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“Chloe?” Georgia’s voice breaks through our haze of desire and Chloe pushes me away, straightening the skirt of her dress before walking around the corner.
“I’m here,” she says, her voice too high.
“Come on. It’s time for the reception. Where’s Sean?”
I clear my throat and round the corner, wiping the remnants of Chloe’s lipstick off my mouth. “Here. We ready?”
Georgia looks from me to her cousin and grins. “Looks like it.”
13
COLT
I’ve never understoodthe customs of weddings. You exchange some rings, promise to stay together, kiss, and that should be the end of it. Instead, we get cake and food, too much to drink, music and dancing, but instead of it feeling like the party it’s supposed to be, everyone seems stressed out and tense.
Now, as all the single women stand in a cluster behind the bride, Georgia prepares to throw a bouquet at them. It should be entertaining to watch them fight for prime real estate, but my focus is on Chloe, standing to the side, halfheartedly participating. She’s been different since last night and I know why. Just like me, like Sean, she’s not ready for this to end. But she doesn’t understand that neither Sean nor I want to let her go. She doesn’t get that we’re not going to make her choose.
“Think she’ll catch it?” Sean asks.
“She doesn’t look very intent on it.”
“I think Georgia is going to make it happen.”
I laugh. Probably. That woman is tenacious in a surprising way. She lifts the flowers high above her head, brings them down in front of her and then tosses them behind her directly at Chloe. Our girl can’t help but catch the white roses, and the crowd cheers.
Her eyes lock with mine from across the room. Pride and sadness flash in their depths and I hate that she’s feeling anything but happy. We have to fix this.
“Come on. Our girl needs us.” I stride across the dance floor toward Chloe, but the audience gives whoops and hollers, turning my attention back to the place where Georgia had been standing. Porter has brought out a chair, and he motions for her to sit so he can go diving under her skirt.
The single guys in the group of guests gather around me, Sean by my side, and I can’t get where I need to go unless I shove some of them out of my way. Raunchy music fills the air until Porter comes out from under Georgia’s dress with a frilly garter in his teeth. Then, the piece of silk and lace goes flying and I raise my hand on instinct. So does Sean. The two of us grab the garter together, but we don’t fight over it. This is ours, just like Chloe.
“Well, looks like Chloe’ll have to dance with the two of you instead of just one,” Porter says, laughing.
“Not a problem with us,” Sean offers.
But she’s no where to be found. Not in the crowd, not anywhere under the tent.
“Fuck,” I mutter, releasing the garter and walking away. If I know anything, it’s Chloe. She’s trying to bolt.
I pick up my pace, breaking into a jog as soon as I’m past the group of couples dancing.
“Colt, wait.” Sean’s voice catches my ear but I don’t slow down. He can run.
“She’s going to leave.”
“I know. We have to tell her now.”
The two of us rush from the elaborately set up wedding to the stairs which lead up to Chloe’s room. Taking the stairs two at a time, I head to her door with one goal in mind. Make her see the truth.
I hammer on the door, calling her name, hoping I’m not too late.
“What if she’s gone?” Sean asks.
“Then we find her.”
But we don’t have to find her, because she opens the door. Her eyes are wet with tears. “What?” she asks.
“Don’t do this.”
