Read Between Embers (Lost Kings MC #5.5): A Companion to White Heat: Three Short Stories for Free Online

see if Hope needs anything,” she says softly.
    Serena approaches me slow. A dress slung over her arm. “Do you mind if I change in your room?”
    My gaze returns to Heidi, who hasn’t looked up or moved or anything. Her reddened cheeks signal she’s either about cry or blow up.
    “Yeah, sure,” I finally answer Serena’s question.
    “Later,” Heidi says, moving past me without another word.
    “Is everything okay?” Serena asks.
    I rip my attention away from Heidi, hurrying away from us.
    “Yeah. Same old shit.”
----

    Y OU HAVE A BOYFRIEND . It doesn’t matter.
    I keep repeating those two sentences to myself as I sprint down the hallway to Trinity’s room.
    It’s not like I haven’t seen Murphy with girls over the years. Each one had been a tiny knife jammed in my heart. But this one spoke to him in such a familiar way. Like they spend a lot of time together.
    So why was he busy saving strawberries for me? Being so sweet to me? If he had a girl coming?
    Not a girl. A woman . Probably closer to his age. I barely looked at her. Only long enough to note she was tall and pretty, with her blonde hair all elegantly pulled up into some complicated updo. Poised my grandmother would have called her. Not a messy teenager stuffed into a dress that’s too fancy for her.
    I hesitate before knocking on Trinity’s door again.
    Someone shouts for me to come in and I poke my head inside the room. Hope’s finally in her dress instead of the bathrobe she was in earlier. “Am I allowed to hang out in here?”
    “Of course, sweetheart.” Hope waves her hands in welcome, and I close the door behind me.
    Lilly’s back and Hope’s friend, Mara is also here. I murmur hellos to both of them and put my back against the wall, so I’m out of the way.
    “Everything okay?” Mara asks.
    “Yeah.” I finally glance up and smile. I don’t want to do anything to ruin Hope’s day. “You look so pretty, Hope.”
    “Thank you.” She grabs a bag and starts tearing through it. “Hold on.”
    Trinity swipes two boxes off her desk and taps Hope’s shoulder.
    Hope hands one box to me and one to Mara. “Thank-you presents for being such wonderful bridesmaids.”
    I feel a little guilty taking anything, since technically I don’t think I’ve done much to help Hope with the wedding.
    Inside, I find a pair of long, amethyst earrings. They dangle and sparkle. “They’re so pretty. I don’t have dangly ones like this. Grams never let me wear them.”
    Hope flashes a relieved smile. “Good.”
    I stand in front of the mirror to put them in, but my hair hides them, unless I brush it off my shoulders. “I wish I was wearing my hair up now.”
    Trinity moves behind me, picking up my hair in one hand. “I can help you put it up if you want,” she offers.
    “I’d love it. Thanks,” I finally answer.
    While Trinity tugs, yanks, and— ouch —pins my hair into submission, I watch Hope laughing with her friends.
    “What’s wrong, honey?” she asks, meeting my eyes in the mirror.
    “Nothing. Did you know Murphy was bringing a date?”
    Her mouth twists down and her gaze slips to the side. “He mentioned it when I was doing the invitations.”
    “Oh. Do you know her?”
    “I’ve met her. She’s a nice girl.”
    Nice girl . She’s met her before? This girl’s in Murphy’s life enough that he took the time to introduce her to Hope?
    “Is your boyfriend in the wedding?” Mara asks me.
    Boyfriend. Yup. Remember him? “Yes. Sort of,” I answer just as Trinity slides the one last bobby pin home.
    “All done. What do you think?”
    “It’s so pretty! Thank you, Trinity.”
    Trinity spends an eternity taking photos of all of us while Hope and her friends goof around. It’s funny seeing this side of them.
    Uncle Z knocks on the door when it’s time for the wedding to start.
    I follow everyone out front, hanging back because I don’t want to see Murphy again. I can’t stand the thought of holding his arm while we walk