Page 17 of New Year's Faye

“It took me a few minutes to work out where the leak came from, but let’s just say you guys weren’t exactly subtle when it came to hitching your wagons.”

She clicked to the next slide, and I winced as the rest of the table burst out laughing.

“Oh, good lord,” Faye muttered, covering her face with a hand.

We’d been married by a guy in a unicorn suit.

“It seems,” Liz said, her tone dripping with amusement, “the Little Chapel in Chars is famous for their eccentric celebrant options. And apparently you two decided on an Urma the Unicorn rip off.”

The adult cartoon we were all obsessed with. It had started as a sarcastic comic strip a few years ago, before moving to become a webcomic then a fully animated streaming show.

“Definitely off-brand,” I agreed, touching the ring nestled on my third finger of my lefthand. I hadn’t ever been one to wear jewellery, but the weight of it felt good, heavy, solid.

Real.

Unfortunately, the unicorn wedding photo wasn't the worst of it.

"Please tell me there isn't more," Faye groaned, as Liz just clicked to the next slide with barely contained glee.

There we were, standing outside the chapel, my arm around Faye's waist as she brandished a bouquet made entirely of drumsticks.

"I have to admit," Radley said, leaning forward to study the image. "That's actually kind of genius."

"The fans are going crazy over it," Felix added, scrolling through his phone. "Someone's already started an Etsy shop selling rip-off bouquets."

I couldn't take my eyes off Faye in the photo. Even with her sophisticated red dress wrinkled from hours of celebration and her braids slightly mussed but still elegant, she looked radiant. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was breathtaking. The kind of breathtaking that hit you right in the chest, leaving you stunned and slightly off-balance.

I swallowed, forcing myself to don the same mask I’d work every day for the last five years. I had to pretend this didn’t get to me. Thatshedidn’t get to me.

But hell, how could Inotnotice her?

The high-definition photo had captured in loving detail every part of her that drove me insane—the smooth lines of her collarbone, the way that dress hugged her curves, her full lips curved in a smile that I wanted to think was just for me, even though I knew better. I’d seen the smile that lit up her face only a few times—at her brother’s wedding, at our signing with the label, and now at our sham of a wedding.

She reminded me of a butterfly—always moving. You got a sense of beauty from watching her, but it wasn’t until she paused long enough to let you near that you understood just how breathtaking she was.

She always had been. Always would be.

I’d gotten used to admiring her from a distance, trying not to notice the way her brown eyes sparkled when she teased, or thecurve of her lips when she smiled, or the soft slope of her neck that I’d found my gaze lingering on too many times to count.

My gaze dropped to where our hands were linked in the photo, and I could practically feel her warmth, a ghost of the way her body had leaned against me, as if, for just that one moment, she was mine.

You’re friends,I reminded myself for the billionth time.Just friends.

But putting her back into that box when a ring sat snug against my finger felt almost sacrilegious.

But I’d do it. Because Faye meant more to me than a quick lay or some foolish kiss. She deserved more.

"Moving on," Liz interrupted my thoughts. "We need to establish our story and stick to it."

"The truth?" I suggested, earning a collective groan from the band.

"The truth being that you both got wasted and decided getting married by a guy in a unicorn costume was a good idea?" Justice asked, still plucking at his guitar. "Yeah, that'll play great with the press."

"Actually...." Faye straightened in her seat, her PR brain clearly kicking into gear despite the concussion. "Think about it. What's the one criticism we always get? That we're too polished, too manufactured. This...." She gestured between us. “This is real. Messy. Human."

I watched her as she spoke, remembering our conversation in the hospital. The way she'd suggested we stay married until the end of the tour.

I'd thought it was just the drugs talking, but now...

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