Page 5 of Harrison's Wedding

“Harrison, happy birthday! How are you feeling?”

I smile at the woman and say, “Great, thanks.”

“Harrison! What do you think of Gabriel’s new girlfriend?” another reporter asks.

“She’s very nice,” I tell them.

“Have you met her?”

I have to withhold laughter as I think about the hours and hours that I spent hanging out with Ariana when she was dating Gabriel before.

“Yes.”

Understatement of the century. I mean…she did kind of blow all our lives up at one point, but at least they seem happy now.

“Heather! Have you met her?” the same person asks.

I feel her body tense slightly and apprehension washes over me as I wait for her response, unsure of what she’ll say.

“Yes, I have,” she says simply.

“Do you like her?” someone else chimes in.

I know Heather promised to be on her best behavior tonight, and she’s alsoverygood about keeping up appearances. After all, she’s basically been media training as long as we have. It doesn’t stop my concern that she might actually speak the truth.

“He seems very happy,” she says with a bright smile on her face.

Her careful wording doesn’t escape my attention. The reporter seems happy with the response, but I know my angel, and that is very much a non-answer. She’s expertly slipped out of their tentacles with an answer that seems as though she’s giving them her thoughts when she isn’t.

We continue up the red carpet, and I realize that we’re going to catch up with Gabriel and Ariana soon. My friends are traversing The Gauntlet ridiculously slowly because the paparazzi all want the chance to get a photograph or soundbite from the new couple. This is a prime chance to be one of the first outlets with a picture of them.

I can feel the tension in Heather’s body as we get closer to them. This will be the first time Heather’s seen Ariana since she ditched us all. It’s not ideal for it to happen this way, with the press capturing every move we make, that’s for sure.

I squeeze Heather quickly, so she knows that I’m here and supporting her. She takes a deep breath and releases it slowly as we approach them. She arranges her face into a bright grin that I know is fake as fuck, but will pass for anyone who doesn’t know her as well as I do.

“Hi!” Gabriel greets us with a massive grin on his face.

He’s wearing a tuxedo, and his long blonde hair is tied back tonight. His bright blue eyes stand out, and, all in all, he looks happier than I’ve seen him look in a long time.

“Hey, Gabriel.” I smile back at him.

Standing next to him, Ariana looks lovely in a light blue dress, with her long brunette hair flowing down her back.

I meet her emerald green eyes and smile at her as well before saying, “Hey, Ariana.”

“Hi, guys,” Ariana says in a soft voice.

Gabriel is holding her hand, and she’s leaning into him, looking nervous. Cameras are repeatedly flashing, while mics and video cameras are all recording every second of our conversation. Whatever we do or say will be analyzed by the entire world when these pictures and videos make their way online.

“Hey, darling,” Heather says, stepping forward to give Gabriel an air kiss on his cheek. She turns to her Ariana and says in a perfectly even tone, “Hello, Ariana.”

I keep the smile on my face, but a wave of annoyance comes over me as Heather hugs her, and Ariana stiffens when she does. Heather did that on purpose. She calls practically everyone ‘darling,’ so calling Ariana by her name was her being petty.

Gabriel catches my eye, and his eyes narrow the tiniest amount at me. There will be a conversation about this later, no doubt. I’m concerned that this tension will cause issues within our group. And this is just Heather. Hell knows how things will go once we’re inside and Sebastian has his say.

All four of us know what Heather did, but the media are completely oblivious, and one of the reporters calls out, “Can we get a photo of you together?”

We turn and stand next to the other couple for a photo. Gabriel and I are on the ends with Heather and Ariana in the middle. I’m concerned for a second that Heather might make a big deal out of this, but she doesn’t. She puts her arm around Ariana and smiles at the cameras instead. I feel her body relax as she puts on a front for the cameras that are blinding us with their flashes.

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