Chapter 2

Gemma freezes.

I look straight at her. "They dated?"

The lounge goes dead silent.

Gemma shakes her head fast.

"No, no. That's not what I meant. It just came out wrong"

I turn to Cash. "You knew too?"

He pulls the cigarette from his mouth and gives a strained laugh.

"Knew what? I practically live at the office. How would I know anything?"

"Cash," I cut in. "You were Sterling's college roommate."

His smile stiffens.

He stares at the cigarette between his fingers for a few seconds.

"Sterling and Renata got pretty close junior year."

"It ended. Then he started dating you. I thought it was over."

I turn to Daphne.

She looks away too.

"Serena, I just... didn't think it was worth bringing up."

"We've all seen how Sterling treats you anyway."

I stand there, trying to process it.

So this is the secret everyone's been keeping from me.

Until tonight, everyone in this room but me knew Sterling and Renata had history.

Maybe they knew it never really ended, either.

Gemma comes over and grabs my wrist.

"Serena, I didn't mean for that to slip out."

"I know."

"Then stop looking at me like that."

I manage a small smile.

"How am I supposed to look?"

Gemma goes quiet.

Cash stubs out his cigarette and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Give Serena a minute."

Gemma lets go of me.

I walk out of the lounge and call my dad.

"Dad... we're not doing the wedding at our hotel tomorrow."

For a second, he doesn't say anything.

"Again? Serena, how many times is that now?"

I stop walking.

How many times?

The first time was two years ago, in the spring.

The venue was already booked when Renata got into a car accident and broke her leg.

I wanted my best friend standing next to me as my maid of honor, so I pushed the wedding back.

Sterling told me it was fine. We could wait.

The second time was that fall.

We picked a new date, but Renata had a falling-out with her family and had nowhere to stay.

Sterling let her move into the condo that was supposed to become our home after the wedding.

"She's in the guest room. I'm in mine. You have nothing to worry about," he told me.

Obviously, the three of us couldn't actually live there together. He suggested pushing the date again.

The third time was last March.

Everything was set when Renata called me in tears, saying her boyfriend had dumped her.

I was scared she might hurt herself, so I stayed with her for three days. The wedding just... didn't happen.

The fourth time was last September.

I dragged Sterling to my parents' place and made him promise, in front of them, no more delays.

A week before the wedding, Renata swallowed half a bottle of sleeping pills.

Sterling took the call in the middle of our final menu tasting and ran out.

One delay turned into another, and somehow they all led back to the same woman.

This is the eighth time we've tried.

The venue is booked. The wedding planner has every detail confirmed.

Our engagement photos are framed. Five hundred invitations already went out.

Everything was finally lined up.

Until tonight, when Sterling ran after Renata again.

Dad coughs on the other end of the line, pulling me back.

"All right. What did your best friend do this time?"

I look up at the dark sky.

"Nothing much."

Dad breathes out, relieved.

Before he can say another word, I add.

"She's just pregnant with Sterling's baby."