Page 8 of Powerless
Her eyes water and she blinks frantically, cupping my hands in hers. “But today is better, right?”
Her eyes search mine so earnestly, blue on blue. All I can muster is a sad smile. Today should be the happiest day of my life, but it’s not, and I don’t want to lie to her.
My lips open before I even know what I’ll say, butmy phone lights up and dings loudly on the vanity counter in front of us.Saved by the bell.
Dropping her gaze, I lurch for my phone, relieved by having an out. It’s a text from “Private Number” and when I tap at it, the only message attached is:Thought you should see this.
Below that is a video. With a preview image that is strikingly familiar.
I hit the play button.
“What the hell?” Violet’s hand lands on my knee as she presses forward to get a good view of the screen.
The screen lights up with a grainy video. Loud music thumps. And what’s happening front and center should upset me. After all, what looks familiar is my fiancé dressed in the same polo shirt he wore on the night of his stag.
“Violet, can you go get Sterling for me, please?”
I should be devastated. But all I can think as I watch a naked woman bounce on Sterling’s dick is that I won’t have to chew off my own limb after all.
3
Jasper
Jasper:Vi, have you heard from Harvey? I haven’t seen him or Beau yet.
Violet:No. But things just went to hell in here.
Jasper:What’s wrong?
Violet:Sterling Woodcock is a piece of shit. That’s what.
Jasper:What the fuck did he do to her?
“Who invented ties anyway?” Cade bites out from beside me. “They’re fucking uncomfortable.” He’s the oldest of the Eaton boys, the grumpiest, and one of my biggest supporters.
“You look ridiculous in one too.” Rhett laughs with a shake of his head, always harassing his older brother.
But it’s the middle brother, Beau—who I’m closest with—that I’m really looking around for. The fact he isn’t here yet is making me antsy.
He tried to request his time to line up with the wedding. He’s supposed to have a few weeks off at home before he ships back out. But he hasn’t shown up yet and neither has our dad, Harvey.
“Fuck you, Fabio,” is Cade’s agitated retort as he fiddles with the tie around his neck. Making fun of Rhett’s long hair isn’t new territory. I’ve been watching this exchange for years.
“Where are the girls?” I ask, trying to get them both on track. The harpist is playing. People are mingling in front of the imposing church. It’s gray and cold and depressing outside. And all I want to do is run away.
“If you call Willa agirl,she’ll castrate you,” Cade grumbles, yanking the tie off and shoving it into his suit coat pocket.
“She’s going to castrate you for not wearing the tie she picked out.” Rhett chuckles.
“She’ll get over it when I tie her up with it later.” Cade inspects the front doors of the church—his radar is that perfectly honed—as Willa pushes the door open, hand slung protectively over the small bump she’s sporting. Her eyes search for Cade in the sea of people.She smiles softly when they land on him, but it slips away quickly.
Then Summer, her best friend and Rhett’s fiancée, is there too. They move toward us and both look a little chagrined.
“That was quite the bathroom break,” Rhett announces when they get near enough to hear us.
Summer snuggles up under his arm while Willa regards us with a wary expression.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, gaze bouncing between the women. Because I can tell something is up, and they’re not saying it.
