Chapter 1

The night before the wedding, Bryce Gilbert sat in a private room with his buddies, working out how to stop me from reaching the wedding so my best friend could marry him in my place.

One of them was stunned. "Bryce, are you saying the one you want to marry is Tilda Finch? If that's it, just tell Eva Henson!"

Bryce gave a bitter smile. "The one I love is Eva. But Tilda is my regret, and I don't want to go through life carrying regrets. That's why I came up with this."

"All you have to do is drive the wedding car somewhere else so Eva can't get back in time. Then I pretend to be angry and marry Tilda instead, and there's nothing Eva can say."

"Besides, I'm only playing around for a few days. Once the regret is gone, I'll end the game."

His eyes were set, certain, daring anyone to get in his way.

His buddies only roared with laughter and started scheming right along with him.

Standing outside the door, I finally went cold on him. I turned and walked out, and I called his sworn enemy.

"You hate me because I love Bryce Gilbert, don't you? Well, you can stop hating me now."

"Get ready. Tomorrow I'll drive the wedding car and marry you."

...

1

"Bryce, careful you don't take it too far."

"If Eva ever finds out, you'll be chasing after your wife with nothing left to chase."

Bryce lazily picked up the cup from the tea table and swirled it. "As long as none of you talk, and I don't talk, how would she ever know?"

"Fine. We'll help you."

"Tsk. You really know how to play, and how to feast."

"Tilda or Eva, either one's a stunner."

"Wedding day, you'll probably drag Tilda straight into the bridal suite before you can wait, ready to go a few hundred rounds."

The words had barely landed, filthy and grating, filling the whole room.

Tilda came in from the balcony, tucking her phone away as she walked. She must have stepped out to take a call.

"What were you all just saying?"

I clenched my fists, wishing with everything in me that Tilda knew nothing about Bryce's plan.

The next second, she sat down beside him and leaned straight into his arms.

The others whooped. Something in me went hollow.

By now, what was left to not understand?

My phone buzzed. I hurried toward the door.

When I answered, my mother's voice came through, threaded with a cough.

"Evie, Mom has finally lived to see you get married."

Her health was poor. My father said she'd been holding on by sheer will, refusing to go.

The reason was that she hadn't seen her daughter married. With that wish unfinished, she'd been clinging to one last breath just to stay alive.

I didn't want her chained to her illness, so I'd pushed Bryce to set a date seven times. He only agreed on the eighth.

Only now did I understand. He never wanted to marry me. All those refusals came because Tilda wasn't in the city.

Now that she was back, Bryce suddenly agreed.

And behind that agreement was another plan entirely.

In that moment, all I felt was the ache in my chest, and a bottomless disappointment in Bryce.

After a few quick words with my mother, I hung up.

I didn't expect Bryce to call right after. "Hey. Evie."

"Where are you?"

I was right next door to him. He would just never know it.

"Home."

"Ha. My Evie is such a good girl. Not like those other rich girls who run off to party."

"Hey, Bryce, what's that supposed to mean? You're dragging all of us into it."

The line was loud with noise. Bryce only told me to hurry over and find him, then hung up.

I didn't rush. Instead I took out the vows I'd prepared for tomorrow and tore them apart, slow and deliberate.

If he wanted me there right now, there had to be something waiting to sicken me.

Sure enough, when I got close, I heard the jeering start up again.

"Bryce, remember to lose to Tilda on purpose later, so Tilda can kiss you right in front of Eva. That'll be thrilling as hell."

"You are all so awful!"