Page 4 of Tainted Tempos

“Shit,” Jameson says. “You okay?”

“What do you think?” I retort.

“Aiden’s on his way,” Levi says.

“What were you thinking?” Derek wonders, his tone devoid of the judgment I expected.

That this was right. That I was happy. That Mckenna is everything.

The responses roll through my mind, but I don’t voice them.

“I wasn’t,” I say instead.

“Obviously.” Levi snorts, barreling into my suite.

“Shut the door,” Derek advises. “We need to do damage control.”

Jameson hangs back, watching me curiously. “You okay?” he repeats.

Digging deep, I pull out my façade—funny, life-of-the-party, carefree goofball. I wrap myself in it and cling to humor. Force a smirk. “Of course. I’m always okay.”

But as I take in Mckenna’s tear-stained cheeks, my heart fucking cracks.

And I wonder if I’ll ever be okay again.

TWO

MCKENNA

My hands gripmy head as I try to recall moments. Memories. Anything to make sense of the fact that I said “I do” to Maverick Tate. That getting married was my idea!

After watching the videos and pictures from the night before, I have no doubt that I suggested it. I just don’t understand why. Where did that brazenness, that surety, come from? Especially when today, I feel flattened. Insecure and vulnerable and foolish.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I block out the voices on the other side of the bathroom door. Push Allegra’s concerned questions, Nova and Ivy’s worried text messages from their plane ride to Tennessee, Levi’s tight jaw, and Jameson’s evident confusion away andthink.

Bubbly. The sweet taste of champagne.

Sparkle. A whole jewelry case filled with diamonds.

Dancing. A broken shoe strap. Flashes of light.

And then the visions shift. They take on new shapes. The light dims and darkness swirls.

Flashes. The scent of beer. Woods and a bonfire.

The weight of a body. Narrowed eyes and low, threatening commands.

No! A gurgled cry that gets stuck in my throat. That I’m forced to swallow around.

A piercing sensation followed by a jab of pain.

I shake my head and slap a hand against the bathroom vanity.

“Kenny? You okay?” Allegra knocks softly on the bathroom door.

Tears pinch the corners of my eyes, and I flip on the faucet, hoping the running water will dull the sound of my panic.

But my throat is clogged once more. The tile floor tips, and I’m unsteady on my feet. I can’t meet my eyes in the mirror, not when my head swims and the taste of beer and smoke fill my mouth.

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