Page 47 of Bridesmaid to Bride

Jess arches an eyebrow. “I don’t know about impressive—but it’s something.” Her laugh gives away her bluff. “I bet you have more than a bud.”

“Definitely more.” I clink my glass against both of theirs. “To random, useless knowledge that may or may not be impressive.” Their laughter fades into the buzz of conversations when my eyes betray me, sneaking another glance at Eva.

She and Foster are picture-perfect—her smile could light up the ocean below. Earlier, Foster was doing that thing where he touches her lower back, his fingers grazing just above the curve of her hips. It was casual. Intimate. Possessive.

The taste of envy is bitter on my tongue. I turn back to the bridesmaids, my smile as authentic as a three-dollar bill.

“West, you okay?” Concern twists Brielle’s face.

“Never better,” I lie, my hammering heart suggesting otherwise. “Just thought I saw a dolphin.”

“Really? Where?” Brielle peers past my shoulder, and I’m grateful for the distraction.

“Must’ve been my imagination.” All I can think about is being the one making Eva laugh, the one who knows where to put my hand on her back to make her shiver.

“Your loss,” Jess chimes in. “Dolphins are good luck, especially at weddings.”

“Guess I’ll just have to settle for the luck of two stunning bridesmaids.” I’m fighting to keep up with witty comebacks and playful smiles.

The clinking of a glass pulls my attention away. Eva’s dad stands, and all chatter dissipates as he commands the room. He’s got that proud papa bear look as he raises his champagne flute, grinning so wide I’m surprised his face doesn’t crack.

“Everyone, if I could have your attention,” he booms. The crowd falls silent, all pairs of eyes fixed on him.

“Tonight I want to toast my firecracker, Paige.” His voice softens, and there’s this twinkle in his eyes. “From the moment she could walk, that girl was charming the socks off everyone and surprising me at every turn.”

I smile because it’s true. Paige is a charmer—she could convince a nun to hit Vegas. But I can’t help but sneak a glance at Eva. She’s clapping along, but I see the glint of something deeper in her eyes. Pride? Wistfulness?

“Let me tell you about the time I caught Paige, six years old, sweet-talking a customer service rep into helping her open her own bank account.” Neil chuckles, and the crowd laps it up like it’s the last round of beers. “I knew then she was a chip off the old block—Daddy’s girl through and through.”

Yikes. My eyes dart to Eva, along with several others, watching her expression because we all can’t help but wonder how that phrase must’ve made her feel.

Eva’s smiling wide, only the slightest shift in her chair giving away her discomfort.

So Paige opened a bank account. Eva has told me that she spent the same age plotting how to save the world. And just two years later, she’d be the one to save her struggling family.

Neil doesn’t miss a beat, jumping straight into another tale. “Fast forward to college, and there Paige was, backpacking across Europe. No reservations, no fear, just pure adventure. I couldn’t be prouder of my little globetrotter. She’s always been special.”

The room swells with applause and whistles, but I can’t peel my eyes away from Eva. She’s the picture of grace as she claps for her sister, yet I catch that telltale shadow flickering behind her smile. Doesn’t her asshole father see she’s got Paige’s same fire? It’s in a kitchen instead of a mountain, but fuck, it’s all there.

It’s taking everything in me to keep from jumping on a table and shouting out how Eva’s every bit the badass her sister is—and then some.

Neil finishes with, “To my daughter, the killer-instinct prosecuting attorney who seizes the bad guys and life by the throat and wrestles them into submission.” A chorus of laughs ripples through the guests. “In every family, there’s that one person who makes you smile like no other, who you look at with awe. In ours, that’s Paige—she’s fearless, brilliant, and destined for greatness.” His gaze sweeps over the crowd, not lingering a second on Eva, whose smile is tight. “Here’s to Paige!”

“To Paige,” the room echoes, and I clink glasses with Jess, who’s smiling at me.

But in my head, I’m rewriting the toast. Here’s to Eva: the unsung hero, the quiet strength, the woman who damn well deserves her own standing ovation.

Eva’s clapping, sure, but her lips are caught between her teeth like she’s trying to trap the words about to spill out. And her expression—it screams ‘I’m fine’ in a language that means anything but.

Shit. I know that look—it’s the same one I see in the mirror sometimes, when I think too hard about what I’m doing or trying to prove.

“It’s time for dancing!” Neil announces, and the crowd shuffles to the floor as the music starts.

“Look at those birds flying just above the surface of the water.” Brielle leans close enough for me to catch the scent of her jasmine perfume.

“Where?” Jess snaps a selfie with the ocean backdrop.

“Wow,” I say, but I’m not looking. My eyes glue to Eva, who’s smiling as she’s waving Foster to join the group of guests moving onto the dance floor. But instead of joining them, she politely excuses herself, her grace concealing the stiff set of her shoulders to everyone but me.

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