“I’d like to say I’m surprised, but it feels like a given at this point,” Andre adds with a laugh. “What happened?”
“We planned on telling everyone here. He’s been worried about telling people about being with a guy, and—”
“Wait, I thought he had a fiancée?” Paul asks, looking at Andre.
“Yeah, we saw the photos?”
“That’s the night we broke up,” I say, staring at my empty glass. “I thought we were past the point of him pretending, but I guess not. He continued to let people think he had a fiancée, and I’m just tired of being hidden. I have my flaws, don’t get me wrong, but I’m tired of feeling like he’s ashamed of me or something. He’s one person at home and another out in public. Well, in public with people he knows. It was never an issue around strangers.”
They both nod as if they understand entirely. “I can imagine it being hard to come out about something like that,” Andre says.
“But it is true he shouldn’t let people think he was still engaged to that Mandy girl if you both had talked about it already.”
“That’s my point,” I say.
“Did you two talk about it?” Andre asks.
“Not really. I’ve been so upset, and now I have to see him and everything is messy.”
Paul looks at his watch. “We should get going, but maybe you two can find some time to talk about it after. Before you drinktoo much.” He winks and finishes his drink, then takes Andre’s empty glass.
We make our way out of the hotel and to the venue.
My stomach is in my throat by the time we walk through the doors.
And the first person I set eyes on is Trey… with Mandy on his arm.
Chapter Thirty-One
Trey
I should’ve told Alex and Mandy the truth that night. I should’ve just told everyone the truth a lot sooner, and maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be here, feeling like an absolute asshole because I fucked up and lost the best thing that I’ve ever had. I didn’t just lose my boyfriend; I lost my best friend, too. Normally, I’d call Hudson if I was upset about something. Even before we got together, when we were younger, he was always there for me. Listening to me bitch about my exes or break ups or school stuff. And even after we reconnected, before things got more serious, I found comfort in talking to him about everything, and now…
Now he won’t even answer my calls or texts. Everything sits in our text thread asdelivered.
I’ve left voicemails, too, though I don’t know if he’s listened to any of them. Probably not, if he’s not reading my texts…
Mandy’s heels click on the floor, and I turn to look at her as she enters the bathroom to reapply her lipstick. As usual, she looks great. Her hair is pulled back in a low, wavy ponytail, her makeup soft and fresh. She glances at me out of her peripheral as she applies the bright red color to her pouty lips and then puts the lipstick back in her little makeup bag on the sink and pulls out a tube of flesh-colored makeup.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” I say, giving her a sad smile.
“No one should go to their friend’s wedding alone.”
It’s the way she says the word. Alone.
It hits me harder than it should.
“Especially fresh off of a nasty break up.” She nods at me, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her the truth. She unscrews the top of her tube of makeup and I expect her to put it on, but instead, she positions herself closer to me and carefully applies the applicator to her finger. Then, she softly presses the pad of her finger underneath my eye. I startle at the touch. The liquid is cold and makes me shiver.
“What are you doing?” I ask as she carefully pats the skin and smoothes it out.
“You look like shit,” she whispers. “Like you haven’t slept in days.”
Because I haven’t.
I haven’t been able to sleep much, if at all, since Sunday. Since the last time I heard his voice. Telling me we were done.
“This will help you look like less of a zombie,” she says, her tone warm. Friendly. She rubs the makeup along my skin, her gaze imploring me from beneath her long, dark lashes. Her makeup looks amazing. I can’t help but look at her like this, upclose. It doesn’t escape me how much easier it would be to be with someone like Mandy. A beautiful, successful woman.
