Free Redemption (Forgiven Series) by Rebecca Brooke Page A

to get married next summer, after we graduate.” She was so excited she was bouncing up and down in her seat. “We’re thinking the end of July.”
    “July, hmmm…” I pulled into the parking space and turned off the engine. “You know what that means, don’t you?” I asked mischievously.
    She scrunched her nose up. “No, but I’m almost afraid to ask.”
    I patted her on the arm. “That’s okay, I was going to tell you anyway. It means there won’t be any classes, so we can have one crazy-ass bachelor party.”
    “You can’t be serious!”
    “Oh, I’m dead serious.”
    She flung open her door and hoped out of the car. Once I’d gotten out and started to walking to class, she turned on me. “You have to be out of your mind if you think I’m going to let Caleb have any type of bachelor party that includes naked women,” she said with disgust.
    I wasn’t going to give in so easily, but I had almost a year and a half to work on her. I slung my arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of time to talk about it.”
    The death glare she shot at me should have stopped me in my tracks, but it wasn’t as nearly as scary as the face Emily wore as we approached. The twisted snarl on her face was a clear sign that I was in trouble. Part of me considered saying I’d forgotten something and escaping back to the safety of the car, but I’d have to face Emily at some point, so better now than later.
    Her eyes narrowed as we got closer. “Why are you such an asshole?” she snapped.
    Angie looked back and forth between the two of us. “Wow, Josh, so it wasn’t just me you were being a jerk to this weekend?”
    Emily’s eyes snapped to Angie. “What did he do to you?’ she snarled.
    Oh shit, I was in for it. On top of Emily being mad about Lauren, now she was going to be even more pissed because of Angie. Angie watched me closely while Emily tapped her foot, waiting for an answer.
    Angie turned to me. “Josh, what happened this weekend that has made Emily look at you the way she used to look at Caleb? She looks like she wants to murder you, or at least diminish any chance you ever have of having kids.”
    “Oh, so he didn’t tell you about his night with Lauren?” Emily said sarcastically.
    “Yeah, they went out with you to the bar after the party, and then she drove him home. I don’t get what the big deal is?”
    “Figures you didn’t give her the whole story,” Emily snarled. “What he failed to mention was that when we left the party, I caught him standing beside her car with his tongue shoved down her throat.” Angie’s faced dropped and I could see the anger return to her eyes. Emily clapped her hands together, seemingly enjoying the fact that Angie was getting mad at me too.
    “Then he spent the next few hours dancing with her at the bar while she got drunk. It wasn’t Lauren who drove Josh home—Josh had to drive because Lauren was wasted.”
    Angie glared at me. “I guess Lauren wasn’t as forgettable as you made her seem last night.” She walked to the door without looking back, Emily’s brows lifted in a look that clearly said, “Take that,” before she turned and followed Angie.
    I sighed and started towards the door. This was going to be one long class. If I didn’t get this cleared up with Angie, Caleb was going to have my ass later.
     
    The looks I got as I walked into the class behind them made me a little nervous about sitting in my normal seat. But it was my only chance to fix this, so I cautiously took my usual seat next to Angie.
    I waited for Angie or Emily to rip me a new one, but neither seemed interested in speaking to me at all. Wracking my brain as to how I might salvage the situation, I nudged Angie. Getting through to her would be much easier than trying to talk to Emily when she was like this.
    “Angie, don’t be pissed. I never said that Lauren was forgettable, I’m just not interested in a relationship.” Something flared in her eyes, but