Chapter 4

I turned around immediately, but Xenia hurried after me and grabbed my wrist.

A taunting smile played at the corner of her mouth. "You really misunderstood. There's nothing going on between Yves and me.

"We're just... we're just friends."

"Friends?"

I gave a bitter laugh and calmly pulled my wrist free, my eyes sweeping over the kiss marks covering her skin.

Xenia's eyes immediately reddened, tears spilling down her cheeks as though she were the one who'd been wronged.

"Sarah, we're best friends. Please don't shut me out."

"Not anymore."

I stepped farther away from her.

Our friendship had ended the moment she set her sights on my boyfriend.

The next second, Yves rushed over and put himself between us, shielding Xenia behind him.

"She apologized because she was trying to spare your feelings, and you're still going after her. When are you going to stop?"

My lips twitched. It felt as though my heart were being squeezed out of shape inside my chest.

"I'm the one who won't stop?"

I looked straight at him.

"She was having sex with my fiancé in the bathtub in the home we're supposed to live in after we get married, and somehow I'm the problem?"

"Enough."

Yves's voice dropped instantly, and the look he gave me was so cold and unfamiliar that it frightened me.

"Sarah Cole, you're being completely unreasonable."

Then he turned away without another glance, took Xenia by the hand, and led her back inside.

I stood there for a moment before a hollow smile pulled at my lips.

Even breathing hurt.

After everything that had happened, he still hadn't remembered my name.

I went back to my room, where my phone rang a few minutes later. It was the coordinator, Emily Parker, from our wedding venue.

"Ms. Queen, Ms. Quade said she'd like to turn the reception into a water-park theme. She thinks it would make things more playful.

"She also said she'd like to wear your wedding dress during the ceremony.

"Would you like us to..."

Yves had never taken any interest in planning the wedding.

Xenia, on the other hand, was always coming up with some new outlandish idea. Every time I finalized something with the vendors, she'd make another suggestion.

And every single time, Yves indulged her.

The wedding dress would be no different.

I was silent for a moment.

"Sure. Anything goes."

Emily hesitated. "But..."

"One more thing," I said. "There's been a change of bride. You don't need to contact me about the wedding anymore."

I was done with it.

Done with the wedding.

The argument in the bathroom was still going on when I took some melatonin and lay down.

I closed my eyes and let myself sleep.

I had no idea how much time had passed before I drifted vaguely back to consciousness.

My entire body felt weak, as though I were being roasted alive. I could barely move, much less speak.

Fumbling for my phone, I called Yves on instinct.

"I have a fever. Can you come back and take me to the hospital?"

He answered immediately.

"Yeah. I'm coming right now."

I lay there helplessly as my heart began pounding erratically. The pain in my chest kept getting worse, and each breath came heavier than the last.

Outside, daylight slowly faded.

Still, no one came.

There had been a time when even a small cut from a kitchen knife was enough to send Yves into a panic. He'd insist on taking me to the hospital and sometimes cry harder than I did.

A faint smile touched my lips.

With the last of my strength, I called 911.

I didn't know how many days passed before I finally woke up properly.

When I checked my phone, I saw that Yves had just made a post.

[I may not be able to remember everything, but I want to remember her.]

The photo showed him holding hands with Xenia.

One of his friends had commented:

[The future Mrs. Warren?]

Yves replied:

[Xenia. Same difference.]

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, and for several beats, it felt as though my heart had stopped entirely.

Then Yves called.

"You saw the post? Xenia was curious what it would feel like, so I was just humoring her.

"Don't worry. Nothing's changing. We're still getting married as we planned."

My voice was hoarse.

"Didn't you say you were coming back?"

He went quiet.

"Coming back where?"

Of course.

He'd forgotten again.

I drew a slow breath, though my voice still trembled when I spoke.

"I had a high fever. It turned into myocarditis."

There was a pause.

"Really? That's not that serious, is it?"

A few seconds of silence passed before he seemed to realize how that sounded.

"Are you feeling better now?"

I gave a quiet "Mm-hm" and hung up.

A few days later, on what was supposed to be my wedding day, I was discharged from the hospital and went straight to the airport.

Yves didn't realize anything was wrong until the ceremony began and he saw Xenia standing there in my wedding dress.

As he stared at her in shock, Emily stepped forward.

"Ms. Queen had a flight this morning. It should already be in the air by now.

"She told us several days ago that the bride had been changed."

Emily looked at him in confusion.

"Wasn't that what you wanted?"