Page 60 of The Wedding Fake

Cassandra glanced behind her again, looking doubtful, but I could see what she couldn’t. Billy’s eyes had drifted back to her over and over all night. “You guys don’t understand. We’re friends. He doesn’t see me that way.”

I snorted, and Claire shot me a look I couldn’t read but didn’t like. “You’re gorgeous. There’s no way he hasn’t noticed,” Claire said. “And he keeps looking over here. Go dance.”

“You think?” Cassandra asked. “I don’t want to read the situation all wrong and screw things up.”

“I don’t think you have to worry,” I replied.

Cassandra stood, looking nervous, and Claire stood with her. I missed the feel of her skin under my fingertips. “There’s Emily,” Claire said, her eyes following her sister, who was headed toward the B&B.

I knew I should give her space, but I stood. “I’ll come with you,” I offered. Claire looked as if she might protest, but then she nodded, reaching a hand toward me. I didn’t hesitate to lace our fingers together, catching up in a single stride as we headed into the B&B.

Claire veered us toward the bathroom once we were inside the building, as it was the most likely spot for Emily to be heading, but the door stood open, the room empty. “I’ll look in the bridal suite. She might’ve left something up there or in my parents’ room.”

“Do you want me to check your parents’ room?” I asked.

“Do you mind?” she asked. “My dad has a key. You could run out and get it while I look up in the bridal suite.”

“Sure,” I agreed, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. She grabbed my lapels, holding me in place and deepening the kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the feel of her lips. I was grinning when we parted. “I’ll be back,” I assured her.

“Good,” she replied, smiling softly. It was the most relaxed I’d seen Claire since the evening began.

Charles was easy to find on the dance floor, enjoying the hell out of an ABBA song with Juliet, and though Juliet had made my visit miserable all week, I couldn’t help but find their relationship charming, not unlike my own parents. Under different circumstances, I may have grown to like Claire’s mom and dad. “Pardon me, Charles?” I said, and he turned to look at me, still swaying to “Dancing Queen.”

“What can I do for you, Hudson?”

“Claire was looking for something and she thought she might’ve left it in your room. Would you mind us borrowing the key?”

Charles dug in his pocket, pulling out the key and setting it in my hand. “Help yourself, son.”

I smiled my thanks and Charles and Juliet resumed their dancing.

Back inside, I took the stairs up to room 202, which was marked on the key. I wondered if anyone had ever found one of these keys and broken into a room. I imagined not, or they would’ve stopped giving them out with the room number, as modern hotels had.

I thought I might find Claire while I was walking to the room, but I didn’t, and at the door labeled 202 I slipped in the key and swung open the door.

“Oh, fuck,” I said, the words coming out of me in a tumble as I turned away from the sight in front of me, but I couldn’t unsee it. The backs of Grant’s thighs were bare as he pounded into a woman he held propped against the wall. Except for one long leg, which was bare and wrapped around his middle, her body was covered by his, and though her head was now tucked into his neck, in the moment before she’d hidden her face I’d recognized her well enough.

“Shit,” Grant said. “Hudson, wait.” My hand was already on the knob, ready to walk out, as I heard rustling behind me.

I didn’t need to be part of this bullshit. I pulled the door closed and nearly crashed into Emily and Claire. “What’s wrong?” Claire asked, but I didn’t have time to answer before Grant stumbled through the door behind me, his shirt and pants still unbuttoned. “What the fuck?” Claire said.

“It’s nothing,” I muttered.

Emily ignored me entirely. “Were you having sex in my parents’ room?” she hissed.

“It’s not what you think,” Grant said, his eyes darting to me to see if I would confirm his story.

Claire’s eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me. “Did you walk in on him?”

Grant’s expression begged me to lie.

“I turned around and left really quickly. I didn’t see anything,” I muttered. It was a lie and everyone knew it.

“Who’s in there?” Emily asked, pushing forward to let herself into her parents’ room.

Grant stepped in front of the door, his fingers stilling on the button he’d been fixing. “I’m a grown man, Emily. I can have sex and it’s none of your business.”

“You were seriously having sex in my parents’ room?”