Page 77 of Broken Truths

Who cares, right? It’s just a piece of paper. It’s just a legal document that can be scrapped later. Over half the population is divorced. What’s one more?

Keegan doesn’t want me either. I heard his painful exclamations about ten minutes ago, right after he found out that it was his wedding day, too.

Just to the wrong sister.

The area behind my eyes heats. Tears are no longer a threat, they’re an inevitability. I rest my head against the back of the tub and peer up at the sky. “Forgive me?”

I’ve been asking for Dee’s forgiveness since she died. Maybe that’s why I’m so hellbent on finding out what happened to her. It’s as much about bringing her death to justice as it is about making the person who did it suffer.

Now, here I am disappointing her again. “You know I would never do this willingly.” I crack a smile. “Although he’s not as bad as I once thought.”

I cup some water in my hand, hold it above the surface, and then separate my fingers to watch the water cascade through. Just like an hourglass.

My time is almost up.

I’ve already checked every window in this room. I’ve thrown things at them, banged against their see-through panes. I’ve searched high and low for a phone…something. As far as I can see, I have no other choice. If I want to get out of this, I have to go downstairs, marry my sister’s fiancé, then somehow disappear.

I just have to get through. That’s all.

I pull myself from the water, and it’s like dragging an anvil through sand. The bath water sluices off me in rivulets as I step out, grabbing the plush towel that awaits me. It’s pure white and feels like heaven on my skin.

I take my time drying off. So much time that a knock comes on the door. “Miss, are you ready? They’re waiting for you.”

I almost snicker. I guess you can’t have a wedding without a bride.

How crazy is Leon Forbes? I hate the shit out of Franklin Jarvis, but I hope he gets him for this. Forbes has a set of steel balls for trying to steal something Sir Jarvis has bargained for. He’ll have been made to look like a fool, which will piss him off even more.

I get a little pep in my step as I walk toward the wedding dress, thinking about all the disgusting things that Franklin Jarvis might do to Forbes.

“Coming,” I say as I near the door. “Just trying to look my best.”

“You’re so pretty, miss. You don’t need time at all.”

Her voice wavers a little, and I hope Forbes isn’t giving this poor young servant a hard time because of me.

Finding the zipper, I tug it down, revealing a cascade of white satin. I run my fingers over the fabric with a twist in my gut. It’s so Delilah.

And it’s so not me.

In the bottom of the garment bag is a set of panties, a garter, and a white lace bra. I pick it up, holding it out on one finger. I’m certainly not pure enough to wear this much white. I’m probably the opposite of that. What’s the color you wear when you’ve fucked three guys at the same time? Not asking for a friend.

I pull on the garments anyway, then step into the dress, holding it to me. Miraculously, it fits like a glove. I call out to the servant, asking her to come in. She opens the door immediately, as if she already had her hand on the knob.

Her tiny hands come up to her face. “Oh my! You look beautiful.”

I swear her eyes glisten, and I wonder if she thinks this is a real wedding and not some sham that Forbes has thrown together because he’s a money-hungry douche. “Can you zip me up?”

“Of course, miss.” She comes right over, her fingers making quick work of the zipper, then the small buttons that hide it. As soon as I’m secured inside, almost like a well-tucked burrito, I drop my hands and stare in the gigantic mirror on the opposite wall. I pull the hair tie from the top of my head, and my blonde waves fall to my shoulders. “You should leave it down,” she remarks.

I nod, then hike the hem of my dress up. “Shoes?”

She pouts for a moment, searching the room. Behind the foot of the garment bag is a shoe box I hadn’t seen. She pulls out a pair of strappy white heels.

Definitely not my thing. I’ll probably fall on my ass, but that’ll make today even more memorable.

I slip into them, and she smiles wider at me. “Just beautiful.”

My lips thin, still peering at myself in the mirror. This is the first time I’ve ever donned a wedding dress, and it’s not exactly calling forth the feelings I thought I would have. “You know I don’t want to be here, right?” I ask. “Can you get me out?”

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