Page 24 of Bridesmaid to Bride

“Gross!” August yells out, and Hayes nudges him.

“Sorry,” Eva whispers, but her grin tells me she’s anything but.

As we step apart, a magnetic pull lingers between us. I catch Eva biting her lip in a way that sends my mind rocketing down to the gutter as I envision her naked with my hands roaming every square inch of her.

Jesus! Play it cool.

I shrug. “Totally forgettable.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Bullshit, West.”

After I shoot her a knowing wink, we’re excused from our morning task, so we start to make our way back to the resort.

“Hey, August, that’s a cool camera you’ve got. Can I see your pictures?” Eva asks, and the kid nods enthusiastically, showing us a screen filled with blurry thumbs and skewed horizons. But it’s art through the eyes of a four-year-old, and it’s pretty damn adorable.

“Where’s Mommy? Does she like taking pictures too?” Her voice is gentle.

His little shoulders shrug. “Mommy’s an angel now. She takes pictures from the sky.” His innocence hits me right in the gut, while Eva’s hand flies to her mouth, eyes glossy.

“That’s... I’m sorry, buddy.” My throat is suddenly tight.

“Me too,” Eva whispers.

“Thank you. Well, I better get back to my dad. Bye!” He waves and runs up to Hayes.

As I watch them, something inside me shatters—a mix of heartache for this kid and the fierce hope that life gets less crappy for him and his dad.

Eva’s hand brushes against mine, a silent vow passing between us, and I know she feels the exact same way.

As we walk, the warm, open Eva is replaced by the cool and distant one—the one that appears when she’s protecting herself.

It has to be about what just happened with August. Since Eva lost her mother too, that had to hit her hard. But right now she’s turned herself off like a switch, and I’m fighting for a way to broach the topic with her. Before I can figure it out, she says, “Let’s make a pact.”

I kick a pebble on the ground. “A pact—that sounds so us.”

“It does, right?” Her mouth curves. “You help me make sure my sister’s wedding is perfect and I impress Foster, and I help you do whatever you need to do to get selected for Groomsman to Groom.”

So something heartbreaking happens, and Eva goes right back on task. That’s what she does, and I’m sure it’s some coping mechanism for her. I should’ve known. I let out a sigh. “Well, this one’s a no-brainer since I’m already helping you. So, now, you just have to help me in return.”

“Right. So a win for you.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” I extend my hand. “We’re Batman and Robin,” I add, just to rib her. She hates Robin.

She lifts her chin. “Only if you’ll be Robin.”

I groan, acting like I didn’t see that coming. “I guess I’ll be Robin.”

We shake on it.

12

The Date

EVA

The minute hand on my watch is a traitor. It ticks onward, indifferent to the chaos I can’t fight fast enough. I’m struggling to keep afloat in a sea of tulle and misplaced table settings, all while nursing what feels like the start of an ulcer. But through it all, there’s only one thing I can think about.

That kiss with West, oh my God. Hands down, no question, the best of my life. I’ll be daydreaming about it forever because it’s seared into my brain as the ultimate. West ruined me for guys everywhere because now I know that kind of kiss—the one that makes your heart float, your body buzz, and your knees give out because every nerve ending is short-circuiting.

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