William pats me roughly on the back, and I feel like an unloved dog sitting patiently by the door, like my loyalty is on display.
“I’ll say,” is all Tommy responds. “Well, enjoy your night.” He looks at me with intent. “And be careful.”
I can’t tell if he’s cautioning me about the slippery dance floor or about William.
As he’s walking back through the crowd, someone else spots us.
“Rose Elliot!” yells a tall, brunette woman in an elegant red dress. “I can’t believe it’s you!” Thin arms wrap around my neck, cold to the touch and strong.
When I extricate myself, I realize it’s Tommy’s sister, Rachel. She looks remarkably similar, even though the last time I saw her was when she was only a teen. I’m surprised by how easy it is to recognize her; despite everything, it’s like no time at all has passed.
“Rachel!” I return the hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying at the cottage for a few days,” she says. “Visiting my big brother here.”
William nudges his way forward again. “You two know each other?” He addresses the question to Rachel but his eyes flicker to Tommy, who is still lingering to our left.
“We go way back,” I say, forcing a cheery, nonchalant smile. “I met Rachel when she was only fifteen. Right?”
“Fourteen, actually,” Rachel says.
William eyes Tommy. “And you two, as well, then? You know each other, too?”
Tommy steps forward, composed as ever. “We do.”
“Huh,” says William. “What a happy accident this all is. To think, you started out by crashing and now you have all these old friends around.”
He speaks too loudly, and a few neighboring guests look our way with some curiosity. I wish he would be quiet before someone tells the bride and causes a scene. His movements are a little more languid than usual, and I wonder how much he’s had to drink tonight.
Rachel bumps my elbow and waggles her eyebrow. “A crasher, huh?” she whispers. “Bad girl.”
Luckily, Lily appears just then, saving me from responding.
“And this is my daughter,” I say, introducing her to everyone. She shakes hands with Tommy, and Rachel leans in to give her a hug.
“How’s it going over here?” my daughter asks, looking between the four of us, as if trying to solve a murder mystery. “Everyone behaving?”
Tommy cracks a smile, but William doesn’t. “Of course we’re behaving,” William says. “What kind of question is that?” He wraps his arm around my waist again and squeezes.
I look around at our misfit group, taking notice: Tommy looks annoyed, Rachel seems confused, and I suddenly wish that the tent would collapse on all of us, so I can make a quick getaway.
“William,” says Lily. “Would you mind joining me to grab a drink at the bar? I’d feel more comfortable if I’m with someone who knows the wedding party.”
“Sure,” he says, but he seems reluctant to leave me.
Rachel jumps in. “I’ll go, too!”
They disperse into the crowd, William glancing back a few times at Tommy and me, until we’re left alone. We stand a few feet apart, unsure of what to do next.
The band changes pace again, decelerates back into a slow song.
Tommy shrugs, gesturing to the crowd, which is now pairing into twos. “Shall we?”
“Why not?” I say, feeling my heart get staccato. It’s like the music has crawled under my skin, making everything inside me hum.
He cups my hand in his and we begin to dance.
“I didn’t realize you were seeing someone,” he says.
