But an hour later…

“Help!” Gabe yelled above the noise. “There’s too many!”

“Fetal position!” Jaymeson barked. “Abort. Abort!”

Gabe gave us all a sad look before he hung his head and succumbed to the crowd of screaming girls.

Wes tried to pry them away, and it worked, or would have worked had Jaymeson not run out into the crowd, colliding into Gabe, creating what I was sure everyone on social media would soon call a hottie sandwich, or something just as degrading.

They hugged.

Because really what choice did they have but to stick together and pray that the girls didn’t grab their parts?

“Got a Plan B?” Wes said beside me.

I opened my mouth.

Just as the rain started.

He slapped my back as I hung my head. “I’m a total failure.”

“There has to be somewhere we can go, somewhere private… Come on, don’t you guys have any romantic places?”

My eyes were wild as I glanced around the boardwalk. We were currently hiding behind trashcans, which meant that we hadn’t been swarmed — yet. I told the girls and the guests to stay in the house. It was a small gathering, just a few aunts and uncles and her parents. All in all, ten of her family members were now huddled inside one of the rented beach houses, waiting for orders.

“Think!” Wes slapped me hard on the back. “Some place private, some place romantic, someplace—”

“Eureka!”

“Wow! People really say that? Well, I’ll be.”

“I know where we’re going.”

“Mind sharing with the class?” He elbowed me then pointed to Gabe and Jaymeson. Someone pulled at Gabe’s shirt. His eyes widened.

“Holy shit!” I yelled as loud as I could. “Is that Brad Pitt? I thought he wasn’t coming. Hey, man. Yeah,” I said into the cell phone. “Sounds great. We’ll meet you at the aquarium!”

News traveled faster than lightning. The girls pulled away from their victims and ran full speed down the boardwalk.

“Thanks.” Gabe bent over and pressed his hands against his knees. “Pretty sure I just saw my life flash before my eyes. Last thing I want to see is Jamie Jaymeson begging for a chick to keep her hands out of his pants.”

“She touched me,” Jaymeson said in a detached voice. “Even when I said no.”

“Er, thanks… Jaymeson.” I tried to touch his shoulder.

He flinched.

“Give it time.” Wes whistled low in his throat. “So, the new location?”

“Follow me,” I said, while sending a group text for everyone to meet us.

I’d like to think we looked badass as we made our way stealthily through downtown Seaside. All three of us guys, in tuxes, walking the tourist streets.

Instead, the rain poured harder.

Jaymeson was limping.

Gabe kept mumbling something about baby powder in his mouth.

And Wes? Well, Wes seemed more concerned about my mental state than anything. He kept looking at me like I was going to snap.

Fine. I was fine.

And then…

“Demetri!” Jaymeson yelled. “Don’t move.”

I froze.

All three guys looked above my head.

“Uh, guys?” I held out my hands. “What’s wrong? We don’t have much time before the crazy people come back.”

Jaymeson nodded, his eyes widening even more before he whispered, “Holy shit, it’s like you have a siren’s call for those things.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t!” Gabe yelled.

Just as I looked up.

And saw not one, not two — no, not even three — but four seagulls perched above the very door I was just about to open.

“Think of it this way.” Jaymeson sighed. “If you can get married and conquer the fear of being tied to someone for the rest of your life, you can take down four seagulls.”

“Was that your speech?” Wes whistled under his breath. “Seriously?”

“We need to go in…” I nodded.

The guys all waited.

“If I perish…” I cursed. “…give my guitar to Alec.”

“Damn, Thought we’d gotten close enough over the last few days for you to at least give me the triangle or something,” Gabe muttered.

“On the count of three.” I held out my hands. “One. two. three!” I jerked open the door and ran inside, the little bell dinging behind me.

The guys followed.

And no seagulls made it through.

I imagined that feeling soaring through my chest was exactly how Christopher Columbus felt when he discovered the New World.

Awe.

Pride.

Amazement.

All were extremely short-lived when Gabe looked around and sighed. “A taffy store? You want to get married in a taffy store?”

“It’s romantic.” I shrugged. “This is where Lyss and I first started our little love affair, though it was more of her making fun of me, me making an ass out of myself, and then her glaring at me through the windows.”

The guys all shared a look with one another and then glanced around the store.

I tried to see it through their eyes.

A small white counter lined the front of the store, and on every inch of wall space was a different container and flavor for taffy. A few posters were sliding off the wall, and the place smelled like sugar and bleach.

Shit.