Page 128 of Crash

Jace: Tessa. On Blake’s arm.

Jace: Looking very … not sisterly.

Ryker: My sister’s catastrophic taste in men has finally reached apocalyptic proportions.

Axel: WHAT

Axel: THE

Axel: FUCK

Axel: So … that black eye makes a lot more sense now.

Ryker: He got lucky. I was distracted by the shock of finding out my best friend and my sister have been lying to my face.

Axel: That’s it? No murder? No grave? What happened to “touch my sister and die”?

Ryker: Tessa threatened to tell our mother about spring break, freshman year, if I interfered.

Axel: This is bullshit. I was promised violence. I had money on someone losing teeth.

Me: Your disappointment in the lack of bloodshed is genuinely concerning.

Axel: Says the guy who’s been secretly dating his best friend’s sister while treating patients. Very serial killer origin story of you.

Ryker: Don’t push it, Axel.

Axel: Or what? You’ll give him another chance to punch you? *eye roll emoji*

Jace: Are we just going to ignore that there’s apparently a spring break story that’s worse than Ryker’s sister dating his best friend?

Axel: Yeah, why don’t we remember that?

Ryker: You two were both blackout drunk that night, thus your convenient amnesia.

Axel: NEW MISSION ACQUIRED *target emoji*

Ryker: I will end you.

Me: Now who’s making death threats?

Ryker: Shut up, sister kisser.

Axel: Would this be a bad time to mention I finally got that rash to go away? Turns out, it wasn’t an STD!

Everyone: SHUT UP, AXEL.

65

TESSA

“The wedding was magnificent, Tessa.” Shelly’s eyes sparkled as she raised her crystal flute of champagne, the bubbles catching the soft glow of thousands of twinkling lights overhead.

I breathed in the magic of the moment, letting myself finally, finally, take it all in. The grand ballroom had been transformed into an enchanted garden, with cascading wisteria and delicate white orchids creating ethereal archways overhead. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic rainbows across the marble floors while vintage mercury glass votives flickered like captured starlight on every table. The string quartet’s melody floated through the air like silk, wrapping around couples as they swayed on the dance floor. Every detail, from the hand-calligraphed place cards to the towering cake draped in sugar flowers, was exactly as I’d dreamed it would be for Shelly.

Then there was Blake—handsome, sexy Blake in his tux—respectfully staying away from me so I could do my job but flashing me moments of encouragement throughout the event.

“I hope it’s everything you imagined,” I managed.