.

One. I had one request of my wedding party prior to my wedding. That was a sleepover. Silly? Perhaps. But this was likely the last time that this group would be together like this.

Kane's best man is of course, Felix. My maid of honor is Sydney. Then we have Cole and Morgan walking together as a bridesmaid and groomsman. Let me just tell you how excited those two are about this... they aren't.

This group grew up together. There were numerous sleepovers with all of us in this house. The only person missing would be Tyler and the only part of the wedding festivities he's invited to are the rehearsal dinner and the ceremony.

There is nothing I'm looking forward to more (other than marrying Kane) during this trip than this sleepover. It's everything a parent hates. It's unsupervised (we threatened dad to leave us alone by stealing the extra set of keys to his Buick), it's coed, there will be drinking and there will be childish games that will hopefully result in Morgan and Cole having hot shameful sex somewhere in my basement. This needs to happen.

Strawberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple, grapes and oranges are set before me on the granite counter. I begin carefully slicing them and throwing them into a bowl to begin my mom's fruit salad. I'm fairly certain that for every piece of fruit I cut and toss into the bowl, the same amount is tossed into my mouth. So good.

Strong arms wrap around my waist and Kane sets his chin on my shoulder. I pick up a piece of kiwi and hold it to his mouth, he happily takes his bite and chews. "You know babe, the guys probably aren't going to eat fruit salad tonight. Pizza, chips, beer. That's all we need."

"I have a dress to fit into next week. I will be eating fruit."

"You having a smoking body Gabby Brooks. You have nothing to worry about. Feel free to tell me more about this dress though..."

Damn he gives good complements. My dress is currently hidden at the Parker's house and it's driving him crazy that I haven't given him any clues. "Trust me handsome, the dress doesn't compare to what I bought for underneath it." He groans.

I giggle as little feet run into the kitchen. "GABBAY!!"

"Emmett my man!"

"Your man? I thought I was your man?" Kane jokes. "She's mine buddy!"

Emmett, my adorable ring bearer, will be having his own sleepover upstairs with Zo, the flower girl.

I wiggle my way out of Kane's arms and scoop up Emmett to tickle him. "Where's your daddy?"

"Wit-" giggles. "Fewix!" giggles.

"New goal. Felix will be known as Fewix for the rest of the night." Kane chuckles and pulls Emmett out of my arms to begin zooming him around the room like an airplane as his laughter continues.

Emmett is my second favorite little person. He is mini-Cole. Cole was made to be a dad. When his wife abandoned him a week after she had Emmett, Cole was devastated but he totally stepped up and did what needed to be done for his son. He credits his mad-dad skills on the fact that he and Morgan became parents the same day I did. Which is definitely true. The three of us learned quickly just how much it takes to be a parent.

"Hey! Need help?" Cole walks in and places a kiss on my cheek.

"Carry this downstairs?" I hand him the bowl of fruit.

"You got it, bridezilla."

"Whaaa?" My mouth hangs open. "I am not!"

Everyone just laughs at Cole's comment and doesn't back me up. Fine. Jerks. I'll show them bridezilla. I'm going to make them suffer during our drinking games tonight. I pull open a cabinet barely out of reach and pull down every shot glass we own.

Game on.

<><><>

Even though Cole and Morgan stay away from each other and don't speak, laughter fills the basement of my childhood home. The type of laughter that causes happy tears to spill down your face and makes your sides hurt. I love these people so much. There was a time I thought I would never have this again. It feels good.

"No! No! Remember the time when Felix snuck over to Katelyn Johnson's house to admit that he loved her and he climbed into her parent's window instead of hers?" Cole is hunched over laughing so hard be can barely breathe as he recalls his story. "He drunkenly professed his love and then her dad flipped on the light?!"

"I hate you guys" Felix rolls his eyes and chugs his beer. "Don't fini-"

"AND THEN!" Cole continues, "Her dad laughed at him and informed him that his daughter only liked other women..."

I quickly swallow my beer on time to prevent it from coming out my nose before I begin to laugh hysterically. Felix glows bright red. "You assholes could have told me she came out!"

"That would have ruined the fun. Fun we are still having nine years later." Kane laughs behind me.

The six of us are spread around the family area of the basement. Felix has himself sprawled out on a couch comfortably, Morgan sits in a chair beside him. Kane is sitting on the floor with his legs like a pretzel, with me on his lap, his arms wrapped around my middle. And Cole and Sydney sit on either side of us. Harry Potter plays in the background but we aren't watching. Pizza boxes with a wide range of varieties are spread out on the floor with a few beer bottles and chips. There's also a bowl of fruit salad between me and Syd. We are the only two eating it, Kane was right.

