CHAPTER 024: You’ve Been Warned
CHAPTER 024: You’ve Been Warned
I don’t smile.
I can’t even bring myself to.
Nothing would have pleased me more than to have Delilah this cornered. But when I think about the implications of Hur s statement, my lunch suddenly doesn’t sit right in my stomach. I never told him. How’s it possible that I never did?
I walk across the hotel lobby without a word.
Hunter says something behind me, but I keep going. I don’t want to see him or Delilah right now, though I can feel her ga burning through my shoulder blades. She’s probably wondering when I plan to attack.
This is not about you, Delilah. Chill.
Once we’re outside, I cross to where my car is parked at the curb, open the driver’s door, slip into the seat, and turn just enough to toss a sharp look over my shoulder.
“Let’s go, lovebirds,” I say, voice flat.
They shuffle in, the two of them sliding into the backseat. As Hunter fusses with his coat, Delilah’s eyes catch mine in th rearview mirror. There’s a pleading expression there.
I look away.
Engine on. Gear shift. Then–music.
A rock song roars to life through the speakers, the kind with screaming vocals and a dirty guitar solo that perfectly matches my mood.
“Not today, Knox,” Hunter groans. “Play love songs.”
“In my car?”
“Today’s all about me.”
“I don’t care. I’ll destroy the Bluetooth speaker if any Celine Dion shit comes out of it.”
Hunter laughs. “You never compromise for anyone. You’re so annoying.”
I shake my head but smirk anyway. Then I search through my playlist until I find one–a power ballad with enough guitars to keep my dignity intact and just enough lyrics about eternal love to shut him up.
Hunter leans back, humming along. “Now this is what I’m talking about. I take it back. You do compromise. You’re a good friend.”
“Whatever. Don’t go soft on me now, Hunt.”
My eyes stay glued to the road. I’m trying not to think about anything and to avoid Delilah, who’s mercifully no longer speaking. I’m going to enjoy torturing her throughout the night with the possibility of me telling Hunter the truth. This I’ll d because if I’m not doing something evil, I’ll start thinking of myself as the evil one. The bad friend who kept important secrets from Hunter.
The venue is packed.
One can only wonder how many people Hunter and Delilah know to gather so much of a crowd.
People are scattered across the ballroom, laughing in small clusters, glasses clinking, waiters floating by with trays of champagne and canapés.
Delilah’s family surrounds her. They’re all admiring her jewelry, her hair, her gown–or whatever expensive shit Hunter bought. She smiles through it, but every now and then, she turns in my direction. Then she looks at Hunter, who’s busy working the room like a senator–shaking hands, hugging uncles, posing for photos.
I sip from my glass and keep my eyes on the entrance.
There’s only one person I want to see.
“Hello, Knox, someone says behind me.
I turn. It’s Casper. We were teammates on the lacrosse team in high school, but he wasn’t my friend. Somehow–since the world is constantly proving to be a small place- he knows Hunter and is one of the groomsmen.
“Casper,” I say.
Successfully unlocked!
He smiles. “I didn’t get the opportunity to talk to you at the rehearsal.”
“You can say whatever you want to say here.”
He tucks his hands into his pockets, trying to look casual. “I mean, it’s a little weird, don’t you think? Vou
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CHAPTER 024: You’ve Been Warned
this wedding.”
I arch a brow. “Did you want the position for yourself?”
“Not exactly. I just… Delilah’s the bride. She’s basically gone full circle. You, your brother, Hunter. Who’s next?”
I finish my drink in one swallow and set the glass on a passing tray.
“Go give it a try, Casper. I know you want her. You always have. Maybe this time she won’t reject you.”
He frowns as I walk away.
I move through the room, greeting people I know, nodding at old acquaintances, dodging a few who still hold grudges from back in the day.
The décor is lavishly over the top, just like Delilah wanted. Candles in glass orbs. Roses and eucalyptus lining the front of the hall.
I’m mid–sentence with Hunter’s father when I feel it.
Her.
Even before I turn, I know.
I look up–and there she is.
Sloane.
