Everybody's After Love Read Online Free Page A

shoulders. Kissing my cheek, he teases, “What, Jules? You wouldn’t convert for me?”
    I knit my eyebrows, irritated at his comment, but then realize I never even knew he was Catholic. Turning back to Bri, my eyes meet those of the Jesus statue and I swear his gaze is following me around the room. It’s really starting to creep me out so I slide out of Kevin’s hold and walk toward the back of the church, ready to get out of here.
    “Sounds like you have it all figured out,” I comment, picking up the pace as I see another statue staring me down.
    Bri’s voice is even more annoying as it echoes off the walls of the empty sanctuary. The pitter patter of her heels is fast and getting louder. Glancing over my shoulder, I see her running after me. Catching me in a hug, she squeals loudly and I grimace at the sound, unable to cover my ears. Behind me, I hear Kevin chuckling again at the sound while I wonder if I’ll make it out of this whole wedding ordeal without my eardrums bursting.
    “Oh, I’m so glad you like it! J.P.’s going to meet us for lunch, but we have some time to kill before he can get away from work. I have a surprise for you while we wait,” she says with more excitement than any one person should ever possess.
    Kevin wraps his arm around my shoulders from the other side and in full animation, he squeals in my ear that isn’t ringing.
    “Oh, a surprise! Jules just loves surprises!” he exclaims.
    I narrow my eyes at him. I hate surprises and he knows it. He found out the hard way when we first started dating and tried to sneak into my house early one day for a little morning nookie. Elbowing him hard in the gut, he just laughs and pulls my ponytail loose which he knows drives me insane.
    Bri won’t stop talking as we walk through the park where the St. Louis Arch looms over us. Even if I wanted to hear what she was saying, I couldn’t. My pulse beats loudly as the thought of going into that deathtrap scares the bejeezus out of me. It’s not until we’re headed underground that I realize we’re walking into the museum located at the bottom of the monument. Surprised my feet are cooperating, I look at her holding up tickets with a huge grin on her face.
    “J.P. said you’ve never been up the Arch before, so today is the day!” Bri proclaims as though it’s the best idea ever.
    “Umm… no,” I state, not fully disclosing to either my future sister-in-law or my boyfriend that I’m deathly afraid of heights.
    Kevin’s large hands grip my shoulders and steers us toward the line for the tram. Like a stubborn donkey, I dig in my heels and refuse to move. When Bri grabs my hand, pulling me forward and Kevin pushing me from behind, I don’t stand a chance. By the time we wind through the waiting rails, there’s no line and we’re immediately shoved into the tiniest, egg-shaped elevator.
    The doors aren’t even closed yet and I can feel sweat popping on out my forehead. Chills spike over my body when the cool air from the elevator shaft hits my skin. Neither of them seem to notice as they chat about who knows what. Closing my eyes, I try to remain calm and focus on counting like Paulie’s told me to do in the past. One… two… three…
    The doors slam close and my eyes snap open. A voice comes over the intercom, reciting facts about the Gateway Arch. Slowly, ever so slowly, the ancient tram begins to creek and creep up the inside of the metal leg of the Arch. My breathing quickens and I grab Kevin’s thigh, squeezing tightly.
    “Ow, Jules! Loosen up!” he mutters without even looking at me. Removing my hand, he continues his conversation with Bri, something about the differences between commercial modeling and avant garde.
    “The last piece of the Gateway Arch was put into place October 28, 1965,” the recording informs me. Great, this thing was built almost fifty years ago. It’s due to fall down any time and today is probably the day.
    A loud pop and the tram stops briefly then