Chapter 3

The door opened.

Bayard walked in carrying Zara.

The second Zara saw me, she squirmed out of his arms.

She stumbled against the wall, barely upright, then rushed over to me.

"Raina!"

She dropped down in front of me, her face going white.

"Why is your leg bleeding so much?"

Panicked, she yanked out the first-aid kit and knelt in front of me to clean the wound.

The alcohol hit the raw skin, and my fingers curled from the sting.

"Bayard, come help me!"

There were tears in Zara's voice as she called toward the doorway.

Bayard stood frozen.

He looked at me, the conflict clear in his eyes.

Like the words were already at the back of his throat, and one more nudge would send them spilling out.

Finally, he walked over.

His voice was rough.

"Raina, there's something I need to tell you—"

"Bayard!"

Zara's head snapped up.

Tears spilled down her face as she shook her head at him, desperate.

In that moment, I could practically see the invisible thread strung between the two of them.

Bayard's fists clenched and unclenched.

Like every ounce of resolve had suddenly drained out of him.

He looked at me for a long moment.

In the end, he said nothing.

He turned and slammed the door behind him.

Zara lowered her head and hurried to bandage my wound, her voice unsteady.

"He's just… stressed."

"The wedding's coming up. He's been all over the place lately."

She looked up and forced a smile.

"Raina, you've been looking forward to this for so long."

"I'm happy for you."

I turned my face away before the tears could fall.

After I went back to my room, my phone lit up again.

This time it wasn't a text.

It was a voice memo.

"On your wedding day, Zara ran up to the hotel rooftop in tears."

"The officiant reached the final line: 'You may now kiss the bride.'"

"Bayard just stood there."

"Then… he suddenly turned and ran out of the ballroom."

"I went after him."

"I followed him all the way up to the roof, and I saw them kissing in the wind, holding each other like they'd never let go."

"He slid the wedding ring onto Zara's finger."

"I had an attack right there."

"It was worse than any attack I'd ever had."

"After that, my legs never really recovered."

"For a long time, I could only get around in a wheelchair."

I bit down hard on my lower lip, refusing to let myself sob.

A long time passed before the woman asked quietly, "What do you want to do right now, more than anything?"

I stared at the floor.

My voice barely sounded like my own.

"I want to find him."

"I want to hear him say it himself."

"Just once."

"I want him to tell me who he really loves."

I grabbed my coat and drove to the bar Bayard hit up with his friends.

The lighting was dim, and the bass pounded through my chest.

Standing at the entrance, I spotted Bayard right away in the corner.

He was slumped on the couch, looking hollowed out.

Howard sat beside him, patting his shoulder.

"If you're going to tell her the truth, quit dragging it out," Howard said. "But don't make this any uglier than it already is."

"Remember the last time Raina had an attack out in public? You lost it so badly the paramedics could barely hold you back."

"And that necklace she gave you? Still in your drawer. You won't let anyone near it."

Bayard flinched like he'd been stabbed.

He shoved Howard's hand off his shoulder.

"You don't know a damn thing."

His voice was hoarse, caught somewhere between drunk recklessness and painful clarity.

"I got close to her, I took care of her, because of Zara."

He closed his eyes.

"Even if it started because of Zara, I can't just walk out on Raina now."

Howard watched him for a long beat.

"And now?"

Bayard didn't answer.

Finally, he said, "I don't know."

Howard stared at him, then stood up.

Before he walked off, he said, "Don't wait until she's really gone to figure it out."

I stood there for a long time.

Then I finally walked over.

"Bayard."

He looked up.

"We're done."

His whole body went rigid.

His mouth opened like he wanted to explain.

But I'd already turned around.

And walked out.