Page 28 of Best Served Cold

ROB

Sophie may have relented at the last minute, but she made it pretty clear that she wants me to leave.

I follow her out of the room, fully intending to make my way to and then through the front door, but I’m riveted by the way she’s moving, the intention and resolve carrying her down the stairs, her shoulders primly set back. It has nothing to do with the long slope of her neck, revealed by the dress’s sweeping open back, or the way the fabric is gathered just above her perfectly rounded ass, but once I’ve noticed those things it’s hard to unnotice them.

I barely register that I’m passing Hannah before she stops me with a palm to my chest. I jolt to a stop, my eyes finding hers.

“She’s the brideandthe groom,” Hannah says, looking amused. “If you’re staying, you can sit on the couch. No crashing the proceedings or offering yourself up as tribute.”

I feel my ears burning. “I was only?—”

Following her like a kid chasing an ice cream truck.

I don’t bother to finish the sentence. I just go over and join Otis on the couch. Because even if Sophie still wants me to leave, I’m not sure I can. My mind feels messy and confused, and theonly not-confusing thought is that I want to see how this plays out.

Sophie doesn’t glance back at me even once as she comes to a stop in front of Dottie, who’s holding a crown made of woven flowers. But Sophie turns slightly, and I can see her profile, her hair tumbling around her face, cupping it in soft waves. The red lipstick that reminds me of a target:kiss here.

I shake my head at myself.

Otis murmurs, “I know, man. I know.”

But he doesn’t. I don’t either. All I know is I can’t look away.

He nods to the champagne Hannah brought out for me earlier, but I shake my head, my gaze still glued on Sophie.

“Oh, my dear girl,” Dottie says, pressing her palms together. “I’m so honored to be here to conduct this ceremony. Self-love, when taken to an extreme, is an ugly thing, but we must accept and love ourselves if we’re going to properly love our friends and neighbors.” She gives Sophie a warm smile. “You, my dear, are making an important pact today. Do you, Sophie Ginnis, vow to love yourself?”

Sophie hesitates, like she’s unsettled by this generic promise.

Again, my curiosity is stirred. Whoisthis woman?

Then she clears her throat and says, “I do.”

“And do you vow to be true to yourself from this day forward?”

Again, there’s a heavy pause as Sophie considers this standard aphorism with more intensity than it deserves. Finally, she nods. “I do. I will.”

Dottie beams at her. “And will you, Sophie, support yourself through all of life’s bumps and upsets with the dignity and respect we all owe ourselves?”

To my shock, Sophie’s eyes look like they’re shining as she nods. “I’ll try,” she stammers, then adds more firmly, “I will.”

“Oh, my dear, dear girl. You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that. I hope you chase after life’s experiences and suck them down like nectar. All of them. And now, by the power vested in me by myself, I declare you your own life partner.” She places the circlet of flowers on Sophie’s head, and something in my chest melts.

Fuck me. It’s so…wholesome. They’re both emotional, and Sophie doesn’t look quite real, dressed in that perfect gown that’s shaped for her body, with a diadem of flowers resting on her thick, wavy hair. It’s a travesty of justice that she usually leaves her hair up. It would have been a crime against humanity if she’d married my brother.

He never would have appreciated her.

He never would have seen her vulnerability as beautiful—only as convenient.

“Well, that was weird,” Otis mutters as he lowers his smartphone and downs the rest of his champagne. “Can we go to the bar now?”

Hannah, who’s been standing beside the couch, swats him lightly with her palm. “Have some respect.”

I’d say something, but I can’t talk. My mouth is too dry. I should probably leave, I know that, and yet…

“Here,” Hannah says, handing me something. I take it without registering what it is, then look down and see a key chain—a circlet of dried flowers in resin.

“What is this?”

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