Chapter 1

A hotel employee knocked and stepped inside, politely reminding me that I had to check out by 2 p.m. I braced a hand against the wall and forced myself to stand as my vision blurred and darkened around the edges.

Before I could answer, a woman from the bridal shop came in. I had just finished packing my ID and medical records into my overnight bag.

"Ms. Cobb, Mr. Bradford ordered the dress, but he only paid the deposit," she said awkwardly. "He just told us you'd be covering the remaining balance. It's ten thousand dollars."

My phone rang before I could respond.

Curtis Bradford's voice sounded as gentle as ever.

"Leslie, did you finish watching the livestream?"

"I did."

"Good. Then you understand why I had to change brides at the last minute."

He used the same gentle voice he'd used when we were kids, cleaning up my scraped knees, and later when he listened to me complain about work.

After a short pause, he added, "The dress looks good on you. I already paid part of it, so at least you didn't go through all that for nothing."

So in his mind, marrying my sister and then coming back to spend the night with me somehow meant everyone got what they wanted.

My stomach suddenly twisted. I couldn't tell whether my chest or my abdomen hurt worse, and I covered my mouth as blood rose in my throat.

"You're making me pay the remaining ten grand?"

"Shannon's been through enough, and weddings are expensive. You're her sister. What's wrong with helping out with some of the cost?"

Shannon Cobb's soft voice came through in the background.

"Don't blame Leslie. She waited all morning. Of course she's upset."

"See? You're always so understanding."

After reassuring her, Curtis finally turned his attention back to me.

"Come home for dinner this afternoon. Your parents are having a welcome-home dinner for Shannon. Apologize to her in person, and we can put all of this behind us."

"And then what?"

"Then things go back to normal." He said it like it was obvious. "The wedding was just a ceremony. You're still the one I'm legally married to. I never said I was leaving you."

After he hung up, the woman from the bridal shop glanced uneasily at the wedding dress I was still wearing.

I had 11 thousand dollars left in my bank account. That money was supposed to cover my hospital bills, but I couldn't make the bridal shop take the loss.

I paid the balance, changed back into my own clothes, and left the hotel.

My brother, Richard Cobb's car was waiting at the curb. He rolled down the window and nodded toward the back seat.

"Get in."

"I need to go to the hospital."

"This is the first dinner we've all had together since Shannon came home. Don't ruin it."

He pushed the back door open from inside the car, then frowned when I still didn't move.

"Leslie, Curtis lied to you, but he only did it to make things up to Shannon. You owe her ten years. Is one wedding really worth walking away from the family over?"

When I was little and burning up with a fever, Richard once carried me three blocks. Sweat ran down his face, but he still laughed and said I weighed less than his backpack.

Now, he couldn't even be bothered to get out of the car and help me.

"Richard, I really don't feel well."

"You've always been like this. The second something doesn't go your way, you start complaining that you're sick."

His tone softened a little. "Just come eat with us. I'll take you to the hospital afterward, alright?"

He sounded just like he used to when he coaxed me into doing something as a kid. That tiny bit of familiarity was enough to make me get into the car.

But instead of taking me to my parents' house, Richard drove to Curtis's new place. Shannon's shoes sat beside Curtis's by the front door.

Mom was helping Shannon out of her veil in the living room. "You must be exhausted after wearing all this all day. Sit down and rest for a minute."

Dad was sorting through the leftover wedding favors. When he saw me come in, he barely looked up. "Finally. Go change back into the dress so the photographer can get a family photo."

"Why do I need to wear a dress?"

Shannon slipped her arm through Curtis's and smiled. "You can wear something simple, like a bridesmaid dress, and I'll stay in my gown. That way, it'll look like you're actually happy for us."

Another wave of dizziness hit me, and I grabbed the console table by the door to steady myself.