Un-Tying the Knot {h.s.}

Chapter 67

"... and THEN she fucking freaks out on me because I'm flying 'all the way to Los Angeles for strippers.' I'm like 'CANDY! Calm the fuck down.' Fuckin' women, I swear dude."

Harry laughs, watching his best friend growl irritatedly as he steps off the elevator, hoisting the two cases of beer higher under his arms as he shuffles down the hallway. Harry juggles their duffle bags with the four or five bottles wrapped in brown paper bags, following behind him with mild amusement.

"I thought you said there weren't gonna be any strippers," Harry says, and Nick stops mid-waddle to give him a withered look over his shoulder.

"Please," Nick scoffs, shuffling a little farther before stopping and hoisting the cases higher before taking the last few steps to the only door in the hall. "It's your bachelor party. Fuck, why did I get stuck with the cases?"

"Because it's my bachelor party," Harry grins, glancing around. "Where's the key."

Nick groans, letting his head fall back. "My pocket." His eyes meet Harry's.

"Don't fookin' look at me," Harry sputters with a laugh, and Nick rolls his eyes.

"We've known each other since fuckin birth, H. Now be a man, and put your hand in my pocket."

Harry rolls his eyes, juggling the items in his hands, pinning a few bottles under his arm so he can wiggle his hand into Nick's back pocket.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Nick asks, jumping — and Harry jumps too, snatching his hand back.

"Trying to get the key!" Harry snaps back, and Nick rolls his eyes.

"It's in my front pocket, you fucking pretty boy."

Harry laughs. "Oh you're telling me to stick my hand in your front pocket, and I'm the pretty boy?"

"Just get the goddamn key. These aren't getting any lighter," Nick snaps, shifting the cases in his hands and grumbling.

Harry sighs as he worms his arm through Nick's, fingers crawling into his front pocket just as the elevator dings again. He looks over his shoulder, and a cold thrill of adrenaline runs through him as he sees me step off, mumbling to myself.

My face goes from weary to shocked as my eyes fall on the two of them.

Oh, shit.

I didn't expect to see him, and given the craziness that's happened in my life in the past week, I'm not ready to see him. I feel my stomach drop, and I instantly want to vomit.

I'm not ready.

He merely blinks back at me, caught off guard by the sudden quickening of his heart beat, and he only snaps out of it when I cover my mouth.

But then the nausea and dread subsides as I realize just how funny his and Nick's compromised position is, causing me to muffle a high peal of giggles.

"What... what are you doing?"

It's then that he realizes that his hand is still dug in his best friend's front pocket. He snatches it back immediately, nearly knocking the case out of Nick's hand, putting a good three feet of space between them, his ears tingeing red.

"I... I was just... getting the key... you know it was in his pocket and his hands were... were full..."

"Harry, there's no sense in hiding it now. She's seen everything. Might as well call off the wedding," Nick says with a dramatic sigh. "Hey Livvy," he adds with a grin, and I giggle at him, despite my stomach dropping at being in front of Harry again. "Would you like to help me out here? I'm tired of him playing with my cock and balls."