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I stared in shock. “I thought those were your wedding photographers.”
“You thought I would have five photographers? Hah! I’m going to be on the fucking cover of TMZ tomorrow.”
“Is that why the wedding planner mentioned us being over capacity?” Dad suddenly asked. “She said we went over our guest limit, and will be charged extra from the venue…”
“No,” Carly shook her head. “We’re over capacity because her date brought five bodyguards. That caused us to go over the limit before the paparazzi even showed up.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what the extra cost is, but I’ll make sure to cover it.”
“Oh yeah, throw money at the problem,” Carly muttered. “That’s the new solution to everything, huh?”
“I know it’s your wedding day, but you’re overreacting,” I told my sister.
Carly barked a laugh. “That’s the worst part: you don’t even realize what you’re doing. You’ve made everything about you, but your head is shoved so far up your ass you don’t even know it! You’ve changed in the last few months, Mel. And not for the better.” She crossed her arms. “If you do end up having that billionaire’s child, it’ll be a shame. I’d hate for my biological nephew to grow up to be a spoiled rich brat.”
I had taken her onslaught of complaints up to that point, but mentioning my future child was a step too far. I pointed a finger at my sister and growled, “Dad’s right. You are a bridezilla.”
She whirled toward our father and exclaimed, “You said what?”
“I didn’t… I don’t mean…” Dad stammered.
Carly burst into tears and went running off, with Landon close behind her. Ashley and the other bridesmaids gave me parting glares and then followed.
The music had stopped, and everyone at the reception was staring. I couldn’t tell how long they had been listening, but it must have been long enough. That’s when I saw the night with a new perspective. The other guests had been looking at me all night. Eying my jewelry, and the billionaire date that I had brought. Pierce and I getting up and dancing first, making Carly’s first dance look amateurish by comparison. Dad’s speech. The paparazzi swarming around the outskirts. The helicopter’s distracting exit. The fact that I was blind to it all.
Carly was right. I had changed, and not for the better.
Barely able to hold my own tears off, I ran out of the tent and into the night.
36
Andrew
“It’s your move,” I told Tristan.
“I am quite aware.”
We stared at the chess board in the study for another minute.
“I’m just saying, we’re going to use the timer next round if you’re going to take this long.”
Tristan grunted in annoyance, then moved his knight forward. I captured it with my own knight. “Check.”
“Hmm. You’ve split my king and queen.”
“Because after thinking about it for five minutes, you made a really bad move. Are you sure you’re all right? You usually crush me at chess.”
Tristan leaned back in the chair and sighed heavily. “I am not all right. I am distracted.”
“By Melinda?”
He scowled at me. “I am not so lighthearted as that. I am preoccupied with concerns about Pierce’s next business idea. The breadth of investors he has pulled into the conversation is concerning.”
“Too few?”
“Too many,” he replied. “And from too many different industries. I am afraid he is thinking too big, whatever his idea is.”
“I’m sure he has it figured out. He always does.” I leaned back in my chair and considered Tristan. “Well, I’m distracted by Melinda.”
