I’m surprised Roman even made the shortlist.
Bennett
Well, his odds have more to do with whether or not he’ll get lucky tonight.
Me
If he does, it won’t be with one of the bridesmaids. We’re all taken.
Well, except for June, but even then, I had my doubts. We all saw the way Nero looked at her, how his eyes tracked her across every room like she was the only person in the world who mattered. Something told me, June would figure it out when she wasready.
Bennett
It’s always been a dream of mine to pick up a bridesmaid at a wedding. I guess tonight’s finally the night.
Me
Lucky you.
Bennett
Don’t worry. I know exactly how lucky I am.
Me
I love you.
Bennett
Love you, too, baby.
The words settled warm and easy in my chest. They always did.
“Earth to Bella,” Clarke called, waving a mascara wand. “Stop sexting your boyfriend and pay attention to me, the bride.” She squealed. “Hot damn, I love wielding this kind of power.”
I flushed. “We werenotsexting.”
She laughed, turning from the mirror. “He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in that dress. The neckline alone is criminal.”
“Speaking of losing minds,” June said, lifting her coffee mug and adding a very deliberate splash of Champagne. “Which of you is next?”
Nessa covered her mouth in disgust. “I’m sorry, was there stillcoffeein that?”
“Don’t change the subject,” June dismissed, unfazed. “In the past two years, all of you have been infected by this . . . love-bug mind virus. So, I need to start preparing myself—and my wallet—for the next wedding.”
She leaned back against the vanity, silk robe pooling around her thighs. It matched the rest of ours, but on June, it felt downright cinematic. Her blonde bob had grown out a few inches, and paired with her curves and red-tinted lips, she looked like she’d wandered straight out of a black-and-white movie.
I glanced at her and smiled. “You say that like you’re not the biggest crier of all of us.”
She scoffed. “Rude. I cry tastefully.”
“Sure, you do,” Nessa said dryly. “Personally, I vote Dani and Brooks. They already have a baby together. First comes baby, then comes marriage—”
Dani snorted. “That isnothow the song goes.”
“It is in this friend group.”
“I vote Bella and Bennett,” she fired back. “They’re disgustingly in love and it makes me sick.”
