State of Grace Read Free Page A

told him he was royally fucked.  Inhaling deeply, he signaled the bartender to pour his fourth shot.
    Shit.
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    Grace smiled lazily at the conversation taking place amongst her sister-in-law’s friends. She’d consumed enough wine to the point where she felt comfortable, in spite of baring her worldly goods for all to see.
    “You OK?” Sam arched a delicate eyebrow.
    She nodded, a little drowsy but floating on a cloud of happiness. Her brother was married, and despite the horribly revealing dress she’d been coerced into wearing, she couldn’t squelch how ecstatic she was for both Lucas and Sophie. In her current state of tipsy and happy, she could barely remember her inner skinny girl telling her outer fat girl earlier that she had no business wearing that dress.
    Sam frowned at her.
    She just grinned back.
     “Sahhh-man-thaaaa,” she sang, drawing out the other woman’s full name, “please don’t worry. Just need a few minutes. You’d think a big girl would get lucky with a decent alcohol tolerance, but I’m more of a lightweight than Soph. ”
    She shook her head in disgust at her plight, and then yelped as she felt a sharp thwhack on the back of her head. Not drunk enough where she couldn’t put two and two together, she glared at her assaulter.
    “Girlfriend, you have no idea. You’re not big, and I’m too tired to smack you again if you try to argue. Go sit over there,” she ordered, motioning towards the currently empty table that had been set up specifically for the wedding party.
    Grace’s eyes narrowed at Sophie’s bossy best friend, but the sudden fog that settled over her brain made her think twice. Maybe she did have just a little too much. Scowling, she kept narrowed eyes on Sam, using two fingers to point between her eyes and where Sam was, before plopping down at an empty table and yawning.
    The band happened to be playing a slower, softer song. There were several couples on the dance floor that had been erected over the sand, but none quite stood out like the groom and bride. She pursed her lips and surveyed her brother and new sister-in-law. 
    Neither had eyes for anyone or anything else. They looked like they’d stepped out of a fairy tale. The cream wedding dress set off Sophie’s tanned, olive complexion perfectly, while Lucas’s dark handsomeness was incredibly dashing in his tux. They moved together slowly, but it was clear by the way they held each other’s gaze, that even the movement was an afterthought.
    Chin perched in her hand, she sighed dreamily until she felt the familiar prickle on the back of her neck.
    “Need something?” A warm, deep voice brushed over the sensitive curve of her ear.
    It took every ounce of inebriated willpower she had not to gasp aloud, but she knew exactly who was behind her.
    Asshole.
    She stilled, barely breathing. If she refused to acknowledge him or turn around, maybe her handsome tormentor would disappear. Maybe he was a drunken mirage?
    But even through the fog that settled over her brain, she knew she was kidding herself. She’d felt his eyes bore into her as she made her way up the aisle. It wasn’t unusual for her to avoid eye contact with him, but this time, she’d felt his stare so keenly. She’d wondered if her smile showed lipstick on her teeth, or the inevitable had happened, and her boobs had finally popped out. She’d snuck a glance to check if he was gloating at her utter humiliation in squeezing into this skintight dress, but when their eyes met, instead of looking away like any normal person would do, his gaze remained on her. It burned with hot intensity, unwavering, throughout the entire ceremony. Now, he looked at her lazily, sliding into the seat next to hers, wicked blue eyes taunting her.
    “Nice dress, Gracie,” he commented offhandedly, nodding at her as a slight smirk graced his perfect face.
    “Piss off,” she muttered snidely, color rising to her cheeks. Inwardly, she