Free Now and Forever Still by A.M. Johnson Page B

this. At any moment, the image of me in ivory, my cheeks tinted with rose — it would blend into a fuzzy unfocused picture, and I would be startled awake by Colby singing at the top of his lungs in the shower like he did every morning. I raised my hand to the silk waves of my hair and scooped them to the right side over my shoulder. The strawberry blonde almost sparkled under the overly expensive chandelier. The plush cream carpet under my heeled feet felt too rich.
    “Cammie.” Elizabeth’s voice was stretched thin and her lips pulled into a gigantic smile. I watched her wipe away tears just under her lashes through the mirror.
    “Is this real?” I whispered.
    She nodded.
    She stood next to me and her petite, curvy frame fit perfectly next to mine. Her dark hair to my light. Her sweetness to my fire. We’d been best friends all our lives, and I was lucky to have her as my Matron of Honor.
    “Fuck, do you think this dress is too short?” I pulled at the hem with my fingers.
    Colby loved my long legs, and I wanted to showcase my best assets. We were in Vegas for crying out loud, but I still worried his mother wouldn’t approve.
    Lizzie pressed her lips together, fighting her smile. “Um… it’s Caesars Palace. I think you’re safe.” She giggled and I shoved her shoulder.
    “I’m serious, Mrs. Dixon already thinks I’m a whore.”
    “She does not.” Liz shook her head with a smirk.
    “She caught us having sex, Liz. Twice. In her house.”
    “The kitchen right?”
    “And her bathroom.” My brows dipped and Elizabeth laughed.
    “Oh my gosh, you couldn’t wait twenty minutes till you got home?”
    “It was Thanksgiving. We were there forever.” My lips spread into a wicked grin. “Besides, it makes it more… exciting.”
    She shook her head. “If you say so.” Elizabeth’s floor length black strapless dress fit her like a glove. She could make anything look elegant. “You nervous?”
    Nervous.
    Petrified.
    “I’m scared, Lizzie.”
    The woman looking back at me in the mirror was tall; her sleeveless ivory lace dress poured over her skin as if it was sewn onto her body. The bottom hem hit mid-thigh, and her legs spilled from its fabric. Her make-up was simple, her hair full, but her eyes — they were filled with fear.
    The warmth of Elizabeth’s hand encompassed mine, and I met her eyes in the reflective surface.
    “He loves you, Cam. He loves you very much. You guys act like newlyweds, and you’ve been together for years. That’s rare, you know. Even Sawyer and I have our moments, but the love I see in Colby’s eyes. It’s the same way Soy looks at me, and if you're anything like me, that has to make you feel pretty special.”
    My eyes threatened tears and I sniffled. I puffed out a watery laugh. “Why are you always right?” I asked.
    She shrugged and squeezed my hand. “I’ve been right since the day you stole my marker.”
    “It was my turn to use it,” I objected with a grin.
    “It’s time to let it go.” Her smile held more than humor; it held a wisdom, a knowledge I was still yet to learn.
    I nodded.
    She was right. It was time to let go. The past was gone, and everything I wanted was just a room away.
     

COLBY
     
    “SO, THAT’S HOW THE Dixon boys do it. Glad I never went there.” Cammie’s laugh was sexy as hell.
    Her pert tits pushed against the fabric of her thin sweater, and I grinned.
    “Uh? You want some of this, Cammie?”
    I released Elizabeth from my hold. We’d been playing like we had as kids, but as I stood and rolled my shoulders, Cammie’s pouty lips spread into a flirty smile. So when she bit the corner of her bottom lip, I took that shit as an invitation. The sleeves of my white, long-sleeved Weber State Football shirt pushed easily up my arms as I trapped Cammie in my gaze. My brother, Todd, rattled off something stupid and headed upstairs. He’d been a moody asshole lately. But, as I darted toward her, and she shrieked, my adrenaline spiked,