“I am pleased to hear. I hope you will think of us for the next wedding.” He looks at me with a small, knowing smile.
Madi laughs and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Definitely, though, that’s a long way out.”
“My security footage says otherwise,” Philippe says with a little brow wag.
My smile evaporates.
“Security footage?” Madi turns to me. “Oh my gosh, Jack. Tell me you haven’t been hooking up with the chateau guests.”
“Oh, no no no, madame,” Philippe rushes to say. “That is not what I meant. It was just the one kiss. My security guard was simply confused after seeing me on a date with Siena.” His brows waggle. “But even without that, it was clear from that date she would rather have been with you.” He gives my arm a friendly pat and looks to Madi. “If there is anything else you need, madame, don’t hesitate to ask. We want today to be perfect for you.”
The stone holding up these cloisters has held strong for hundreds of years, but I can feel them crashing down on me as Philippe walks away and Siena approaches, a box of candles in her arms.
“What’s up?” she says, looking between Madi and me with a wrinkled brow as she sets the candles on the nearest table.
“You guys kissed?” Madi asks.
Siena stops, and her gaze shifts to me, as though she’s trying to figure out if I’m responsible for this fiasco and why I would tell Madi when we had agreed to wait. All I can do is grimace and hope it communicates that Philippe is every bit as bad as I had initially thought he’d be. I’m not sure whether what he just did was intentional or unintentional, but I’d love to tackle him on this stone floor either way.
Madi’s gaze shifts between Siena and me, waiting and expectant.
“The first time was just a misunderstanding,” Siena said. “I had barely met you and had no idea Jack was your—”
“The first time? It’s happened more than once?”
Siena clamps her mouth shut, probably realizing she spoke before having all the facts.
“Can we explain?” I ask, hoping I sound calmer than I feel.
Tori rushes over, breathless, Siena’s phone in her hand. “Siena, it’s the caterers.”
Siena clamps her eyes shut, and Tori looks between the three of us in confusion. Her eyes widen. Apparently, she has some idea what she’s just walked in on.
“You know what?” Tori says. “I’ll tell them to call ba—”
“It’s okay,” Madi says calmly, swallowing and taking a step back. “I’ve got to go, anyway.” She turns around and heads for the exit.
Siena covers her face with her hands, and I’m straddling a fault line in the middle of an earthquake, unsure whether I should be comforting Siena, who undoubtedly feels like the worst possible thing has just happened on the most important day of her best friend’s life, or my sister, who I’ve hurt for the third time—on her wedding day.
“I can tell them to call back,” Tori says softly.
Siena shakes her head and puts a hand out for the phone. “You should go talk to her.”
I nod, wishing I could split myself in half right now. Not that either of the women I need to be there for want me right now.
I hurry after Madi, but she must’ve broken into a jog after leaving the cloisters because she’s nowhere in sight. I can’t be sure where she went, but I can take a guess.
I head to the front of the castle and then inside, breathing heavily, at a loss for what I’ll say to smooth things over. The truth, I guess. It’s got to be the truth.
I knock on the door to Madi and Rémy’s room and keep my hands balled into fists while I wait. They’re shaking too much for me to do anything else.
Enough time passes that I’m about to turn away and look for Madi elsewhere when the door opens.
She stares at me, her face expressionless but her eyes glistening. Rémy is standing a dozen feet behind her, and I can only guess she was in the middle of telling him what happened when I knocked.
“I know you probably don’t want to see me or talk to me right now,” I say.
She doesn’t confirm or deny.