The dress fits her better than anything I imagined. Black, slinky, cutting just below the collarbone, hugging her in all the right places. The fur coat she’s wearing only makes it worse–teasing at what I know it’s covering.
Her eyes scan the room and find me.
I excuse myself without finishing my sentence.
My eyes are on her all the way. I don’t give any thought to Finn, who walked in beside her, looking around the room for Delilah.
I’m halfway to her when someone steps into my path. I recognize the scent.
“Mom?”
“Knox, darling,” she says. “You couldn’t even try to put on a suit for your friend?”
I sigh. “I’m only wearing one suit this weekend, and it’s the one I’ve prepared for tomorrow. That’s the best you all are getting from me. Welcome to the party anyway, Mom.”
I try to sidestep her, but she blocks me again, waving the diamond bracelet I bought for her in my face.
“The bracelet looks divine, Knox. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to-”
She loops her arm through mine.
“Be a dear, Knox, and find your mother a seat. These arthritic feet are being bitchy tonight.”
My suspicions are piling up. Is she up to something? At first I thought it was the excitement of me being in Asheville after months away, but there’s certainly a pattern emerging.
“What’s your plan here, Mom?” I ask.
“My plan?” she says sweetly.
“You’re acting suspicious.”
She doesn’t answer. Just pulls me toward the far side of the room and into a seat beside her.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” she says. “You’ve always been a smart one. I have waited for this day for months, and you’re not ruining it for me.”
“What are you talking about? Why are you even here?”
“Delilah’s parents invited me.”
“They’ve invited you to a dozen other events, and you never showed up.”
“I know you’ve got your eyes on your brother’s friend. I’m asking you, as your mother, to let it go. Finn deserves happiness, and I’m here to make sure he gets it–come rain or fire. Delilah will marry your friend. Finn will finally focus on what’s right in front of him. And Sloane will help him do that. If you distract her with your… seductive ways, she won’t be able to stop him from self–destructing. I won’t let that happen, Knox. You’re not leaving this seat. You’ll stay right here with me.”
I’m trying to wrap my head around the words coming out of her mouth.
“You want to use Sloane to distract Finn?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
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CHAPTER 024: You’ve Been Warned
The emcee taps the mic, and people begin to take their seats.
I lean in, whispering low. “They’ve been friends for years. If Finn had feelings for her, don’t you think they’d have dated already?”
“He just needs the right push. Once Delilah’s gone, Finn will see clearly*
“I have this gnawing feeling that you approached Sloane. Did you talk to her about this??
“I did. I even offered her money.”
“You did what?”
“Don’t look at me like that. You’re not a saint either.”
“Oh, yeah? You’re playing on her emotions, Mom. For what? Finn?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing? You’re not genuinely interested in her. You just want to provoke Finn. I’m asking you to sta out of it.”
I glare at her, and she returns it.
“The only reason I’m still sitting here,” I say, “is because there is no empty seat beside Sloane. And you’re wrong. I want i because I want her. So whatever games you’re playing, leave me out of them. I’m done sacrificing anything for Finn. If yo try to keep me from her, I’ll ruin this wedding so fast the flames won’t have time to spread. And trust me, I’ll make absolutely sure Finn gets back with Delilah.”
She draws back, quiet.
In the background, the emcee is cracking jokes and causing the room to burst into laughter.
“You used to be a better son,” she says. “You enlisted in the army, came back, and now you’re someone else. Selfish. Heartless.”
“The boy Dad sent away didn’t come back. You got the upgraded version.”
She shakes her head. “Well, I’m sorry you want to ruin your brother’s happiness over something that happened years ago. But luck is not on your side this time. Sloane doesn’t want you. She wants Finn. It’s best you save yourself another heartbreak and stop now.”
Iglance toward Sloane.
She lifts her head, like she’s been waiting for me to look. She smiles. So soft. So beautiful.
I smile back. My chest beats faster, and, as is becoming a habit, my pants tighten at the groin.
“You’re wrong, Mom,” I say. “She wants me, and I intend to make her mine. Take this as a formal notice that you’ve been warned.”
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