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I stare at Blake, ignoring the gasps and choking sounds coming from the girls. The table is silent, and finally, he turns his eyes to me.
“Sorry, what?” he says, his voice deep and unfocused.
“Your sister is talking about the million wedding dresses they’ve found for me to choose from. I said, what if I don’t want to wear a dress?”
He looks over my shoulder, confusion written all over his lovely face. He settles back on me, tilting his head to the side. “Honestly Lily, I don’t give a fuck if you show up wearing a housecoat, just as long as you show up and marry me.”
A lump forms in my throat. There’s no humor in his tone, no playfulness in his eyes. I miss him trying to lighten the mood all the time. Slowly, I take my hand from my lap and set it on his, atop the table.
“I’ve waited my entire life for you, Mr. Mason. The last thing I’d do is miss our wedding.”
His eyes soften just a little before he leans over and presses his forehead to mine. He squeezes my hand and whispers, “I love you” in my ear.
“I love you, too,” I say around the ever-growing panic rising in my chest.
Blake deserves so much better than me— than this. I’m just too damn selfish to let him go again.
As Blake straightens up, the table erupts in chatter and laughter. Dresden, Blake, and Hastin launch into an animated conversation about the underlying meanings of the Winnie the Pooh characters, which draws everyone’s attention and insane amounts of laughter.
Something makes my hair stand on end, and I scan the faces, finally landing on Sammi. She nods her head so slightly it’s unlikely anyone else has noticed. I mimic the movement to convey to her that our plans haven’t changed.
She takes a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling in almost a defeated way. Just before I go to turn away, Dresden’s glare catches my attention. He stares at me for a moment, looks at Sammi, and then back to me— his face solid as stone.
I attempt a smile, but there’s no doubt about it now— Dresden knows Sammi and I are up to something.
†††
~Blake~
The bourbon is smooth and comforting as it slides down my throat. D
resden, Vlad, Hastin, and I are lounging in the entertainment room. Lily went to relax in the tub, and everyone else is off doing whatever. I couldn’t care less right now. I’d rather be upstairs, buried balls deep in my fiancée, but something tells me she needs some time to herself.
“That bitch is up to something,” Dresden says as he sits back in his leather chair, crossing one leg over his knee.
“Watch it,” I snap. I know he’s angry with Lily, but the name-calling every time he gets mad is starting to piss me off.
“Fuck that, Mason. You didn’t see what I saw at dinner. I’ll call her whatever I want until I find out what she’s planning.”
“Maybe we’re overreacting,” Hastin says as he stands and takes my place at the bar.
I lean against the wall, staring at the dark amber liquid in my glass. “You don’t really believe that, Hastin.”
He sighs loudly and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No, I don’t. But I also know that the more pressure we put on her trying to figure it out, the better she’ll hide it. I’ve been Lily’s psychiatrist for 11 years. Believe it or not, I know more about her than you all do.”
Vlad and Dresden both give a grunt, showing their opinion of Hastin’s statement.
“I can’t tell if Sammi is lying or not,” Vlad says before draining his glass. “Before finding out about everything, I would’ve been able to tell.”
I also drain my glass and set it loudly on the table. “Okay, so where does that leave us? Maybe Hastin is right about letting up on the pressure.”
“And do what? Just let her be stupid like it isn’t going to affect everyone in this house?” Dresden uncrossed his legs and sits forward. “Mark my words. She’s planning something big and something really stupid. If it doesn’t get her killed, it’s going to tear this group apart. I know her. I can feel it when something isn’t right. Vlad can too.”
I look over at Vlad as he sits slumped in his chair. Dresden is right. I can feel it too. In the way she sleeps, the way she kisses me . . . everything seems off right now. Like she is waiting for a dam somewhere to break and us all to drown.
“We don’t have a choice,” I say with finality and defeat. “Plus, I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t kill me soon anyway.”
The room is so silent I could hear a pin drop. Dresden stares at me with narrowed eyes and, for the first time with him, I’m actually worried about his reaction.
