Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ALEX

"I hope whatever you called us out for is important because I'll make you pay for makingleave my

honeymoon earlier than planned." | grit my teeth as | pull out a chair for my wife.

"You've been gone for a month, Alex. Please sparethe tics!" Sloane

rolls her eyes.

"Rayen probably thought you're both dead now." Isabelle adds, makingshoot daggers at her.

"Izzy! Don't say such things to provoke him." Athena says with a shake of her head.

| sigh, too bad she loves this red head. | would have organized a clean way for her to disappear for uttering such

nonsense.

"It is very important! It's not a new sex style lesson, but it's still valid." Luca takes a seat leaning against the

chair.

"You're a bunch of idiots. Sloane, why did you call us? | don't have all the tin the world."

She rolls her eyes and then leans forward.

"I'm planning lan's birthday."

The room erupts with a collective groan.

"You're kidding me," Luca mutters, slumping back in his chair like she just told him the unicorns were real.

"That's the big emergency?"

"I should've stayed behind," | mutter, rubbing my jaw. "You draggedoff a private island just to plan a party

for that idiot?"

"Excuse me!" Sloane raises a brow, completely unfazed. "He's your best friend! Also, if you call him names

again, I'll jump you while your wife watches. Do you want her to see you being beaten up by a girl?"

She crosses her arms, pushing her silver blond hair back, | swear this girl is the reason I'm afraid of having

daughters.

"It's my favorite man's birthday." She continues, " That's an emergency."

"I'm with you, girl! It's totally urgent." Athena gives her a reassuring squeeze on the hand.

“Oh for fuck's sake,” | scoff. “I haven't even approved of this relationship. If he does anything stupid, know that

I'll put him six feet under, Sloane. The fucker is my best friend as you've said. So, don't putin that position.”

"Gee, thanks for the love, dear brother." she grins, "Good to know the man I love is still on your murder list."

"He never left it," | reply flatly.

"Can we not talk about murder over cake?" Isabelle sighs, grabbing a notepad and pen from her bag. "Sloane,

what's your plan? Before these cavemen start throwing punches?"

"That reaction is a little too excited. Thrilled about planning parties for other men, Izzy?" Luca watches her with

an interest and possessiveness I've never seen him direct at a woman.

"It's something you'd know nothing about. Seeing you're a one night stand jerk and all." Isabelle shoots back.

You know what?

This isn't bad at all.

"Stop it." Athena leans back hissing in my ear so only | can hear.

"What?" | ask innocently.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" She eyes me, makinghold back a smirk. "The opportunity to pay back Luca

for his shit? | definitely I'm."

"Can we all pay attention?" she snaps, slamming her palm on the table like a mafia boss-in-training. "Before |

strangle all of you with party streamers."

Everyone quiets, partly because we know she's serious, and partly because the last tshe planned something,

it ended with fireworks and three security complaints.

Honestly, | don't know how she has managed to thrive as an event planner and interior designer, sometimes |

suspect it has to do with her surname.

Makesfeel sorry for my friend. She will spend his money like there is no tomorrow. It's a good thing he comes

from old money.

| know because | had to take away her black card just to limit her spending. The card | gave her had a limit of ten

million dollars but she would still spend it all on useless shit.

My sister spends more money than she actually makes, by a mile.

"I want this party to be perfect," she continues, flipping open a little pink notebook with ‘Chaos Coordinator'

written on the cover. "And not slast-minute drunk gathering with whiskey and whatever shit you people

eat."

"That's how lan likes it though," Luca mutters.

Sloane gives him a deadly glare.

"No, that's how 'you' like it."

Athena tries not to laugh, hiding her smile behind a coffee mug. | wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her

in, mostly to keep from laughing myself.

"So, what's the theme?" Isabelle asks, twirling her pen.

Sloane's eyes sparkle with mischief." That's where these guys cin. | don't know much about him, so | need

ideas."

"How can you date someone you barely know?" Luca asks in a mocking tone.

"We had only dated for a few weeks after which went into a comma. Besides, spent the last six months in Physio,

learning how to walk. again Any other dions?" If Tooks could kill, tomorrow would

have been Luca's burial.

belongs to s

I notice Athena freeze at the mention of Sloane's comment about a comma. But

she's too busy fighting with the rest to notice how guilty it makes Athena.

| squeeze her hand and pull her chair closer so | can run my hands through her

hair.

"We equally don't know much. lan has always been reserved about things that matter. All we know is because of

his 'High intense" ability to feel in extréme, I'm sure you'll get his approval. His little excitement is the

thunderous joy in the rest of us." | respond. s

Sloane sighs.

"What about his mum? | heard they were having sproblems with his Dad so she left for a while. Maybe if we

can convince her to fly in, as a

surprise?" Sloane eves us with hopeful eyes. s

"That could work. He clearly toldonly you and her matter to him." Athena backs her.

Sloane's eyes light up in excitement as she leans forward, grabbing Athena's hand,

"Did he really say that?"

She nods.

Sloane's smile stretches wide, real and rare. The kind that pulls at the corners of

her eyes and makes her look like the girl | remember before life knocked her

sideways.

I will never admit it to lan, but I'm so glad she's found someone who can make her

this happy.

"I knew it," she says, almost to herself. "He acts like nothing touches him, but

deep down he's soft."

"Soft is a stretch," Luca mutters. "The guy once knocked out a man with a stapler."

"Not to add he gives no face of remourse no matter the outcof a surgery session. He must love you lot."

Isabelle adds.

Her cheeks blush but she makes no comment to that.

Clearing her throat, she says

"Alright, so I'll look into getting his mom flown in," she says, already jotting it down

in her notebook. "What else would make it special?"

"He hates big crowds," | offer. "Keep it private. Classy, but not too flashy."

“So... cigar lounge? Whiskey bar? Live jazz?” Isabelle suggests, suddenly in full party mode.

"Add a poker table," Luca says, surprising everyone. "That's how lan and | becfriends."

| raise a brow. "Pretty sure you hated him back then."

"| did," he says. "He stole my best friend. | hate sharing." He says, but his eyes

are not me.

| follow his gaze and notice that he's having a stare down with Isabelle.

Interesting.

Sloane slams her notebook shut. “Okay! I'll take care of the rest. You guys just

show up and don't ruin anything. Got it?"

"No promises," Luca says.

"| swear, Luca, if you cause a scene..."

"He won't." Isabelle responds.

Everyone relaxes but | can't help a smirk forming on my lips.

Have | been missing something?