Page 103 of The Road to Ruined

We had to book the flight months before I ever left for the tour, and I know that guests booking flights late was an issue for Blake and Austin, but still, I wonder if there's a passenger on this flight who is one of them, put here to watch me, hiding in plain sight the way Sebastian did.

The hotel looks exactly like the pictures—traditional Caribbean elegance with a modern flare, a white-sand beach meeting bright blue waters, and mountains covered in dense jungle to its back. Blakely included me in her spa day, but I had to skip the beach because I have new scars forming on my chest and my hip that I don't want any of them to see.

But I put on my dress, and I go to the wedding rehearsal and sit in the front, watching, because I wasn't invited to be a part of it. I try to ignore the way Austin's family stares and whispers, the subtle digs, and I keep my shitty sarcastic comments to myself.

One way or another, this is my farewell tour.

And when I space out during the stories at the toasts at dinner, I think about what I'd change my name to if I do make it to North Carolina.

After a couple of Blakely and Austin's friends get up and leave, I lean over and whisper to my mom, "We're done, right? I can go now?"

"Yeah, just make sure you say something to your sister first," she tells me.

I push in my chair. "I will. Good night, Mom. Bye, Dad. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

I move to the head of the table where Blakely sits laughing beside her fiancé while he tells a story. "Hey, I'm going to head out," I tell Blake.

"Okay, well, I think we are all moving inside to the bar on the first floor," she says. "It's going to start pouring any minute."

Then I will be heading to the outdoor cabana bar on the far side of my building.

"That sounds fun, but…I'm pretty tired. I'll see you tomorrow, though, okay?"

"Yeah, we're all going ziplining early in the morning, so I'll see you at two to get ready in my suite."

"All right."

"Main building, Room 1042."

"Got it," I say, turning in the other direction.

"Teagan?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything looks pretty, right?"

"Yeah, of course. It looks amazing."

"Because I wanted to get the floating candles we picked out and fairy lights for the centerpieces, remember? But Ashlyn and Sophie made me get the brass candlestick holders because they said it would look cheap…and I don't like them, Teagan. It's not what I wanted."

I take her hands in mine. "It's going to be fine," I tell her. "Everything looks great, and tomorrow is going to be perfect. No one is going to remember what the centerpieces look like—not even a little bit. And they're probably right anyway. I picked them out, so they probably were cheap."

Tears well in her eyes. "I hate the bows on the chairs, too."

I shrug. "Then fuck the bows. You text me tomorrow morning and tell me you're not just saying this because you're drunk, and I will cut off every single one of them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you know me—I love cutting shit."

"Okay," she laughs.

"Okay, are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good."

"See you tomorrow, Blake. It'll be amazing."

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