Breathe Me - C.R. Jane Page 0,52

that I do have some kind of husband that I left behind.

"Sorry, I do that sometimes," I murmur, my cheeks blazing. "And no, there's no husband…or boyfriend…or anyone actually waiting for me."

I grab a stuffed mushroom and throw it in my mouth so I can stop the word vomit that is coming out of my mouth.

"I assume by your presence that there's no one waiting for any of you either?" I comment after I finish eating my enormous bite.

The guys all nod, strange looks on Logan and Quaid's faces that are hard to interpret. Awkwardness descends again, and I'm grateful for when the friendly waiter comes back with the main courses that the chef has chosen for us.

The food all smells delicious, but my stomach is starting to turn. I've waited for this day for forever, and now I'm exhausted. The doctor had said I would start to feel more and more tired as I got closer to the end. But I'm just at the beginning of my three months. Hopefully, it's just the stress and the long flight that has me feeling this way.

I desperately want every second of the next three months.

I excuse myself to go to the bathroom so I can take another of the pills the doctor gave me.

The guys are all eating their food, a tense silence signaling they obviously had an uncomfortable conversation while I was gone. I sit down, shooting them all a smile, and try to begin eating again. Looking around the fancy restaurant as I stab at a thinly sliced piece of meat, I suddenly feel all wrong.

This isn't us. We didn't grow up in a world like this, and although I'm bound and determined to enjoy myself to the fullest over the next couple of months, I don't think we can start it off like this.

"Let's get out of here," I say, standing up suddenly. They all look at me, confused.

Quaid understands first. He grabs his wallet and pulls out a few bills that shock my conscience. I'm pretty sure that the chef has comped this meal because of Carter, but the amount of money Quaid just threw on the table could easily cover this meal and more.

"Show off," Carter mutters, standing up next. The waiter comes over and asks us if everything is all right.

"Better than ever. Give our regards to Chef Ramsay, my good sir," Quaid says in a ridiculous English accent while wrapping his arm around me. I giggle as the four of us stroll out of the restaurant, garnering a multitude of stares.

"So where are we going?" asks Logan once we get out onto the grassy field in front of the Eiffel Tower. I flip off my heels, preferring to carrying them in my hand, suddenly feeling more free and happy than I've ever felt in my life.

I twirl around. "I can't believe we're in fucking Paris," I scream happily as my hair swirls around my face. Quaid captures my waist and twirls with me.

"We're in fucking Paris," he yells loudly, and my smile somehow grows even wider.

Logan jogs up next to us. "We're in fucking Paris," he calls out. People are laughing at us. Some are even taking pictures.

The three of us stop dancing around and turn to look at Carter, who's looking at the three of us like we've gone insane.

And maybe we have.

"Do it," I beg, and his lips twitch in amusement.

"Do it," Quaid yells.

Carter's lips turn into a smile, the first real one that I've seen since we've reunited, and I'm momentarily struck blind by its beauty.

“We're in fucking Paris," he finally yells, pumping a fist into the air.

I grab Logan and Quaid's hands, Carter walking beside us, and we head off into the Parisian night.

There are a million things we need to talk about, and the three months loom in front of us. But right now, in this moment, everything is perfect.

We are perfect.

We walk the streets of Paris until it's late, grabbing some pastries from a small bakery we pass, and chocolate from another sweets shop we pass. Quaid regales us with stories about celebrities he's met, what the Super Bowl was like, what the NFL draft day was like. I'm enthralled by it all.

Logan tells us all about how he managed to make partner in five years, the youngest in the firm's history to perform such a feat.

Carter even joins in, telling us about some of the places he's gone around the world. I'm sure Carter has more stories