“Thank you!” she gushes with enough synthetic sugar it makes my teeth hurt. “I know it was all kind of last minute, but Daniel really spared no expense,” she says. Ash arrives and stands next to me. Daniel comes out of nowhere, snaking an arm around Angie before they share a kiss.
To my surprise, I feel nothing.
I feel Ash’s hand on the small of my back, and my entire body responds. It’s a mix of heat that jolts into my heart, making it beat even faster, and warmth that relaxes me better than any whiskey could.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Daniel says with a smirk.
“I am a little surprised,” Angie says.
“That we came?” I ask, feeling a sudden second wind of bravery since Ash put his hand on my back.
“That you showed up together,” Daniel says, and there is a definite hint of venom in his tone.
“Yeah well, we have been pretty inseparable since the wedding and all,” I say.
“Since the…” he trails off. He thinks I meanourwedding.
Ash catches on too and takes my hand, holding it up so the light can catch the supernova on my hand.
“Oh, wow,” Angie lets out. “That ring is really something.”
“Yeah,” Daniel mutters. “Something.”
“And so is that dress,” Angie adds. “Interesting choice.”
I smile in response, but bite back the sarcasm. Based on the conversation and the looks on their faces, it’s obvious we did what we came to do.
“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?” Asher asks, and my heart flutters in my chest a little.
“Yes. I just need to use the ladies’ room first,” I tell him. He plants a kiss on my lips before gesturing for me to go ahead.
The moment the bathroom door closes behind me, I let out a breath. I stand in front of the mirror, clasping the edge of the counter with my hands.
Holy shit. We did it. We are doing it. They believe every word of it, and Daniel is obviously upset.
Hell yeah.
“Hell yeah,” I say out loud. Then I break out into what can only be described as a victory dance. I blame Jose and Jack for this entirely, as I shimmy and shake around the bathroom. I’m feeling pretty damn proud of myself and completely liberated from Daniel Colby in every way.
I didn’t just dodge a bullet. I avoided getting hit by a meteor, and it feelsgood.
I whip around mid-moonwalk and stop. Angie is standing right in front of me. For a moment, we just stare at each other. We’re just two girls alone in a bathroom, wearing white dresses, looking like brides.
It’s awkwardly quiet as she checks her hair in the mirror. I’m not good with quiet, so I decide to fill it with awkward conversation instead.
“Congratulations,” I say. “On your wedding.”
“Mm,” she says while reaching into a purse for some lip gloss.
“I mean it,” I say, which is a lie. Knowing what I know now, I almost feel bad for her. Except that she knew all along that Daniel and I were together, and she still kept fucking him. So no, I guess I don’t actually feel bad. “I really hope things work out for the best.”
Angie stops and looks at me. She stares through her fake eyelashes and pounds of makeup with a tight smile on her face, summing me up with every sweep. “I suppose I owe you an apology,” she says, and it feels like a curve ball to the face.
“An apology?” I ask.
“Yes. Because whether you believe it or not, I really do feel bad for you.”
My eyes slowly narrow, and I think about what it is she is actually saying. “Oh?” I ask.
