Page 18 of Grasp The Moment

Sitting at the window table of a Mexican restaurant named Viva Las Taqueria before eight a.m. with myhusband, shifting in our seats and avoiding eye contact, wasn’t how I expected my morning in Vegas to go.

Derek sighs for what feels like the fifteenth time, taking a sip of his lemon water, looking everywhere but at me.

Something inside me deflates. Even though we’re fairlynewerfriends, there’s never been any awkwardness between the two of us. Derek’s the type of guy who always makes you feel comfortable and at home when he’s around. He includes you in conversations, feeds you, and if you’re lucky, he introduces you to his daughter.

Right now? I feel like I’m sitting with my archenemy because of how thick and cold the air between us is.

“Oh, for crying out loud, Derek. We gotmarried—it’s not like you sold your damn soul,” I snap, immediately regretting my tone when he winces and sets his drink down.

He studies me for a moment before sighing, running a tired hand over his face. “What do you want me to do, Blondie? We both came to Vegas with the intention of letting loose only to shackle ourselves to one another…”

I don’t mean for it to happen. Hell, I was harsh first, but his words still sting nonetheless, and nowI’mthe one flinching.

“Shackled? I’m not keeping you here; by all means, we can end this right now.”

God, I wish I had a full stomach… and a strawberry cupcake. I don’t like where this is going, and if we keep heading down our current path—we’ll be at each other's throats in a few minutes. And I don’t mean in the hot, steamy, gimme your dick way—I mean in the gladiator, slay my enemies, and shit on their graves way.

“And what if I don’t want to?” he counters, and my heart stops.

“Excuse—”

“Are you two still looking, or would you like to get your orders in now?” Our waitress, a young lady named Tina, questions, appearing out of nowhere as I gape at the man across from me.

“We’re ready. She’ll have the huevos divorciados, and I’ll take the chilaquiles Pancho Villa with added asada, thank you,” he says, smiling at the waitress while my mouth catches flies.

“Divorce?! You said not even ten seconds ago that you want to stay married—crazy as fuck, might I add—and now you say I want a divorce? What drug did you take last night?!” I quietly shriek, leaning across the table.

Derek chuckles softly, a small smirk spreading across his lips as he crosses his arms.

“Huevos divorciadosare two fried eggs with different sauces.”

“Oh…”

That wasn’t embarrassing at all…

I roll my lips in and sit back down. The air between us is brimming with something that I can’t place as I sheepishly look out the window at the early Vegas morning.

Derek ordered my food for me… I don’t typically like it when guys do that, but I didn’t hate that he did.

I chew the inside of my cheek as my skin grows hot.

“You okay, Blondie?” he asks, his voice back to its usual calming tone as I shrug.

“I just… I need a second,” I say before getting up and dashing to the bathroom.

As soon as I’m safely in the bathroom and sure that no one else can hear me, I scream into my hands and stomp my feet.

Get your head together, Georgia. You can not seriously be shy because he ordered your food for you…

Taking a deep breath, I begin to pace the bathroom.

“This could either be the greatest thing I’ve done in my life, or we could end up hurting a lot of people…” I speak aloud, gnawing on my bottom lip.

“I got fucking marriedyesterday,and I don’t even remember it.” I groan, pulling out my phone and dialing the one person I know will answer.

Jace.

I’m going to seriously regret calling my asshole of a best friend, but shit, I’m freaking out.