilty Crown's life on the road."

Emma shrugged, "I half expected him to do it the second you stepped off that stage, if I'm honest. Am I still the maid of honor, right? Because if I lost my former title..."

I laughed as I finally recovered from my choking, "Of course you still will be, and Caleb will still be best man. Stacey, Lydia, and Hannah will be bridesmaids, all that jazz."

"Caleb was supposed to be the best man? I didn't know that."

"Because Reid never got around to asking him before. But yeah, and I'm pretty sure, when Reid and I decide we're ready to get married, he'll ask Caleb."

"Fair point. But bitch better hurry. I've not been to a good wedding since Caleb's one. Can't go wrong with a good wedding."

"Have your own already woman!" I rolled my eyes at my best friend as I folded a top of mine before neatly laying it in the small box.

Emma looked at me with an emotionless expression, "Yeah, okay, I'll just marry myself...or a blow-up doll."

"Now that would be funny. Do you, Emma Wallace, take this here blow-up boyfriend dubbed Henry, to be your lawfully wedded blow-up husband?"

"Henry?!" Emma squealed, "What the fuck? No, I'm naming that bad boy Channing."

"Oh my god, you can't be serious!"

"Completely serious." I looked at my best friend, and we both burst out laughing.

"You need a boyfriend, or some dick, one of the two."

"Yeah, well, between my studies and shifts at the hospital, doesn't leave much time to meet a guy ya know. I'm in no rush, and I don't want kids of my own. I want to adopt or foster if I decide to enter a small person in my life. So not like I need to worry about my time running out."

I paused for a moment, and my lips curved into a mischievous smirk, "Maybe we should set you up on a dating website..."

"Oh no," Emma's eyes went wide as her head rocked from side to side quickly, "you do that and Reid will be marrying a fucking corpse! I've seen the shit you get on there. One girl at the hospital is on a dating site and wow, some of those messages...one guy messaged her asking if she'd wear six-inch heels and walk all over him."

My mouth dropped, "What?!"

"Yeah! He gets off on it! Another asked if he could wear her clothes while she spanks him and calls him a bad boy..."

I cringed visibly. I'd heard enough and found myself ever thankful I met Reid young, so I got to skip all of shit that came with dating, "Ew, okay, stop, no dating websites. Heard ya, loud and clear."

"Plus, could you imagine if any of us went on a dating website...the press is still reporting on our antics after Guilty Crown. There was quite a gross picture of you and Reid making out last week outside a restaurant."

"I honestly have paid no attention." I chuckled, "Seen the odd one, but been a bit too busy to pay mind to them."

"Do you miss it?" Emma looked at me with her head cocked to one side.

"Sometimes, but I think we made the right decision. You?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I miss it a lot really, but you're right, it was the right decision. I'm pretty happy doing what I'm doing right now. But I was thinking; maybe we should make time to keep playing sometimes. You know, just like Shane and that do."