“Isn’t that why you sent me the picture? For him? You said it was to make sure he’d like it.”
Her big blue eyes sparkle. “Maybe I just wanted a man’s opinion on the dress.”
“We’re not the kind of friends who send each other nudes, Pearl.”
She laughs, throwing her head back. For just a split second, it reminds me of the way Rose laughs. Pearl’s usually so buttoned up, she never lets her emotions get big, so it surprises me.
“That was hardly a nude, Logan. Seriously, when did you become such a prude?”
When, indeed? Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am overreacting about the picture. But that doesn’t change all the other lies. The Resilience Project. I need to ask her about it. But once I do, I’ll learn the truth. And I’ll have to face what I’ve done. My anger at her, at myself, it claws around my throat, and I can’t get the words out.
“Pearl,” I try again, but there’s another bang on the door. She makes an annoyed sound in her throat and goes to answer it.
“Hey! You finally made it!” Griffin is first through the door, a wide grin splitting his face, showing off his dimples. He has the mischievous look and demeanor of the boy next door—and if you factor out the weed, occasional cocaine binge, booze, and the rotating cast of women, that’s more or less what he is. He takes very little seriously, and you’d never guess he’s actually the older brother to Reign, who files in after him—spine straight, jaw set, nearly blank expression on his face—followed by our friend Harlow. Griffin drops onto the couch and throws his legs up on the coffee table with a thud, crossing them at the ankles like he owns the place. “What took you so long?” He tilts his head at me, squinting. “Heard something happened with the plane?”
“Apparently it went down,” Pearl says, arms crossed, cutting a glance at me. I told her there were mechanical issues.
“Where’d you hear that?” I ask, more sharply than intended.
“I stopped by to see Rosaria.”
“How is she?”
Pearl’s eyes narrow, and she ignores my question. “Are you going to explain why you didn’t tell any of us you were in a plane crash?”
“A fuckingplanecrash?” Harlow shouts.
Griffin sits up straighter on the couch. “Holy shit, man, why didn’t you tell us?”
I wave my hand as if it’s no big deal. “Forced landing. Everyone’s fine. We came down somewhere in West Virginia, spent a while tracking down a rental. Rose wasn’t ready to get back on a plane, so we drove the rest of the way.”
“Is Henry alright?” Reign asks. Their family also employs the pilot, so he’s familiar with the crew.
“He’s fine. No one was hurt—well, Rose got a cut, but nothing serious. Plane’s done, though.”
Griffin goes back to his phone. No one was seriously injured or died, so he’s lost interest. “Tough break. You can fly back with us, but we’re not leaving until Tuesday. Gonna party on the mainland for a night before heading back. I know you workaholic types itch to get back to the office, and the second Pearl clears you from groomsman duties, you’re gonna be half-way to New York.”
“Don’t you dare,” Pearl cuts in, squeezing my arm. “We finally got him here. No one is talking about work.” She glares at Griffin. “He’s staying the entire time. And maybe one day later?” She looks to me hopefully.
Ignoring her plea, I drop into one of the tufted silk chairs. Pearl settles onto the arm, close enough that her hip is almost in my lap. I look at the empty seat across from me, then back at Pearl.
“Where’s Dash?” I ask, noticing the sixth member of our friend group is conspicuously absent.
“He’s bangin’ some island chick,” Griffin says.
“Nice,” Harlow deadpans. She looks at me. “He got here a little early and met this girl the first night. They’ve been inseparable ever since. It’s actually really sweet. I like her. She’s good for him. Even if it’s just for the week.”
“Dash, inseparable from a woman he just met?” I shake my head in surprise. The man is more of a workaholic than I am—and unlike me, he can work from anywhere. I’d have expected tofind him hunched over a laptop this week, not tangled up with a woman he just met.
“Can you blame him? If I got my hands on some island pussy like her, I’d be inseparable too,” Griffin says, grabbing his crotch suggestively. Harlow smacks the back of his head, and Griffin cackles, rubbing his skull. Reign looks pained by his brother’s antics, but that’s nothing new.
Pearl rolls her eyes. “He’s bringing her to the wedding. Sunshine—that’s her name. I reshuffled the seating, so she’s at our table.” She glances toward the balcony doors, where rain streaks the glass. “Can you believe everyone still made it? I even had a few last-minute plus-ones to sort out. Everyone loves Daddy, of course. But I think I’ve outdone myself with this event.” She lets out a satisfied sigh. “It’s going to be the perfect wedding. Only topped by my own.”
I think of Rose. Whether she’d let me take her to the wedding as my date. Whether I’d even have the nerve to ask after what I’ve done.
“You and Tommy that serious?” Griffin asks, brows raised.
Pearl makes a small, dismissive sound. “God, no. I wasn’t talking about him.”
