by Eden O'Neill
Did I mention the wedding had been an elopement? Completely off the cuff. Completely crazy just like my relationship with her best friend. We’d decided to do some traveling after the graduation party.
We’d hit up Vegas.
The plan had been to spill the beans after we got back, but I’d been supposed to leave my band in the car since today was about the baby shower.
I guess I got distracted.
I blamed Ramses, nudging him. He had taken off his ring, but I must not have noticed.
Scratching his neck, Ramses dropped an arm around my shoulders. “Eh, uh. We were going to tell you today.”
“Really? When?” She tapped her foot, looking completely cute with her flushed cheeks and tiny belly. At this point, we’d gathered a crowd, her husband coming over and their friends.
Ramses chewed the inside of his cheek. “Was going to pull you aside. I swear, and before you ask, it was completely on a whim. We planned to throw a reception for everyone.”
This didn’t seem to make her feel any better. She groaned. “Does your mom even know?”
“Mom was there, so yes, she knew.” Evelyn joined us with James, winking. Did I mention she came to Vegas with us, too? A family trip.
Ramses bent his long frame, kissing her cheek, before she hooked James’s arm. Something told me they would have gotten married, too, had they been as crazy as us. She grinned at December. “And we took plenty of pictures for you, honey. For everyone.”
Yeah, definitely didn’t make her feel any better. At her side, Royal hugged her waist, then proceeded in reminding her that they kept the news of their baby under wraps for a little while. This did make her feel a little better and I found the two so sweet. They reminded me kind of Ramses and myself. He always kept me from the ledge. Talked me down. He’d been doing this from day one.
I looped arms around his waist, and he squeezed me. My husband. And no, I still couldn’t believe that. We were two completely different people now. I was a different person.
And thank God for that.
December made us show her every picture we had between Evelyn’s phone and mine. The small wedding in a chapel with tiny flowers and lovely garlands. I’d worn a white pantsuit I’d picked up at a local shop and Ramses had worn a suit he’d packed for our nicer dinners. It hadn’t been the ridiculous side show that was my first wedding. Hell, People Magazine had even come out for that.
It’d been small. It’d been intimate. But most importantly, it’d been Ramses and me.
December and the other women in their friend circle squealed with glee and delight at every photo, but I had to say, none of their boyfriends shared their enthusiasm. I mean, this didn’t surprise me. They were guys, but even Royal seemed to take a little interest in the captured moments. The other guys were downing their booze, looking borderline annoyed, before the really big one, Knight, put a hand in the circle.
And then, the craziest thing happened.
He got down on one knee, right there in front of everyone. The young man pulled a ring out of his jacket and popped it open in front of his tiny, blond girlfriend. They really were the cutest thing, completely mismatched, but then again, they weren’t. Like all these guys, they just seemed to really go well with their other halves. Completely opposite like Ramses and me.
But then again, completely the same.
Greer stepped back upon being presented to, completely in awe at the man on his knees before her. She even had tears in her eyes as she pressed her small fist to her mouth, and I wondered if that was how I’d looked merely a few weeks ago, when my life had changed, and I’d gotten engaged.
That felt so far away now.
Ramses hugged me close. Like he knew my thoughts, he dropped a kiss down on the top of my head, and I squeezed his waist, watching what was clearly another proposal happening in front of us.
Knight almost looked shy in front of his girlfriend. His cheeks were flushed and everything. He frowned a little. “Believe it or not, I was going to ask you before all this. Tonight and a dinner… It was going to be awesome.”
Everyone around laughed, but then gasped when another ring was pulled out.
LJ this time, the guy with the long blond hair Ramses was going into business with. Ramses had told me all about that and how excited he was for it.
Currently, his new business partner was on his knee too, taking his own ring out and popping the box open in front of his girlfriend. I’d only met his Billie a couple of times. She still had been trying to work out bringing everything over from their life in Indiana. Every time, I had seen her, she’d been a gem, though. A true darling with fiery red hair primed and placed, her smile gorgeous.
Her eyes shimmered in front of LJ. “What are you doing?”
LJ shrugged. “Well, Knight went rogue, so…”
“Yeah, he did.”
Another ring and I couldn’t make this up. Their friend Jaxen got on his knee as well. His girlfriend Cleo was super cute, super tall, and probably the nicest person I’d ever met. Honestly, within moments of meeting her, she was asking me about a charity event she was planning to put on for local animal shelters. Already wanting to get involved in town.
“Jax…” She squeaked, on her heels, and Jax took her hand.
He frowned. “It was supposed to be a combined proposal tonight,” he gritted, shooting Knight a look. But then, he snarled at Ramses. “Leave it to Mallick to show us up.”
Ramses laughed, folding his hand on my hip. He set his chin on top of my head. “Don’t let me cramp your style, boys.”
Knight growled, but then faced Greer. “What do you say, dove? Marry me?”
