"What the fuck is that?" The words escape before I can catch them, before I can remember that I'm supposed to be professional, supposed to be handling this like an adult.
Ben touches his left eye defensively, like he's suddenly self-conscious about the massive black tattoo covering half his face.
"Did you tattoo an eye patch on your face?" I ask.
So, it is a tattoo. An actual tattoo of an eye patch on his face. Ben, who used to spend forty-five minutes every morning on his skincare routine, who wouldn't wear a shirt unless it was designer, has tattooed an eye patch onto his face like some kind of comic book villain.
Ben points to his left eye defensively.
"The other one," Cassian says, and I can hear the barely concealed amusement in his voice. "She's talking about the tattoo, genius."
I bite the inside of my cheek. My shoulders start shaking, and I have to press my hand over my mouth because I'm either going to laugh or cry and I'm not entirely sure which.
"It's a statement," Ben says defensively, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's a disaster," Cassian says flatly. He moves slightly closer to me, and his hand finds the small of my back. The touch is grounding, real, and I lean into it without thinking. "And you still owe Sharon an apology."
Before Ben can respond, the door opens again. Penelope walks in wearing a designer dress that probably costs more than my rent.
I have to actually bite through my cheek to keep from reacting.
Because tattooed around her right eye, the opposite eye from Ben's left eye tattoo, is an identical black patch.
Matching. They're wearing matching eye patch tattoos like they're one incomplete person that only works when they're together. Like if they stood facing each other, their tattoos would mirror perfectly. Left eye. Right eye. Two halves of one terrible decision.
Cassian's hand tightens slightly on my back. His voice is flat when he speaks.
"Let me guess. Penelope's follower count stalled around fifty and she needed something big. Something viral. So she convinced you to get matching face tattoos for content."
"That's not what happened," Ben snaps.
"Really?" Cassian's tone doesn't change. "Because last I checked, she's been stuck doing sponsored posts for proteinpowder while other influencers hit a million. She needed engagement. You needed to prove you're edgy and not just another trust fund kid. Match made in algorithm heaven."
"Fuck off, Cassian." Ben's face flushes red. "You don't know anything about us."
"I know exactly what this is. Couple goals posts. Permanent commitment reels. Whatever gets clicks these days."
"I did it for love!" Ben's voice cracks. "I did it because I love her and wanted to show the world that we're forever. That we're committed. That I'm not afraid to make a permanent choice for her."
Cassian doesn't respond. Just looks at him with that same flat expression.
The silence stretches.
"You don't get it," Ben says quietly. "None of you do. This wasn't about followers or engagement or going viral. It was about us."
But even as he says it, I can see the doubt creeping into his eyes.
She takes in the scene with cold calculation. Me with my sweater still half falling off my shoulder. Cassian standing partially in front of me like he's protecting me from something. Ben looking like he's about to have an aneurysm.
"What's going on?" Penelope asks. Her voice is sharp, cutting. She steps further into the room, and I notice that she's positioned herself between Ben and the door, blocking the exit.
"Nothing," Ben says quickly, but there's something in his voice that suggests he's lying. "I was just leaving."
Cassian's grip on my back tightens slightly. "Before you go, I think you should apologize to Sharon for screaming at her," he says, his voice steady and level in a way that makes it clear he's not asking. "She's been working her ass off on your wedding,and the fact that nobody's showing up isn't her fault. It's because nobody likes you."
It's brutal. It's the kind of thing that should probably not be said out loud, but there's a truth in it that hangs in the air like smoke.
I'm watching all of this unfold, and I'm trying to figure out when exactly my life became this surreal. When I started wanting to kiss my ex's brother instead of wanting to run far away from this situation as possible.
