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While everyone drank to the toast, I downed my overly large sip to my thoughts.

Chelsea made a toast next. “I wish Mom were here tonight. Dad, too.”

I knew their father, who’d been uninterested in running the business, was somewhere overseas. I didn’t know why, but I was sure I’d learn over the course of our stay.

I drained my wine, glancing over at Cassandra once more, but her eyes were on Eli, who was standing up.

“What is he doing?” she asked as he strode off across the room toward the bar.

Jude shrugged. “Looks pretty obvious to me?”

When Eli came back a few minutes later, he was double fisting what looked like two double scotches.

“Those both for you, big guy?” Jude asked.

“No. One’s for my friend Blake here.” Eli handed me one of the glasses.

Cassandra’s jaw was tight, and I could feel Lila stiffen beside me too.

“Easy,” Lila said under her breath.

For some reason, this pissed me off. “I’m fine,” I said. Then I took a generous gulp. I knew I was being petulant. I didn’t care. While things had been improving a few minutes ago, having daggers shot at me by two out of the three women at the table wasn’t exactly enjoyable.

“Anyway,” Chelsea was saying on my other side, to Lila, “We don’t do weddings here. Everyone asks, but Cassandra’s not into them.”

“The only reasonable thing I’ve heard about my sister tonight,” Eli said, taking a long sip of his own drink.

“I’d love to do them,” Chelsea said. “But we’re pretty full with conferences and other parties, so it’s not a huge thing.”

“Weddings are something we might want to consider,” Lila said. “Select weddings, anyway.”

I could practically hear both Eli and Cassandra grit their teeth, while Jude shrugged. “Makes no difference to me. I love weddings.”

“Oh really?” Cassandra asked.

“Sure. I’m just never having one myself. But happy to crash!”

“You’ll change your mind one day,” Chelsea said. “Mark my words.”

Jude laughed at that. “Not likely.”

“How about you guys?” Chelsea said. “What was your wedding like? It must have been amazing. The social event of the year, I bet.”

I had to bite down a bitter laugh. It had been hell. Lila and I had hung out in the hotel bar before the event, willing each other to call it off. “You don’t have to do this for me,” she’d said.

“I don’t back out of promises,” I’d lobbed back. I’d known her parents were likely freaking out right at that moment, wondering where their darling daughter was for the photos they would later submit to the society pages. Their darling daughter who was gay and fake-marrying her soccer buddy to hide it from them—her soccer buddy being a man who didn’t give a flying fuck about his own personal life. Who cared only about his blind drive for success.

Obviously, I didn’t say any of this. Though tonight, I was tempted. Lila and I had a canned answer—I often gave it myself: ‘An intimate gathering of two hundred of our closest family and friends.’ But I wasn’t in the mood to play along.

“It was nice,” I said.

“Typical man,” Lila laughed, but she kicked me hard under the table.

I knew that particular kick. Whatthe hell is wrong with you?

I angled my legs out of kicking distance and took another sip of my drink.

“Actually, I remember your guys’ wedding,” Eli said.