We headed to their room, where Mrs. Dufresne cooed over how gorgeous Tally looked. Her father didn’t say much, beyond remarking the dress suited her, but the paternal gleam in his eyes gave away far more than his words did.
The ceremony was being held on the beach, so we made our way through the resort and around the corner. About half the chairs were occupied and a handful of wedding guests hovered nearby, chatting in groups.
Chris stood with his groomsmen just in front of an arch draped with translucent white curtains. Thick bouquets of white flowers in sturdy vases lined the aisle. Chris was dressed all in white, while the groomsmen wore a shade that was almostpinkish but with brown undertones. The color probably had some fancy name I’d never guess.
We sat in the back row and discussed our travel plans for tomorrow until the seats had filled and a celebrant stood in the front and asked us to rise.
Music played from hidden speakers and Shanna appeared on the edge of the beach, wearing a long dress the same pink-brown color as the groomsmens’ outfits. Coral followed behind her, and once they stood in place, Lake glided along the sand, arm in arm with her father, her dress almost blindingly white in the sun with a long veil trailing in her wake.
Lake and her father reached the end of the aisle and she joined Chris and the rest of the wedding party while he sat with his wife. The celebrant instructed us to sit, and the ceremony began.
I didn’t pay much attention to what was being said as they recited their vows. Instead, I took Tally’s hand in mine and envisioned our future.
I could imagine doing this with her one day. Our ceremony would be quieter. I’d have Keysha prepare the most extravagant chocolate creation that Tally had ever seen. We’d exchange rings, kiss, and dance the night away.
There was a pang in my chest. I wanted that future. Badly.
When the ceremony ended, we waited our turn to congratulate Lake and Chris and then wound through the crowd to the makeshift bar while the photographer began ordering people around. I asked for a glass of champagne for Tally and a sugar-free Coke for myself. We wandered a little farther away, near a cluster of palm trees, and sipped our drinks as we watched the happy couple pose for one photo after another.
“Hey.”
I snapped around. Thad stood behind a tree nearby, dressed in board shorts and a T-shirt.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, recalling that Tally had said Coral had kicked him out.
He grinned sharkishly. “Oh, I just wondered whether you enjoyed your treats from the bakery yesterday. Neither of you finished eating, so I thought, perhaps you preferfake,processed junk to high-quality baked goods.”
Beside me, Tally sucked in a sharp breath. She’d noticed the emphasis on the word “fake,” just as I had.
My brain worked quickly, flipping through yesterday’s events and reminding me that we’d been at the bakery when I’d told her I wanted to try a real relationship with her. Had he been there? And had I explicitly said that what we’d had so far was fake?
I couldn’t remember seeing him, but I’d been completely preoccupied by her. I couldn’t recall my exact wording either.
“What do you want?” Tally demanded, a tremor in her voice. “Why won’t you leave me alone? You’re the one who cheated on me. I don’t get why you won’t just go away.”
Thad’s expression darkened. “Because you ruined what I had with Coral, and I want you to make it right.”
“I didn’t ruin anything.” I stepped toward him, wanting more than ever to plant my fist right between his eyes. “You’re the cheating asshole out of the three of us. So fuck off.”
Thad rolled his eyes and walked away, but I had a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t stay gone for long.
“He knows.” Tally buried her face in my chest and whimpered. “Alec, he knows.”
“He can’t prove anything,” I assured her, really fucking hoping that was true. “He just wants to scare you.”
“Well, he succeeded.” She sniffled. “Do you think anyone heard?”
I looked around but no one seemed to be paying us any attention. “I don’t think so. Come on, why don’t we get out of here? I’d love to strip you out of that dress.”
SEVENTEEN
TALLY
I allowed Alec to lead me away from the beach and through the resort to our private room without making a fuss. I knew I should stay for more of the celebrations, but I just couldn’t handle that right now, and despite my tumultuous emotions and my fear of what Thad might do next, I was more than willing to let him distract me.
He swiped his key card, ushered me in, and immediately went to close the curtains. I flicked the light on, grateful the window was ajar, and a gentle breeze stirred the air, because otherwise, it might be overly warm.
“Do you want a massage?” Alec asked. “Or I could get you a drink out of the minibar?”
