Font Size:

The Chris & Michelle Brooks Wedding

The Excellence Resort

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

I changed my mind about you coming later.

I need you here.

Kelsey

Ugh. WHYYYY?

Because I need help with our “client.”

(I also need someone to talk to.)

Fine. Be there in a day or so. I’m almost done with the research.

(TALK TO KATIE. Aren’t y’all together right now?)

Ilooked over at Katie as she leaned against the window in our shared cab.

As much as I wanted to deny it, she was still—by far—the most stunning woman I’d ever seen, but I couldn’t stand the idea of hearing about fucking Brad ever again, and I was too damn jealous to be anything but cordial if she insisted on hanging on to that dead weight.

She slowly turned to face me and blushed. “Something wrong?”

“Yes,” I said. “Kelsey’s on her way to fix it, though.”

“Since we’ll be the first two guests to arrive, do you want to temporarily put our grievances to the side and take a tour of the resort together?”

“No, Katie.” I kept my voice even. “I don’t want to do that at all.”

“The tour or the grievance part?”

“Both,” I said. “Having to see you for the next three weeks is bound to be torture enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I didn’t answer her.

Between the scent of her strawberry perfume infiltrating the air, her puffy pink lips, and the terrible breakup tasks ahead of me, I was bound to leave this place with a severe case of blue balls and my brother’s heart in my hands, and I needed to focus on one thing at a time.

Seventeen

PRESENT DAY

KATIE

Three Days Later

Michelle and Chris had picked the absolute worst activities for their “Best Activities Ever” list. While the bridesmaids and groomsmen were drunkenly floating between “Wine and Beach Painting,” “Shallow Water Sailing,” and “Tropical Bird Watching,” I was spending the mornings pacing my balcony alone.

Madison and my team had signed some type of mutiny because they refused to “hang out” with me outside of wedding work, and I knew better than to ask Michelle to take time away from Chris.

Especially given this might be their last time together…

The only person I could talk to was Asher, and he seemed to be on Team Don’t Talk to Katie, too.