“Seriously, Jodie, dinner’s over. You don’t have to talk to Charlotte or Carrie or whatever her name was again tonight. Give it a rest.” I blew out a breath.
She pouted. “It’s all right for you. You had top table privileges, like you got to eat first.”
I stifled a laugh. Sure, being part of the main wedding group had its benefits. Everyone stared adoringly at you for the whole day, but in truth it was hella dull waiting to have your photograph taken. Thankfully, Joshua had intervened in the list of shots Brianna wanted, making sure the groomsmen’s ones were at a minimum and done as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted was for Evan, Trent, and me to be bored or too drunk to take decent pictures.
“Oh, yeah, all the benefits.” My gaze scanned the room, spotting Sophie on her own at the bar. Tempting though it was to go over to her, I had some naïve obligation to entertain Jodie. She was a nice enough girl, but she didn’t possess the same level of elegance and refinement Sophie had. I often wondered how they’d ended up as friends.
“How much longer until the toast and cake?” Jodie asked, as if I knew everything.
“Soon.” I glanced at my watch. In all honesty, I didn’t have a clue. I wondered if anyone would miss me if I snuck back to the cabin and camped out on the sofa watching a movie. Action or horror, preferably.
“Max!” Joshua slapped me on the back, bringing me some brief respite from Jodie. “Having a good time?”
Brianna stood next to him, holding onto his hand as if she were never going to let him go.
The couple radiated happiness, both smiling broadly as they circulated the room, making sure they spoke to each and every guest.
“You shouldn’t have to ask. Everything has been so beautiful,” Jodie gushed, grabbing Brianna’s free hand and squeezing it tight. “It’s been the best day.”
Brianna turned to Joshua. She stared up at him, almost worshipping him. “It really has been, hasn’t it?” He kissed the top of her head, pulling her close to him.
I almost flinched at their closeness. More than anything, I wished I had what they had.
“Time for the first dance soon,” added Joshua. “Who’re you gonna ask?” He cocked his head towards the bar, where Sophie stood.
In the time we’d been speaking, Trent had appeared beside her. My eyes narrowed. I thought I’d warned him off. Obviously, I hadn’t been clear enough.
The music slowed, as Joshua had predicted.
Jodie tugged at the sleeve of my dress coat. “Do you want to dance?”
Every fiber of my body screamed no. No, Jodie, I don’t want to dance with you. I wanted to be strong enough to go up to the bar and demand Sophie take to the floor with me. I opened my mouth to say the words, only to see Trent extend his hand. Sophie grinned as she took it, and they walked towards the dance floor.
My heart sank.
Best laid plans.
With a deep sigh, I turned back to Jodie and plastered on a smile. “Sure, let’s dance.”
We shuffled awkwardly around the floor. Our bodies didn’t seem to fit in the same way Sophie’s and mine did when we snuggled in bed last night and this morning. Those few precious hours felt like a lifetime ago.
Jodie laid her head on my shoulder, eyes closed, and a smile playing across her lips. Oh, how I wished it were Sophie instead.
As we moved, I tried to get a glimpse of Sophie and Trent, but whenever I managed to get them in my eye line, her back was to me. I couldn’t tell whether she was enjoying the moment or not.
“Ah, this is so good,” Jodie breathed. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to get close to you.”
At Jodie’s words, I sprang back, standing stock still on the edge of the dance floor. Another couple bumped into me, tutting and huffing I’d interrupted their flow.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
She put her hands on her hips. “Well, you can’t possibly think anything’s ever going to happen between you and Sophie?” Her eyes rolled back in her head so hard, I wondered if they would ever come back to normal. “You’ve had ten years to make it work, and what’s the result? Nada. Zip. Zero. Nothing.”
I opened my mouth to mention what had happened last night, but Jodie didn’t deserve to know the truth.
“You should try something new. Someone who won’t cause so much of an issue with Autumn.” Jodie threw her hands up in the air. “Like me!”
The confidence of the woman bordered on arrogance. A small part of me applauded her for that level of bravado. But I was about to smash her dreams into tiny pieces.
“Sorry, Jodie. You are a lovely woman, gorgeous, intelligent and all, and you’ll make some guy really happy. But that guy’s not gonna be me.”
“Sophie isn’t even interested in you.” Jodie pointed in the direction of where she was swaying to the music in Trent’s arms. “Look.”
I felt my eyes turn green as I stared at them over the other side of the room. Jealousy ate at me, and I knew I needed to talk to Sophie.
But I needed to talk to my sister first.
Without another word, I turned my back on Jodie and went in search of Autumn.
Tracking her down was harder than I’d anticipated. She wasn’t on the dance floor; she wasn’t at the bar. I even hung around outside the bathroom to see if she was in there.
Eventually, I found her in the foyer, chatting to Brianna’s sister.
“Oh, thank God I’ve found you!”
I clutched her arm, dragging her away from the conversation, much to the open-mouthed surprise of Brianna’s sister.
Autumn swatted my hand away. “Get off me, you idiot. What’s the matter?”
“I need to talk to you. Now.”
Her eyes clouded over. “What’s wrong?”
“Not here. Come with me.” I started towards the stairs up to the Gentlemen’s Suite,
