Page 91 of One Pucking Surprise
“She must be enjoying herself,” I say, my voice tight. “She’s smiling from ear to ear.”
Wyatt studies me for a beat before smirking. “Chloe told me something earlier. Apparently, Drew never actually had a plus one. It was amix-up—he marked it wrong or something. He came solo.”
I pause, my drink halfway to my lips. “Wait, seriously?”
My grip loosens slightly on the glass, but my mind races.Did Lainey know this too? And if she did… why didn’t she tell me?
Wyatt looks at me sharply. “Dude, you’re not jealous, are you?”
I scoff, forcing a laugh. “Jealous? No. Why would I be? Lainey and I aren’t that serious, anyway.”
His expression shifts, confusion and disbelief warring on his face. “What are you talking about? She moved in with you. You’re dating now, right?”
I shrug, the weight of my doubts pressing down on me. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to last with us.”
“What?” Wyatt’s voice rises, and I glance away. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I look back at Lainey and Drew, my jaw clenching. “I think she found her Mr. Perfect,” I mutter before walking toward the exit.
The hallway is quieter, the noise of the reception muffled by the closed doors. I pull at my bow tie again, loosening it as I try to breathe past the tightness in my chest. Mypulse hammers in my ears, and the weight of everything crashes down on me like a wave.
The Darling curse—I was right all along. Happiness doesn’t last for us. I’ve seen it too many times. My dad, my sisters, even Noah—every relationship starts strong, full of promise, but it never lasts. Love turns to resentment, to loss, to pain. And I was fooling myself to think I could be different. That I could break the pattern.
With Lainey, it felt real—safe, even. For a while, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, we could defy the odds. But how stupid was that? The curse isn’t something you can outrun. It’s part of me, part of my family, woven into who we are.
I press the heels of my hands against my eyes, as if I can block out the images: Lainey smiling at Drew, laughing at his jokes, slipping through my fingers. She doesn’t deserve the mess I’d bring into her life. I don’t deserve her.
“Zach?”
Her voice slices through the haze, soft but full of concern. “Baby, are you alright?”
I turn to see her standing a few feet away, concern etched into her features. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, my tone clipped.
“You don’t look fine. Are you sure?” she presses, stepping closer.
“How was catching up with your long-time crush?” The words leave my mouth sharper than I intended, and her eyes widen slightly in surprise.
“Oh, you saw that.”
“Of course I saw that,” I snap. “Your face lit up as soon as you saw him.”
Her expression softens, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. “Zach, he’s just an old friend. Whatever I thought I felt for Drew is long gone.”
I want to believe her. I really do. But the jealousy twisting in my chest won’t let go, the doubts echoing louder than her reassurance.
“You two seemed to be getting pretty cozy,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
She frowns, a mix of confusion and frustration flashing in her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” I say. “How does it feel seeing Drew again? Catch any feelings?”
Her face hardens, and her voice rises slightly. “Of course not, Zach! I haven’t liked Drew in forever.”
“Really? Because it didn’t look like nothing,” I counter, unable to hold back the bitterness.
Her eyes narrow, frustration flickering across her face. “Are you seriously jealous right now?”
I cross my arms, my voice quieter but no less pointed. “It just seemed like you two were getting close. Reminiscing about old times, maybe?”