LJ and Jax’s proposals followed, and I could safely say, I hadn’t seen anything like it. These guys hilariously trying to one up each other, yes, but all the love around. I barely knew these people. Really, I didn’t know them well.
But as I watched all their guys put rings on their girls’ fingers, December and Royal and Evie and James hugging close beside us, a feeling surfaced that hadn’t been there even moments before arrival. Like these people were really about to mean something in my life. Like I had a place with them.
Like they were family.
I didn’t know if that’d be true, but as I gripped Ramses’s waist, his hold tight around me, I thought it.
Ramses kissed my temple, staying there. “I love you so much.”
Smiling, I directed my brow to his lips, hugging him close and telling him the same. This man had somehow become my everything in so little time. He’d become mine as well as this little community. Old Brielle would have been scared by that, but new Brielle took chances. She had dreams. She loved and she lived, and she did so with her person, no fear.
There simply wasn’t any room.
Acknowledgements
Wow, guys! We really made it. Eight books. EIGHT FREAKING BOOKS with these crazy characters, and I’m so happy to have you all along for the ride. This past year writing these books has changed my life. Literally, it has changed my life. I’m now writing full time. A freaking dream and that’s because of all of you folks. Thank you to all of you for reading my books and helping me live out a lifelong dream. I’m so happy December, Royal, and the gang have resonated with so many of you. Your constant messages of support have brought me to tears so many times. My husband (and dogs) think I’m crazy, bwhaha! I’m forever grateful to each and every one of you and I wanted to send a special shoutout to a few people.
Thanks to my husband and to Nikki (you know who you are ;D) for pushing me to publish these books! Oh, my gosh they almost didn’t even happen. 2020 was friggin’ insane, but they told me to keep going and I’m so glad they did. Thank you also to my PA, Jenny, who started working for me before I even published a book, omg! I still can’t believe you reached out not even knowing anything about me. I just love you and thank you so much for being there on my team. Thanks to my cover artist and editors for the quick turnarounds and constantly being in my corner. Muah! Thank
you also to my fellow authors friends! Love you guys so much! And HUGE thanks to my betas Kelly, Heather, and Emily!!! You guys read books so fast. Seriously, how do you do it?? *kisses*
And extra special thanks for my readers, ARC reviewers, street team members, and anyone else who’s ever reached out, read my books, or messaged me. You guys have seriously blown my mind with your love and support. Thank you to all my peeps in my Facebook group, “The Starlets.” So many of you joined my group when I didn’t even have a book out and I love you for that! You guys rock my socks. Seriously.
I’ve gotten so much love from both the reader and author community. I thank you all for allowing me to do what I love doing. Which brings me to this next bit…
What’s next from me?
Well, um, so much! Ahh! It’s been so hard for me to keep this secret, but I got a ton of books coming to you in 2021 and some great news!
The Court isn’t over!
You heard that right! December, Royal, and the rest of the gang are coming back, but not in the way you think…
The next generation of Court kids are coming in…
Court Legacy!
Court legacy is an all new series featuring the children of the original Court High and Court University kids! Ah! You can add the first book on Goodreads: here.
Want updates on Court Legacy?
Join my Facebook group, “The Starlets”: here!
Did you know there’s an entire website dedicated to Court University?
Simply join my newsletter for access to inspiration pics, teasers, and more! You’ll also receive new release news from me =)
Gain access: here.
More From Me:
Court High Series
They The Pretty Stars
Illusions That May
Court Kept
We The Pretty Stars
Court University Series
(A Court High Spinoff Series)
Brutal Heir
Kingpin
Beautiful Brute
Lover
Brutal Heir (Court University #1)
Never trust a campus god.
Knight Reed is a devil heir with a chip on his shoulder. The arrogant a-hole I love to hate.
His name may be Knight, but that armor is black as coal. He's a beautiful god with a wicked heart. I know because my mom used to work for his family. An act of brutal violence in the woods and he gets my mom fired, ultimately leaving us homeless. That was the last time I saw him face-to-face.
At least, until recently.
He's frat boy royalty at my new university, a campus god amongst the rich and elite. There's little interest in a freshman like me.
But then I cross him, putting an end to me being invisible here in his world.
At a party, I see something I shouldn't have seen. Now, suddenly, the campus god has me tackled on a bed with his hand around my throat. He tells me to forget what I witnessed. Do that or the end result will be bad for me. He's hellbent on crushing my little dove wings and all I see is that cruel boy from the woods that day.
When it comes to Knight, I can't seem to stay out of his way or keep my trap shut around him, no matter how hard I try. He tells me my little mouth will get me in trouble, but I think he's wrong.
I'm not afraid what will happen if I spill his secrets. What terrifies me is how badly I want to see what might be beyond all that coal-black armor...
It's possible that, to some small measure, I'm tempted to give in to the only devil I've ever known.
The dark knight himself.
Available on Amazon