I Was Never One of Them

Vera Lambert leaned against Joshua Renfrow's chest and smiled at me. "It's just a game. You're not seriously jealous, are you?"

Joshua ruffled her hair. "Don't mind her. She's always been a sore loser."

On the last night of the trip, they drew matching wedding dress cards. That meant they had to stage a mock wedding.

Vera put on the wedding veil I had brought with me. Then Joshua took my engagement ring off my finger and slipped it onto hers.

Everyone crowded around them, chanting, "Kiss!"

Joshua leaned down and kissed her.

While everyone else was cheering, I opened the box my cards had come from. Every single card inside was blank. Joshua's and Vera's boxes were filled with matching moons, roses, and wedding dresses.

So I hadn't been unlucky after all. The game had been rigged from the start. It had always been about the two of them.

I smiled and deleted all the wedding invitations I'd prepared. If I could be the odd one out on a trip meant for six, then none of them needed a place in my future.

As I deleted the invitations, a burst of cheering erupted behind me.

Joshua had finally pulled away from Vera, his hand falling from her waist. Her cheeks were flushed, but her hand still rested on his shoulder.

Someone shouted, "Kiss her again!"

Joshua laughed. "Get lost."

But he didn't step away from her.

Then Vera noticed me. Her gaze dropped to the ring on her finger, as if she had only just remembered it was there.

"Tara, it's stuck. I can't get it off."

She gave her hand a little shake and said innocently, "Can I keep it on for tonight?"

Joshua had given me that engagement ring on my birthday. He told me it had been custom-made to fit my finger. Yet somehow, it fit Vera perfectly.

I didn't point it out. I just nodded. "Sure."

Joshua glanced at me, clearly surprised that I had agreed so easily.

Then he frowned. "Tara, stop acting like you've been wronged. Everyone came on this trip for us. Don't ruin the mood over a game."

I looked at him. "I'm not."

"Then smile."

Finn Coburn already had his phone out. "Come on, bride and groom. Look at the camera."

The others quickly crowded in around Joshua and Vera. The five of them lined up perfectly for the photo.

Finn handed me his phone. "Tara, you're the best at taking pictures. Get a few good ones."

I took it.

Joshua stood in the middle. Vera, still wearing the wedding veil, had her arm linked through his. The other three gathered around them. They looked like they were posing for a real wedding photo.

Joshua called out impatiently, "Tara, what are you waiting for?"

I snapped out of it and pressed the shutter. I took more than a dozen photos, and I wasn't in a single one.

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already 2:00 am.

I had booked three suites for the six of us, two people to a room. The other four had two rooms between them, while Joshua and I were supposed to share the third.

But as we picked up our key cards, Calvin Jenner suddenly grinned. "There are still 12 hours left in the couple challenge. Joshua and Vera have to room together tonight."

My hand went still around the key card. "They have to share a room too?"

Vera acted like it was no big deal. "We're just sleeping in the same suite. The beds are separate. Nothing's going to happen."

Joshua frowned. "With everyone here, what exactly do you think we're going to do?"

I looked at him. "Then where am I supposed to sleep?"

Everyone glanced at one another.

Finn pointed toward the end of the hallway. "Joshua and Vera have the family suite. There's a pullout couch in the living room. Just sleep there."

So I was supposed to sleep just outside the room my fiancé and best friend were sharing, listen to the door close behind them, and wait for their 24-hour game to end.

The whole thing suddenly felt ridiculous.

"I'll get another room."

Calvin stopped me. "Come on. Rooms here cost thousands a night. Why waste the money? We've all known each other since we were kids. It's not like we're strangers."