Page 76 of Kiss the Bride

“And here I was thinking you were her best friend. I call snap,” Tash laughs, and it grates on me. Right then, I despise their carefree attitudes, their spaghetti strap dresses that become almost transparent against the sun, ready to drag Olivia into their world of partying. I don’t need Liv drunk and confused about who she wants in her life.

Sober. Sensible. Sexy. That’s how I want her, making her own choices, and hopefully, choosing me. Then, we can drink, party, and fuck our way back to Sydney or around the world—her choice.

“You had your chance,” Jess throws back at me as if I can forget.

“So has he. I’ve had years to regret my choices, and I know exactly what I’d do with a second chance,” I reply, my jaw tightening.

“Which is?” Jess probes.

“Fuck this,” I snap, my frustration boiling over. Every minute Olivia spends with him, he’s turning her back to his side, whispering sweet justifications for his betrayals—the gambling, the lies. Last night was hell, just lying in the next room. But when she’d come to me, I couldn’t resist.

Was last night our last night?

If I think like that, I’ve already lost. Last night meant something. Olivia wanted me. Liv wants me. Yes, she left this morning to talk to Mitch, but she didn’t spend last night kissing him. She didn’t spend last night missing him.

Liv laughed with me. Liv talked with me. Liv watched the sun go down wearing my jacket and holding my hand.

So, why does knowing she’s down on the beach with him feel like my heart is being torn apart?

I look back to Jess and focus on why Liv’s friends have turned up—because they care about Olivia and want what’s best for her. I just have to show them it’s me.

“Bar, drinks on me,” I announce, changing the topic before I say something I might regret.

“Do the drinks come with conversation?” Jess teases.

“Only if you’re on team Hunter.”

“Actually, we’re here because we are on team Liv,” Tash states firmly, locking eyes with me, daring me to challenge her.

“Good.” I force the word out. Olivia asked her high school and then university friends to be her bridesmaids, and I’ve known them nearly as long. With Lina now persona non-grata, and I assume Elena is already filming her reality dating show, that leaves Jess and Tash to be convinced of my sincerity.

As they walk ahead of me, likely knowing their way to the bar instinctively, I overhear snippets of their conversation. “Like, I don’t want to have to choose between friends,” Tash is saying.

“But Olivia’s the innocent party here. Lina could have had any other guy, and we’d be cheering her on,” Jess argues.

“What about Pete?” I interject, unable to stay out of it. There were two victims here. “Didn’t he have the right to have a girlfriend not cheat on him with his best friend?”

“Yeah, of course.” Tash at least had the good grace to look a little ashamed. “But we are in a tricky place. You’ve pickedOlivia. Caleb is team Mitchel. Mitch has dumped Lina and if we dump her as well, she has no one.”

“Liv won’t want you to dump her, but at least don’t expect her to be BFFs with Lina any time soon.”

“Lina is hurting. From what she said—“ Jess starts before Tash continues, “I saw the texts, she’s telling the truth.”

“What truth?” It seemed clear to me when Liv and I walked in to see Mitch balls deep inside Lina.

“Mitch was the one doing the pursuing. It started out innocently looking for a wedding gift for Olivia. He wanted to buy lingerie and convinced Lina to help him.”

“No guy should take another woman shopping for lingerie,” I growl, my stomach turning at the thought.

“That’s how it started. Lina tried on all the lingerie before Mitch bought it for Olivia,” Tash reveals, and it feels like a punch to the gut.

The bags of brand new lingerie in Olivia’s bag. She’d been so insistent about burning it with her dress and I assumed it was because they’d been purchased with Mitchel in mind. Had she known? Had she suspected that if Mitch had bought them, he hadn’t been alone?

“If Olivia knew, it would crush her.” The words barely escape my lips. If I tell her, it will kill whatever chance Mitch thinks he has, but she doesn’t need more betrayal thrown in her face. “She doesn’t need to know. Not now.” I stare down both girls until they nod.

“Did she wear them? I mean, for you?” Tash’s question hits below the belt. I’m not going to admit to anything physical—I’ve never been the one to kiss and tell and I’m not going to begin now. But emotions—I need Liv’s friends to believe me and trust me.

“She didn’t even have to remove the tags before she burned them and her dress on the beach. I don’t need her in fuckinglingerie, I need her in my life.” My voice is firm and words raw. If they can’t see my honest intentions, then Liv deserves better friends.

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