Chapter 2

The moment I pushed the door open, the laughing and joking in the private room went silent.

Tilda Finch and Bryce Gilbert were still pressed close together. I acted like I hadn't seen it.

Someone talked too fast and let it slip. "The cheated-on bride— no, I mean, Eva's here!"

Realizing he'd nearly said the wrong thing, he hurried to correct himself.

Of course I knew every person in that room was laughing at me inside. But I'd be married to someone else soon, and that mocking title would come off with it.

Bryce shot the guy a cold glare, then stood and came toward me.

"Evie, you made it."

As he got close, that perfume that was uniquely Tilda's drifted into my nose.

Just how much had gone on between them, for one person's scent to soak all the way into another's body.

I only smiled coldly on the inside. My face stayed blank.

"We're getting married tomorrow. Why call me out this late? You should be home resting too."

My schedule never slipped. When it was time to sleep, I slept.

Bryce stuck out his tongue at me and put on a coaxing little act.

"I'm too nervous to sleep. I just wanted to get out for a bit before the wedding to shake off the jitters."

"Right, Eva. What you should be doing right now is being understanding with Bryce. Keep him company, talk with him."

"After all, once you're married, you'll be husband and wife, and he won't get to come out and play in the middle of the night anymore."

Meaning I was petty, that I couldn't give Bryce even a little slack.

I stayed calm and even, my tone light. "Then go ahead and have your fun. I won't hold it against you."

"Perfect!" Bryce threw his arms around me, laughing, thrilled.

"I knew my Eva loved me best."

The others traded looks, passing secret signals with their eyes, and every glance they gave me dripped with contempt.

I didn't care about their strange looks anymore. What was there to admire about people who'd back someone like Bryce?

"All right then, tonight we play something really exciting."

"Whoever loses a round of rock-paper-scissors has to give the winner a French kiss, that's the rule."

"Whoa, isn't that a bit much?"

"Anyone who won't play is a coward. You've never been abroad? Just treat it like foreign etiquette, problem solved."

Bryce looked at me like he wanted to say something and stopped himself. I pretended to be gracious and told him to go play.

The game started. Having never played anything like it, I was naturally among the first to lose.

To help Bryce get his wish, they'd rigged it all in advance.

Sure enough, Bryce lost to Tilda.

Tilda looked at me a little awkwardly. "Evie, this, this…"

"This what? Kiss her!"

"We agreed beforehand. No changing the rules at the last second."

"Right!"

The others egged him on, urging Bryce to kiss Tilda.

The two of them were clearly delighted inside, yet they had to put on a show of being torn about it because I was there.

I was the first to raise my hands and clap. "It's fine. It's just a game rule, isn't it?"

"Kiss her!"

Bryce's eyes went wide, and he stared at me like he couldn't believe it.

He didn't understand why I was being so gracious. It was because after overhearing his secret, I was completely done with him.

"See? Even Eva's on board."

"So quit dragging it out. Kiss already!"

The mood turned suggestive in an instant, and the music had been cued up ahead of time too.

The moment it started, Bryce looked like he was eighteen again, pulling Tilda into his arms and kissing her deeply.

The crowd cheered. My fingertips went white, little by little.

I lifted my glass and poured drink after drink down my throat. Some of them thought I was faking my indifference, hiding away to grieve in private.

Only I knew that these few drinks were a toast to one fact: the love that had tugged back and forth between Bryce and me was dead.

Hearing someone laugh that I was a spineless pushover, and Bryce so certain I couldn't leave him.

I set the glass down, didn't spare him another glance, and was getting ready to leave.

"Eva, don't go!"

"We've still got a second game we haven't played yet!"