Thomas leaned down to kiss my cheek, but then he noticed I was gawking into the backseat. He stared as well.

“What the fuck is that?” Thomas asked.

“Oh! It’s Toto! I’m babysittin’,” he said with a proud smile that showed off a deep dimple in one cheek. “Abby would probably kill me if she knew I left him in the car alone, but I was only gone for ten minutes. It’s still warm in the car.”

The dog wiggled its entire back end, wearing a navy-and-gold striped sweater and standing on a plush wool pet bed.

“I…” I began, looking to Thomas. “I’ve never had a dog.”

Taylor laughed. “You don’t have to take care of him. You just have to share a seat with him. I have to strap him in though. Abby is kind of a fruitcake about this dog.”

Taylor opened the other side and secured Toto into the nylon harness. Toto must have been used to it because he sat still while Taylor snapped each clip into place.

Thomas rolled the seat cover under until it revealed a hair-free section of the seat.

“There you go, honey.” The corners of his mouth were trembling as he tried not to smile.

I stuck out my tongue, and he shut the door.

The seat belt clicked when I pushed it into the buckle, and I heard Taylor laughing.

“You pussy-whipped douche waffle.”

Thomas gripped the handle. “She can hear you, fuckstick. My door is open.”

Taylor opened his door and bent down, looking sheepish. “Sorry, Liis.”

I shook my head, half-amused and half in disbelief at their banter. It was as if we had fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in a frat house full of drunken toddlers. Suddenly, Eat Me had a whole new meaning.

Thomas and Taylor buckled in, and then Taylor backed out of his spot. The drive to the bachelor party was full of colorful insults and updates on who was doing whom and who was working where.

I noted that Trenton and Camille weren’t mentioned at all. I wondered how that went over with the family, knowing she’d dated both Thomas and then Trenton, and how they felt about her, if they disliked her at all because Thomas didn’t come home anymore to avoid causing awkwardness for them or further pain for himself. Shame washed over me when, for less than a second, I hoped they didn’t like her at all.

Taylor pulled into the driveway of the Rest Inn and then drove to the backside of the building. Twice as many cars were parked back there than in the front.

Taylor turned off the ignition. “Everyone is parking here, so we don’t tip him off.”

“Cap’s? The bachelor party we’ve waited a year to throw Travis is going to be at Cap’s?” Thomas said, unimpressed.