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Exposing the Groom

By Rachel Van Dyken

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Killian swept in like a knight in shining leather pants to save Scarlett once sheexposedthe groom. The next time they saw each other, they ended up fake-engaged. Can they find a way to make it down the aisle together and live happily ever after? Find out in #1New York Timesbestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s EXposing the Groom, a romantic comedy with a side of rockstar.

How it started:

An accidental phone grab during my rehearsal dinner while my fiancé went to use the restroom.

How it ended:

Reading all the dirty texts between him and my maid of honor, aka little sister, during our vows in front of the world in what would later be considered one of the most viral wedding videos on TikTok.

Of. All. Time.

Did I mention his vows were before mine, and he compared me to my adopted dog because... and I quote, “I’m so loyal.”

It’s not my fault that my first instinct, after exposing his dirty lies, was to run up to the clueless rockstar that was supposed to headline my reception and ask him to sing my tears away. I never expected him to help me escape certain disaster, kiss me senseless, and then buy me ice cream.

But that was all in the past—until I’m staring down at a wedding invitation from the crappy little crap pants ex. You see, he swapped sisters, and now a year later, they’re getting marriedat a gorgeous winery while I’m still staring down at a plus one, wondering if I can bring my pet turtle.

How it happened:

In desperation, I sent a drunken text to the hot rockstar with a picture of my turtle, Chuck Norris… in a bowtie. Who knew he would show up at the wedding—but get this, it wasn’t to save me, nope, it was to… yup, SING!

SHE STOLE HIM TOO!

But now that he’s there and I’m there, and the history is there, I beg him one more time to save me, this time as my date.

But lie after lie just kept pouring out of my mouth until we were somehow fake-engaged.

I would laugh if crying didn’t feel so good.

Should have brought the freaking turtle...

* * * *

“Who gives this woman?” The priest asks. He has no idea what sort of hell I’m about to unleash, it almost makes me laugh.

“Her mother and I.” My dad says proudly.

Rob comes over and reaches for my hand as we walk up to the altar. He even shakes my dads hand, with both of his hands as if to show that he’s this dominate thing when he’s literally afraid of taking me against a wall.

Idiot.

I’m suddenly more angry.

I planned for this moment.

I hold the paper in my left hand, I crumple it, and as we go through the ceremony and get ready to say our vows, Rob turns to me.

“I think about you every day, Scar.” His eyes tear up. “You’re my everything, you’re perfect, my best friend, everything I’velooked for in a life partner. Remember the time we adopted that dog with the missing leg and you said that sometimes you feel like somethings missing on you? I think that something was me, I’m that something, we complete each other—“

The actual hell is he comparing me to a dog? My favorite dog that I will sick on him if he doesn’t stop talking.

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