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“This isn’t what it looks like,” he says.
“I know,” Harlow says. “But the look on your face is hilarious.”
If I weren’t so destroyed, I might find the situation amusing. I turn and see Harlow standing there, a cup of coffee in each hand as she eyes me and her boyfriend. I edge a little further away from Linc and try to wipe away the tears streaming down my face. It’s no use, though. They just keep coming. I open my mouth to speak, to try to explain the situation, but a strangled sob emerges instead. I cover my mouth with my hands, letting my coat, the heels and my lingerie fall to the floor.
Harlow steps forward, handing the cups to Linc and putting an arm around my shoulder.
“I’ve got this, big guy,” she says. “Get the door, please.”
I can’t even summon up any embarrassment at the fact that Linc is rummaging through my coat pockets to find my room key, pushing aside my thong and one stocking to find it. To his credit, he doesn’t say anything. He just stands and opens the door so Harlow can lead me inside. Then he gathers up the pile of clothing and follows behind us.
Harlow leads me over to the small couch and sits with me, keeping her arm around my shoulders. She murmurs something that I know is meant to console me, but it’s no use. I can’t seem to stop the tears and the sobs from wracking my body.
“Where should I put this?” Linc asks.
I glance up to see him standing there, awkwardly holding my coat and lingerie, one high heel dangling from his fingertip. I have an insane urge to laugh, but I’m crying too hard for that to be a possibility.
“Just throw it in the trash,” I manage. “I don’t ever want to see it again.”
“Is that from the photo shoot?” Harlow asks. She narrows her eyes at Linc. “Do not throw that away! That outfit washot!”
“Um,” Linc says. “I feel like I should go. Do you still need me here?”
“You can both go,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”
A fresh round of sobs wracks my body and I bury my face in my hands.
“Fuck that,” Harlow says. “I’m not going anywhere. Linc, get me a box of tissues and call Piper. Get her over here.”
“No!” I shout. “Do not call her!”
Harlow eyes me carefully. “Layna, honey, you’re a hot mess. Clearly something happened to you. And while I’m more than happy to be the shoulder you cry on for as long as you need it, your sister would be really upset if you needed her and she wasn’t here. We’re calling her. That’s not a request.”
I realize all at once that there’s no way I’m getting out of this without involving my sister. The second I ran into Linc outside Cole’s hotel room, my fate was sealed. I try to stem the flow of tears, but it’s no use. The truth is, I do want my sister right now. I want her to hug me and tell me it’s going to be okay. I want her to comfort me and tell me I screwed up but it’s not the end of the world.
But the last thing I want to do is add to her stress on her wedding day. As her maid of honor and her older sister, it’s my job to protect her peace today. Not to fuck it up. And finding out that I’ve been sleeping with the groom’s best friend and that I might have ruined all future group outings from now until we die? Well, that might just fuck up her peace.
“It’s her wedding day,” I whisper. “I don’t want to ruin anything.”
“You’re her sister,” Harlow says gently. “She loves you. She’d want to be here for you. Even on her wedding day.”
It’s no use, I realize. And besides, I’m tired of pretending to be strong.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Linc already has his cell phone pressed to his ear and is talking to someone. I hadn’t even noticed he’d made a phone call. I listen as he speaks.
“Yeah, man,” he says, turning back to eye me carefully. “Just send her to Layna’s room. It’s urgent.”
He pauses as he listens for a moment, nodding.
“Have you seen Cole this morning?” he asks.
My heart clenches at the sound of his name, even as I hate myself for that reaction.
Linc sighs and rubs the back of his neck as he paces the room. “No, it’s fine. Nothing to worry about. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
He ends the call and looks over to me briefly before turning to look at Harlow.