Sydney stands and returns with random bottles of alcohol from my dad's bar and begins pouring different liquors into each of the empty shot glasses, setting them on the coffee table. When she's finished there are eighteen various shots ready for us. I smile knowing exactly what she wants to play, we had seen it in a movie.

"Time for a game!" she announces.

I sit up straighter and rock my hips happily and begin to clap. "I'm so ready for this!"

Kane rocks us back a little and puts his lips against my ear. "Quit wiggling your hips, I'm getting hard." He should have never said anything. Challenge accepted.

A devilish smirk appears on my face as I lean forward and grab an empty beer bottle, placing it on its side so we can spin it. With every move I make, I make sure to put extra emphasis on moving my ass around to grind into my fiancé. His hands land on my hips to hold them in place as he clears his throat.

"We aren't seriously playing spin the bottle?" Morgan glares at me.

"No. Well, sort of. We are playing truth or dare. Someone spins, which I get to first since I'm the bride. Whoever it lands on, that person is asked truth or dare. I get to ask the question or submit the dare and if they don't do it they have to take a shot."

"Jesus we are going to be fucked up tomorrow." Cole looks at the shot glasses. "You know I have a kid, right? Like, I have to raise him tomorrow?"

"He can hang out with Zo and my parents. I'm sure Kane and I will be hurting too. I think Kane's already hurting actually..." I give another wiggle against his erection and he coughs while everyone looks at him with confusion.

"Whatever. How many rounds do we play?" Morgan moves to the floor and Felix follows.

"Usually until you run out of shots but we are old so until we pass out?"

"Speak for yourselves. I'm not old." Sydney giggles. Oh to be twenty-one again. "Get off his lap so that he can have a spot. Otherwise we won't know who it lands on..."

I go to slide off Kane but he grabs my hips and slams me back down on him. "No!" He croaks. "She needs to stay, right here. Syd just move a little to the right and leave an empty space for me. We can pretend that's my spot."

Everyone looks at Kane like he's nuts but I know he's really hard under me. The tent is pitched and he doesn't want to display it. I'm not helping at all, it's fun to make him squirm a little. I wiggle again as I reach behind us to the chair we are leaning against and pull down a blanket to cover my legs. Then I wiggle a little more as I reach forward, grab the bottle and give it a good spin. It lands on Felix.

"Fe. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to go tell mom that you are worried about the wedding because you think you might have feelings for Kane."

Everyone laughs as he shakes his head no.

"Fuck you Gabby. No way." He grabs a shot glass and slams it, making a terrible face. "I don't know what that was, but it tasted like ass..."

As Felix grabs the bottle to spin it I give another twirl of my hips into Kane. A little moan escapes the back of his throat and again he turns it into a cough. My smile grows wider.

"Cole, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"How many women have you slept with?"

Cole stirs a little in his spot as Morgan huffs. She's thinking it's a lot. I know the answer and understand why he's hesitating. He's only slept with his ex-wife.

"Two" his eyes roll and he quickly grabs the bottle to spin it. My eyes widen as I look at him, he notices and diverts. He slept with someone since his ex?! He didn't tell me that!

The bottle lands on Morgan and he looks up to her. Her eyes glare at him. Before Cole can even ask she yells "Dare!"

"Kiss Gabby on the lips."

"Oh Jesus, what are you doing to me?" Kane mutters under his breath so no one can hear but me. His grip on me tightens again as Morgan stands from her spot walks over and plants a quick kiss on my lips.

"There you go, Miller. Your high school dreams came true. Happy?" She says angrily to Cole.

"Very" he chuckles.

Morgan spins and it lands on the open spot beside me, which we are pretending is Kane. "Kane, my friend..." she smirks. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"How hard exactly does Gabby have you right now? You look like you're in pain..."

I burst out laughing and turn to see his face. For the first time ever I see my fiancé blush. I give him another wiggle and then press my lips firmly to his, prying his mouth open for a hot passionate kiss. A groan escapes his throat and he pulls away. He drops his head to my shoulder and chuckles awkwardly. "I could cut glass with this thing."

"Gross." Felix makes a repulsed face.

"You guys need a couple minutes?" Morgan giggles.

Kane reaches around me and spins the bottle. "Trust me, it wouldn't take me that long..."

Felix grimaces again at the thought of his best friend and his little sister. The bottle lands on Sydney. "Syd, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Go tell Dan you're pregnant."

"Oh hell no! He'd kill me." She grabs the shot glass, puts it to her lips and tips it back. "Oh shit, that burns..." she coughs and spins.

