PROLOGUE
RIVER
Wedding Day
Iwas officially the worst best friend ever.
My hands shook as I held up the piece of paper that had been neatly folded and pushed under the door of my hotel room. A room that was far too big and luxurious for me, but Adam had wanted his best man close by, even if, so far, my main role had been to offer a place for him to hide from his groom obligations.
Why Victoria thought her introverted fiancé would enjoy multiple activities with people he’d never met—on his wedding weekend, no less—was beyond me.
I stared behind me at the closed door of my room, wishing I could hide inside instead of delivering the worst news a best man could to a groom. Adam’s room was right across from mine. He was only a few feet away, oblivious to the fact his life was about to change.
When I saw the piece of paper, I panicked and went in search of reinforcements. I’d bumped into Adam’s identical twinbrother Lex, his boyfriend Emery, and Emery’s best friend Ellie. They’d seen the panic on my face before I spoke a word, so with the three of them on my heels, we’d gone to their older brother’s room.
Noah had arrived from his honeymoon the night before, and while he was not the person I’d call on in a situation like this—because he was more likely to want to plot an assassination than provide any real help—his husband was. Older and definitely more balanced than all of us put together, Lior would be the voice of reason. He’d have the solution.
Right?
Except everyone had stared back at me when I told them about the note.
Someone had to tell Adam.
Apparently, that someone was me.
Okay, fine, this was what best friends were for, right? In kindergarten, when a kid took Adam’s toy, I’d pushed the offender and told Adam we were friends now. I got grounded and wasn’t allowed to play for the rest of the afternoon, but I also got a best friend.
Nine years after that day, my feelings for Adam would change. Not that he’d ever know it.
Don’t worry, Adam. I will always have your back.
But did I? When I was also holding so many secrets?
What a stellar best friend I was.
1
ADAM
Three weeks ago
My fingers hovered over the seating chart, a constellation of names and relationships spread before me. I shifted a place card, then moved it back.
I didn’t dare touch anything on Victoria’s side. She’d agonized for weeks about who would sit with whom at our wedding, who got to sit closer to our table or farther back. Now was my turn, except I didn’t have a clue about the rules.
Apparently, where you sat at a wedding was important. You didn’t want to cast Aunt Virginia to the Siberia of the seating chart because you’d forever hear about it at family gatherings, and god forbid you put the Wilson cousins at the same table. They were still not talking because of that one Christmas when they brought the exact same homemade pie for dessert and spent the evening accusing each other of buying it at a bakery.
This is ridiculous.
I pushed away from the table. With Victoria away for another business trip, I’d tried distracting myself with wedding stuff, but maybe what I needed was a break.
My wedding suit hung in the closet right next to River’s. A classic midnight-blue tuxedo jacket with satin lapels, matching trousers with a pinstripe on the side, and a crisp white shirt.
River’s was a copy of mine, which annoyed Victoria, who insisted the groom needed to stand out. I didn’t want to stand out. I just wanted to marry her and grow old together, but that hadn’t been the right answer.
She compromised by making River promise he’d only wear the jacket to the ceremony and would take it off for the photos and reception. I didn’t tell her I didn’t plan to wear the jacket all day either.
I ran my hands down the soft fabric.Pick up the suits. Another wedding task I’d completed today. Go me.
