Page 2 of Her Ruin

“Fine.” We walked in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. “You’re okay, though, right?”

I nodded quickly, brushing off her concern. She didn’t need to hear about my worries today. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Sienna let it go, but her expression said she didn’t quite believe me. She was right, though—I was tired. Actually, it felt more like I was drowning.

I had back-to-back events on Friday and Saturday night, followed by a pre-wedding brunch for fifty people yesterday. This morning, I met with Sienna, and then I had a ten a.m. meeting with a multimillion-dollar blue chip company for a new tech launch. Afterwards, I needed to drive to the other side of town for a meeting at The Carriages Hotel about the convention they were hosting this Wednesday for another IT company.

“Who will do the event planning for your wedding?” Sienna asked suddenly.

I almost tripped over my own feet in surprise. “My wedding?” I spluttered. “Don’t I need someone to marry first?”

“Do you think you’ll get married?” she asked distractedly, fishing in her purse and pulling out her phone.

“Again, I need someone to marry,” I reminded her with more bite than perhaps necessary. I laughed at myself for getting all defensive over nothing. “Honestly, who knows? Maybe someday.” The answer felt hollow. Empty. I used to dream about it—big weddings filled with family and friends—but they lost their appeal after planning so many as my main job.

“If you didn’t work all the time, maybe you’d have time to find someone,” Sienna said, pretending to be engrossed in her phone as she offered the soft rebuke. “You deserve someone to go home to.”

Personally, I couldn’t think of anything worse. I was drained at the end of most days. The very thought of having to be “on” for someone waiting for me when all I wanted to do was have a long, hot shower and collapse into bed sounded like more energy than necessary.

I liked being alone.

“I have Julian,” I reminded her.

Julian was my best friend. The constant, steady, reliable presence in my life. We’d known each other all our lives, and there wasn’t a day that passed without us talking.

“Julian isnotthe answer to this,” Sienna said with an exasperated sigh. “While you’re unhealthily joined at the hip, he is not the answer to your love life. Unless…” She gave me a speculative look. “Has that changed?”

Me and Julian? The very idea of it made my stomach turn. “Ew. Gross. He’s like my brother!”

“He’s a good catch,” she offered.

“Heisa good catch,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “He’s charming, kind, handsome, has a great job?—”

“I have a fiancé, you don’t need to sell him to me,” she reminded me with a laugh. “You, though…”

I elbowed her in the ribs, ignoring her hiss of disapproval. “I love Julian, but I alsoknowJulian better than anyone, and he’ll make a great catch for someone who doesn’t know as much about him as I do.”

Sienna grumbled something inaudible before turning to me in excitement. “Hey, guess who I saw? Oh my god, I can’t believe it took me this long to tell you!” she said eagerly.

With Sienna, it could be anything. Gracemont was a big town—not quite a city but big enough. Situated approximately forty-five minutes from Chicago, we were close enough to the city but far enough away to have our own independent feel.

“Tom Cruise.”

She gawked at me.

“What? You said guess!”

“Oh my god, I can’t with you…” She laughed lightly. “No, it was even more of a rare sighting. I saw…” She paused for dramatic effect, and my stomach twisted in dread. “Zayn McCabe.”

I tried not to react, but it was impossible. My top lip curled into a sneer automatically. “Ugh. I thought it would be someone exciting.”

“Isla,” Sienna groaned. “He’s hot. He’s loaded. And we went to school with him. He’s practically Gracemont royalty.”

“No. He’s Gracemont’s poster boy for criminals.”

“You’re so square,” she scolded. “Anyway, not only did I see him, I heard he’s the money behind that renovation on Hardgate.”

So what if he was? Glancing at my watch, I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Mmhmm, interesting.” I looked at my watch again. “I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late.”

---