The bottle lands on me and Sydney smiles evilly. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Kinkiest place you've ever done it?"

Kane already knows so I may as well answer honestly. "The town jail cell."

"Seriously?!" Cole's eyes form large circles. "When?! How?! It's not even used!"

"Senior year" I sigh and lean into Kane, assuring him that I don't want to talk about it. "Long story."

Cole drops it as soon as he hears it was senior year. There's only one person it could have been and everyone knows that. Felix's facial expression changes and I can already tell he has a question in mind for me. I don't even want to know what it is.

I spin with it landing on Kane and he tells me he wants a truth. I turn to him knowing exactly what I want to ask. "How many babies do you want with me?"

A big grin covers his face. "Zo and at least two more." The room fills with awes as I smile and give him a quick kiss. I like that answer.

He spins and it lands back on me, causing us all to laugh. "Truth, handsome."

"Um..." he searches for a question. "I don't know, biggest fear?"

My stomach twists. This has an easy answer. It gives me nightmares. "Losing Zo in the woods to raspberries."

My answer is a bit to serious for everyone, no one says a thing. Just side glances towards each other. I quickly spin the bottle and it lands on Morgan and she chooses truth. "Who was the last person you slept with?" I want to know if my suspicion is correct. Cole said that he slept with two people. I wonder if they slept together the other night when I pushed her into him at the party.

She shifts uncomfortably and reaches for a shot but stops. Then she glances once to Cole, once to Felix, drops her head and mutters "Felix."

"WHAT?!" My beer sprays from my mouth.

Cole's face glows fire red at Felix. "Yeah, well I slept with Syd."

"Cole!" Sydney's mouth drops open.

"Holy fuck I wasn't expecting this..." Kane chuckles behind me in an excited tone. "This is better than reality TV."

My head shakes in agreement with my fiancé's comment. I look to Syd who is covering her mouth with her hand. "Syd... you're engaged!"

"It was when Kyle dumped me" she groans. "Thanks a lot, Cole!"

Cole shrugs and looks to Morgan. He's waiting for her to say something. She stands and walks into my dad's billiard room and slams the door. Cole quickly stands and follows her in, shutting the door behind him. They are about to have one nasty argument.

"Well, I knew we were all close. But damn. There just must be something about you Brooks kids..." Kane laughs.

I look to Felix and shake my head. "Morgan?"

"It was the night Cole got married. She was a mess. We got drunk and hit every bar in on Main Street in Cedar Falls and then she came back to the hotel with me. It was a mistake. She made me promise to never tell him and I would not have - I don't know why she said that."

"Because she wants him to finally admit that he likes her. Whatever. At least they're talking."

"That's not talking... they are screaming at each other in there..." Syd frowns. I give her a shrug. It needed to happen. They need to clear the air. I feel a sudden guilt wash over me though. This night just became plagued. The atmosphere is different now that those two secrets are out.

"Gabby truth or dare?"

My eyes move back to Felix as he glares at me. He looks mad.

"We aren't even playing Fe?"

"Truth or dare?" he asks again.

"I can see in your face you have a question for me so truth."

"What did Jax do to land himself jail time and a probation officer?"

I feel the color drain from my face. This is not the time or place for this question and there never will be a good time. Just because they're dead he expects me to answer that?

I swipe a shot from the table and he leans over grabbing it from my hand before I can take it. "Why is this still such a secret? He's GONE!"

"I know he's gone!" I yell at my brother as Kane becomes tense behind me. "You think I don't know that, Felix?! Have you forgotten that you have a green-eyed niece upstairs with no dad?! Because I haven't!"

"It wasn't just you who lost someone you loved Gabby!" His eyes go cold and suddenly I'm seeing the Felix from senior year. "What did he do? You told me it involved Court, did he do something to her?"

My chest rises and falls rapidly as my anger increases. I take a deep breath and try my damndest not to start crying. "No Felix. He didn't do anything to her. You want to know so fucking bad?"

He nods his head yes and throws his hands up.

"He was a good brother. That's how he ended up in jail. It's too bad Jax is 'gone', because you could have taken notes."

"Ouch, Gabs..." Syd mutters.

Felix walks quickly up the stairs and slams the door behind him just as the door to the billiard room opens.

"Gabby he's your brother..." Kane sighs.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't act like it sometimes." Felix and I had been doing okay since Jax died. I thought he grew up and realized he was wrong. Obviously not.

"Did we miss something?" Cole asks, out of breath, with disheveled post-hot shameful sex hair. Morgan's hand is firmly clutched in his.

Well, at least one thing went right tonight...