Page 118 of Necessary Cruelty

Thirty-Five

I’m alonewith Amelia in the dressing room. She is the only addition to the proceedings that I insisted on. Giselle hung around long enough to insist that I change into the pale blue dress she left hanging over the door. My bridesmaids are long gone — apparently, whatever she bribed them with wasn’t enough to get more than the ceremony.

“I can’t believe you’re married,” Amelia says as she collapses into a plush chair.

Giselle wouldn’t let her be a bridesmaid if she wore a homemade dress and her parents wouldn’t let her out in public in anything as scandalous as silk and chiffon. I’d seen the Makepeace’s in the last row of seats during the ceremony, dressed like they were ready for a barn-raising. Getting married made me slightly less of a Godless jezebel in their eyes, which is probably the only reason they allowed Amelia to attend in the first place.

She managed to slip away from her parents’ watchful eye when they struck up a conversation with Father Mackerly about mortal sin. Perfectly appropriate conversation for a wedding.

There hasn’t been anyone else that I can tell the entire truth. Grandpa’s dementia has gotten so bad the he barely knows what day it is, and Zion has already been transported to his diversion program, which won’t let me so much as contact him for the first year. I’ve had to sit here with only the voice in my head to remind me I’m not going completely insane.

“It’s all fake.”

Amelia’s eyes widen into saucers as I tell the whole sordid story. Her mouth falls open when I mention the part about Vin and I eloping to wine country and playing house together for the last few weeks. Since she’s homeschooled, Amelia wouldn’t have seen firsthand the things that went on at Deception High, even if she heard of them. When the story is done, I put into the words the one thing that I never have before.

“I think I might love him.”

She just shakes her head, fanning herself as if suddenly overheated. “Do you think he feels the same way?”

“Vin has never been this nice to me, but I keep telling myself it’s just so I’ll keep my end of the deal.”

“Except the marriage has been legal for weeks, and he still moved you into his house,” she points out. “He definitely didn’t have to do that or buy you a new wardrobe. Stuff like that isn’t what you do when you’re keeping it strictly business.”

“If you say so,” I murmur, even though my heart sings.

“I saw that kiss he just laid on you. Vin Cortland has got it bad.” Amelia picks up a lip gloss and dabs it on her lips then makes a puckering kiss at the dressing table mirror.

I want to believe her so badly that I can barely stand it.

My gaze moves to the tall window, where I can barely make out waves crashing outside in the growing darkness. The reception will go on well into the night if Giselle has anything to say about it, but I’m already looking forward to what will come after.

If my first wedding night was good, I can only hope the second will be even better.

There is a loud banging on the locked door.

Amelia looks amused when I turn to stare at her with wide eyes. “I think I know who that is.”

But when she gets up to open the door, it isn’t Vin who bursts into the room.

Jake freezes in the doorway when he catches sight of me.

I didn’t even realize he had been invited.

When I open my mouth to asks what the hell he wants, he blurts out a question before I have the chance.

“Are you pregnant?”

“What the hell?" I’m not sure if I should be offended at his concern or not. “That isn’t the only reason people get married, you know.”

“I heard him talking about it with that other sociopath he hangs out with, Iain or whatever his name is. Vin was practically bragging about how he was going to trick you into getting pregnant by poking holes in condoms. All so he could get his inheritance.” The words are slurred but clear as Jake leans against the wall for support. His eyes are bleary as he stares across the room at me. It doesn’t take a field sobriety test for me to know he is moments from collapsing in a drunken stupor. “Please tell me that you haven’t fucked him yet.”

Anger rises in me as I stare at him. This guy hasn’t spoken to me in weeks, and now he shows up to ruin my wedding. “Which time? Vin and I have been screwing since sophomore year.”

“You bitch.” His expression turns furious. “So you’ll put out for Cortland, but not for me? I always knew you were a little slut.”

The words slam into me with enough force that it robs me of breath. But Amelia doesn’t suffer the same frozen reaction. She leaps up and hustles Jake out of the room, sending him stumbling in the corridor before she slams the door shut.

“Jealousy sure does strange things to people.” Amelia turns back to me with her eyebrows raised. “You mind telling me what that was all about?”

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