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“Josh is what?” I let the door bang against the wall as I came into the room.

They looked up. “Hot,” they said at the same time, not even caring that I’d caught them gossiping.

Unexpected jealousy crawled up my spine. “Yeah, he’s hot,” I said, shaking my head in pretended regret. “But he’s taken.” I shrugged. “And his boyfriend Bruno treats him so well. He’ll never leave that guy.”

They stared at me with doubt thick in their eyes. I leveled a steady gaze back at them, unblinking. They shifted on their feet and broke eye contact first. I smiled inside and then immediately told myself I should be ashamed. Why was I protecting my claim on Josh anyway? I didn’t actually have one. Sure, there’d been some kisses and some feelings—definitely on my part—and Josh had shown a lot of weird concern for me when he’d fought Tanner at the restaurant last night, but none of it mattered. After the wedding, he’d be going back to London, and I’d be doing what I always do—staying stuck behind.

“Finally you’re here!” Lindsay sailed out of the bathroom in a white streak. She stopped in front of me, and I got my first good look at her.

“You’re so beautiful!” I said, tears springing to my eyes. All at once I pictured the little three-year-old toddler who’d clung to my shadow and followed everywhere my much more mature four-and-half-year-old self would go. There was that little girl, that little shadow, my little sister all grown up. She was no longer that toddler. She was getting married and moving toward new horizons in her life. “I’m so proud of you,” I said, feeling much more like the little sister she was leaving behind.

Lindsay’s expression softened, and she wiped at her own eyes. “Don’t you dare make me cry, Margot. My makeup was finally perfect.” She fanned her face with her hands and blinked rapidly, no doubt attempting to dry her mascara before it ran.

“I love you,” I said.

“Seriously, stop it. You’re killing me here.” She smiled through her mistiness and gave me a quick squeeze—arms only with bodies apart and dresses unwrinkled. “I love you too.” She pulled back to look at me with an expression similar to the one Mom had given me in the hallway.

“I know we’ve had our differences and our…rivalries in the past, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. If you ever want to talk. If you ever need me for any reason. I’m here for you.” The line of her lips was firm. She was serious, determined. “No matter where we are. Even while Troy and I are in Bora Bora.”

My heart squeezed with love for my sister. “Thanks, Lindsay.”

She glanced at the door. “Have you seen Josh yet?”

I shook my head and resisted looking over my shoulder to give the evil eye to her gossip-mongering bridesmaids.

She inched closer and dropped her voice. “Make sure you speak with him. He was talking to Troy until late last night.”

My stomach did a flip. “About me?”

She nodded, and her brow furrowed. “And about some kind of fight he had with your boyfriend at the restaurant on your date.”

“Yeah. About that.” I squeezed my shoulders together and grimaced. “He said you told him I was dating a real mannequin. An actual lifeless mannequin. What was that about?”

Lindsay shook her head looking genuinely perplexed. “I’m not sure.”

My eyes went wide. “You mean Josh was making all that stuff up?”

“No. I said it.” Lindsay’s forehead lined with confusion. “And I was genuinely concerned. The guy Josh saw you with at dinner last night—was he the same one Mom and I saw you kissing in front of Bainbridge’s yesterday?”

I blinked at her. “Of course.” How many NYC model boyfriends did Lindsay think I’d collected this week? “Why do you ask?”

She bit her lip and gave her head a micro-shake. “I have no idea what’s going on.” Her eyes widened as something seemed to occur to her. “Is he out there now? Maybe I could just run out there and talk to Tanner real fast. Clear something up.”

“I tried that,” Mom said, coming up behind me. “Josh is busy talking to him right now, and all I could see was the back of Tanner’s head.”

“They’re not fighting, are they?” I craned my head past Mom as if I could get a look at Tanner and Josh through the open door, down the hall, and into the other room. The last thing Lindsay needed at her wedding was a brawl like last night. One of the bridesmaids closed the door, and my heart thrummed wildly. What were Tanner and Josh doing? What carnage would I come back to?

“They’re behaving themselves,” Mom said, raising her chin. “The guests are here—it’s really quite crowded in there. I had trouble seeing anything.”

“But if I could go in there for just a minute, I could see—” Lindsay started.

Mom shrugged helplessly. “Sorry, there just isn’t time. We’ve got to put your veil on. Everyone’s waiting. Oh, and I’d better go claim my seat. Margot can help you with the veil.”

Lindsay laughed. “It’s not like Dad would let anyone else take your seat.”

Mom laughed, too, and gave us each a kiss on the cheek before dashing off to stake her claim on her seat and her husband.

I looked at my sister, considering her in a new light. “You’re so much more easygoing than I expected you to be today.”

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