Page 19 of The Plus One
Even when they were younger, Collin didn’t talk about it much, but from what Jude had picked up over the years, Greg had abandoned his family to start a new one with his mistress in Florida, accumulating a few additional wives since. There had been many broken promises over the years, but Collin seemed incapable of not falling into the traps.
“They’ll both walk me,” Collin said with a shrug and a smile.
“And your mom is going to be okay with that?” Angela made no secret of her hate for her ex-husband.
Collin waved away the question. “I talked to her about it and she’s fine. They’re both adults. They can deal.”
“I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one trying to defy your wedding orders,” Jude said dryly, trying to tease Collin like he used to. Collin laughed, and Jude felt a tiny ping of happiness.
“Glad to hear it,” Collin said as they turned the corner to his house. “Because there’s been a small logistical change. Indira andChris were supposed to walk down the aisle together, but now that they’ve broken up—”
“Yeah, what happened with that?” The words poured out of Jude before he found any self-control to suppress the question he had no right asking. Jesus Christ, when did he lose the ability to think before he spoke? And why was he suddenly so curious about Indira?
Collin shrugged. “They’ve been on and off for the last year or so. I’ve never really understood the pairing. I mean, between you and me, I think Chris is a bit of a dickhead. But he and Jeremy have always been close, I guess, I don’t know. From an outsider’s perspective, Chris is that relative you know is a bit of a shit but you end up being reluctantly bonded to.”
Jude came from a very tiny family, both of his parents only children and Jude without siblings, so he didn’t fully get this, but he had also learned long ago not to question Collin when he gripped at an assumption with both hands and refused to let go.
“But what I was getting at is we obviously can’t have Chris and Indira walk down the aisle together—I doubt Chris would make it to the altar in one piece,” Collin said casually. “So, we’re going to have you and Indira paired up for the ceremony.”
Jude tripped over his feet, nearly belly-slapping the pavement. Collin caught him by the elbow.
“Oh my God, there’s no need to be so dramatic,” Collin said with a chuckle. “I know there’s always been some animosity between you two, but you’ll be able to deal… Right?”
More of that guilt pumped through Jude’s veins.
“I… uh… does Indira know about this?”
There was no way she’d be okay with it if she did. They’d be more likely to kill each other than actually make it through the ceremony.
Collin sighed. “You don’t have to look so afraid; she’s outgrown her biting habit.”
Jude’s entire body flushed with a very lewd image that he absolutely should not be having.
“Regardless,” Collin said, hopping up his front steps and unlockingthe door. “I have faith you two can dig deep, deep down and behave yourselves.”
Jude shot up a silent prayer to whatever deity was listening to prove Collin right.
CHAPTER 8
Indira
T-MINUS FOUR WEEKS UNTIL THE WEDDING
Indira was wrong before: rock bottom wasn’t bawling hysterically on a train. Rock bottom was, in fact, getting wasted at a Cheesecake Factory on thick and creamy cocktails while sitting across from your shithead ex, the latest love of his life,andthe guy you’d known since childhood who recently walked in on you naked. And screamed in horror.
Being an adult was fun.
Indira chugged down the last of her cranberry cheesecake martini, signaling the circling waiter for another one, as she tried to listen to Collin and Jeremy’s highly specific instructions for putting together wedding favors.
“So each of you has multiple mini easels and canvases,” Jeremy said from the head of the table, gesturing at the supplies in front of himself. “And we want you to use them to express yourselves. Specifically, express what love represents to you. Each tiny painting will be a priceless keepsake for our wedding guests. And we request you make about thirty each.”
Indira stared darkly at the three-by-four-inch canvas in front of her, wishing her eyes alone could light it on fire and char it to ash. She raised her hand like a kid in class.
“Yes, Indira,” Collin said, falling easily into a teacher-on-a-power-trip role.
She cleared her throat. “Seeing as you two pull in a combined salary of seven figures, and were able to rent out this entire party room, wouldn’t it be better for you to just buy wedding favors instead of forcing us to arts-and-crafts our way through them? In a Cheesecake Factory, no less?”
“Don’t you dare disrespect the Cheesecake Factory,” Lizzie cut in with an unnecessary amount of passion.
