Page 91 of The Plus One Contract

“We crossed a line,” she murmurs.

“We crossed a line.”

She wets her lips. “We can’t do that again.”

My stomach clenches. She’s not wrong. Neither of us needs this complication. The entire reason we started this was to help each other save face. No strings, no real intimacy. Yet every time I’m near her, my control slips a little more.

“Agreed,” I say at last. “So that’s settled. Can we go back to you annoying the shit out of me instead of icing me out? I’d rather have you rolling your eyes at me than acting like I don’t exist.”

Her breath catches, but after a moment, a small smirk tugs at one corner of her mouth. Relief seeps into my chest. She’s not shutting me out completely. She’s still here, however precarious it might feel.

For some reason, that little flicker of amusement on her face feels more dangerous than the actual kiss we shared last night. My heart thuds painfully, reminding me just how thoroughly she’s lodged herself under my skin.

I clear my throat, stepping back to open the passenger door for her. She slides in without protest, and I can almost feel the tension humming between us, poised on a razor’s edge.

Two more days, I remind myself. Just two more.

I shut the door and walk around to the driver’s seat, trying not to think about how her laugh might sound or how that yellow dress might ride up her thighs once she’s settled.

We’ll go to her brother’s wedding. We’ll act like we’re perfect. We’ll handle the ex, the stares, the family commentary. Then we’ll walk away.

That’s the plan.

And I stick to my plans.

Thirty-Three

Sienna

If there’s one thing I can admit, it’s that Jeremy and Grace nailed the wedding venue. The second I step out of Nathan’s car, the salty ocean breeze hits me, warm sunshine floods my skin, and everything looks like a commercial for living your best life: brilliant white sand stretching for miles, turquoise waves rolling onto shore, palm trees swaying.

I heave a sigh, letting my tense shoulders drop an inch because, for all the reasons I might dread this wedding, I can’t deny that Jeremy and Grace deserve the wedding of their dreams. They’ve spent the past year planning it meticulously, and it’s stunning. A perfect stage for them.

Hopefully, I can survive the weekend without all the cracks in my own life showing.

My gaze flicks to the group waiting near the resort’s entrance, and my stomach sinks.

Of course he’s here. Daniel, along with Lauren, and our old group of friends. The ones who used to be mine as much as his, until I left for New York. I can’t blame them for not keeping in touch. People drift when you pick up and move across the country. Still, I wonder if they ever heard the full story or if they just concluded I was the villain.

Nathan finishes hauling our bags from the trunk, and I catch myself reaching for him, like a nervous reflex. My mind flicks to the scorching kiss outside my house last night.

God, Sienna, get it together.

But my palm’s already brushing his forearm, and this time, it’s not an act. I need an anchor, and I’ve chosen him.

His eyes dart down to my hand, then to my face, but he doesn’t comment, just a small nod of acknowledgment. Together, we head up the walkway, the ocean breeze tangling my hair.

“Sienna!” My father booms, getting to his feet from a nearby cluster of chairs. He’s decked out in a bright Hawaiian shirt that’s got pineapples on it because, of course it does. My mother stands behind him in a cover-up and wide-brimmed sun hat. Next to them, Jeremy and Grace are sitting on a low wall, sporting swim gear and casual grins.

Nathan steps closer, wordlessly taking my elbow as we approach. There’s a hush among the friends, some old faces I recognize from home, from shared memories I can’t decide if I miss or resent.

“Hey, Sis,” Jeremy greets, bounding over and brushing his knuckles to mine. “Ready for the weekend of your life?”

I let out a tight laugh, ignoring the flicker of tension in Daniel’s eyes. “Can’t wait,” I say, keeping my tone breezy.

That’s me. I’m breezy.

Yep, still going to die with the breezy attitude.

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