Page 62 of First Comes Marriage

“You married people are no fun,” Gavin said, but his smile made it clear he was teasing.

“Better watch it. You’re next,” Jamie reminded him.

Kyla held up her left hand, her engagement ring sparkling even in the low light. “Yeah, but we’ll still be fun after we’re married.”

Sabrina couldn’t help but smile as the friends teased each other. Somehow these people had become her friends too, and she longed to be a part of their easy laughter. It had been too long since she’d had friends that wereeasy, not since she was younger, before she’d become the black sheep at the fancy private school her parents had sent her to, more interested in spending time in the art studio than shopping or hanging out in the mall food court in hopes some boy would notice her. But this was something different. She wanted to know these people, and have them really know her in return, to be a part of their lives and welcome them into hers.

This, here, with the people Sebastian spent most of his time with, Sabrina finally understood what it meant when someone talked about the family you choose. These people were Sebastian’s family as much as his mother. The kind of family that saw you fully, flaws and all, and still loved you, still chose you. The kind of family youwantedto spend time with. The kind that made you stronger.

For a moment as they all said their goodbyes and she waspulled into one hug after another, she let herself imagine what it would be like if they were her family too. What would it be like to have a family she chose—and that chose her back?

So choose it.

She released Kyla with a promise to meet her for lunch the next day, feeling lighter than she had in years. She could choose this family, this life that had opened up before her. She could choose to keep these friendships, to belong to this town, and maybe even to let herself trust her feelings for her husband.

As if Sebastian could tell her thoughts were wandering to dangerous places, he swatted her butt, a smug grin spreading across his face. “Let’s get out of here.”

They didn’t get far before reality came crashing back in. Sabrina saw her first, though she supposed that made sense. She’d had years more practice spotting, and avoiding, her sister. But she knew the second Sebastian caught sight of Holly leaning against his car in the public parking lot on the edge of the Town Common. His hand went stiff in hers, his back rigid, as every last trace of playfulness disappeared from his face.

Sabrina squeezed his hand, a silent reminder that they were in this together.

“It’s about time,” Holly said with an impatient sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. “How much is there for two grown adults to do at acarnival?”

“What are you doing here, Hol?” Sabrina asked.

“Aunt Lucy said I’d find you here. I almost thought she was joking.” Holly’s upper lip curled in disgust as she glanced around the Common. “Really, Sabrina? You’d rather beherethan at Mom and Dad’s?”

“I would.” It wasn’t even a question. She’d choose Aster Bay, this carnival, anywhere over another second of her mother’s Labor Day party.

“You embarrassed yourself when you left like that,” Holly said.

“Embarrassedyou, you mean,” Sebastian said.

Holly blinked at him, as though she’d only just noticed he was there. “What wouldIhave to be embarrassed about? You’re the one who ran off to Vegas to marry my little sister.” She turned her sharp glare towards Sabrina. “You’rethe one who couldn’t wait to get your hands on my sloppy seconds. Is that why you divorced Jordan, to go after Baz?”

“We’re not doing that,” Sebastian said, stepping slightly forward, as though he could put his body between Sabrina and her sister’s hateful words. “You don’t get to come to my town and—”

Holly waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, yes, we all know, you love your precious town.”

“What do you want?” Sabrina asked.

“I want to know what game you’re playing.” Holly’s eyes darted between them.

“No game,” Sebastian said.

“Please. Of course it’s a game. Why else would she have marriedyou?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sabrina asked.

Something dangerous sparked in Holly’s eyes. She turned her attention back to Sabrina, and Sabrina braced for the impact of whatever venom her sister was about to release.

“Ever since we were kids, it’s been the same tired story. If I had something, you wanted it. And if you couldn’t have it, you did everything you could to ruin it for me. It wasn’t enough that you broke up my wedding to Baz. You had to go and marry him yourself?”

“Listen to me,” Sebastian said as he took a step closer to Holly, his hand slipping from Sabrina’s as he did. His voice was low, as icy as the blue of his eyes, and Sabrina told herself that was why she shivered, not because she missed the feel of his hand in hers. “My marriage has nothing to do with you."

"Doesn’t it?” Holly asked with a mock quizzical tilt of herhead. “Come on, Baz, you’re not that stupid. Can’t you see she’s using you? She wanted to take you away from me then and she wanted to prove some silly little point now.” Holly turned her poisonous stare to Sabrina. “If you’d run into one of my high school boyfriends rather than Baz, would you have married them instead?”

A muscle jumped in Sebastian’s clenched jaw and Sabrina hated that her sister was right. Not about her other boyfriends, but this had all started as a way to prove a point, to get under Holly’s skin. But somewhere along the way it had become more than that, at least to her. She hazarded a glance at Sebastian. His face was unreadable.

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