Page 88 of Play Your Part

KENNEDY

“Ican’twaittoget this dress off,” Gemma said as we entered the bridal room at the venue.

She walked to the mirror, her long gold train trailing behind her. Gemma insisted on this dress, but she also knew her love of pictures would not outlast her annoyance at carrying around five pounds of fabric.

“I’ve got you.” I dropped to my knees to find the six clips to release the bottom half of her dress.

Gemma glanced over her shoulder at me. “If you and Alexei weren’t so terribly smitten with each other, I would push you toward Jeff tonight.”

“I have no interest in dating Matt’s brother,” I said, ignoring her obvious fish for information about Alexei and me. She didn’t deserve to know after the same room, one bed meddling of hers. Even if it had ended well for me. Twice.

“Of course not, since you’re taken.”

“Or maybe I was distracted by the disgustingly loving words your husband vowed to you.” I released the last clip, pulling the dress away from her and laying it flat on the table.

“He totally ruined my makeup.” Gemma touched her fingers underneath her eyes, though there was nothing to fix. “I did a pretty good job getting to him too.”

“You got us all, trust me.”

Gemma dramatically curtsied, her arms held out wide, holding an invisible skirt. “We do our best. Anyway, are you ready to get back out there? I’m sureJeffis waiting to escort you in.”

“We do not need to make an entrance.”

Gemma hooked her arm through mine. “It’smywedding, Kennedy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, and that’s why I’m not scolding you for once again meddling in my life. Yet.”

Gemma fluttered her eyelashes. “Whatever do you mean, Kens?”

“Two words—one bed.”

“Well, it worked, didn’t it?” We walked into the hallway to find Matt and Jeff waiting for us. The rest of the wedding party stood in a circle down the hall. “I saw you two this morning. There was an afterglow.”

I said nothing; I didn’t trust I could deny the claim without my face lighting up like a Christmas tree. Even if I wanted to tell Gemma about my night with Alexei, I didn’t know if I could find the words. Obviously, sex with him was mind-blowing, the best of my life.

But she would want to know how I felt.

Waking up this morning, my head on Alexei’s shoulder, my leg tangled between his… it feltright. Pure terror shot through me because our night was an end rather than a beginning, but my heart didn’t get the memo, beating double-time as soon as our eyes locked. And it wasn’t only because Alexei slept shirtless and woke up with rumpled hair, looking like a sin.

I thought back to what he said to me last night, the way he’d encouraged me this entire time to go after what I wanted, to stretch for more because he thought I could.

Fake-dating Alexei was a risk in itself. We could have been caught and made to look so, so pathetic in the public eye, but it also pushed me toward completing items on my list. I went to a party full of strangers and worked the room. Alexei taught me how to cook. I dyed my hair. I contacted UPC to find out the process for applying for admission and transferring my credits from Prescott.

I did most of those things myself, but he helped me. I liked the person I was when I was with him.

That person, she was brave and honest. She didn’t sit on the sidelines of life. She would tell Alexei her feelings, even if it amounted to nothing. Even if it broke her still mending heart.

Because I could survive. It wouldn’t be easy, but I was strong.

And I wouldn’t let myself forget that any longer.

“What are you two talking about?” Jeff sidled up next to me.

Gemma backed into Matt’s arms until she rested flush against his body. His arms wrapped around her waist. “Just how Kennedy’sboyfriendis stupidly in love with her.”

“No, that’s not—” I tried to interrupt before Matt cut in.

“Don’t think we didn’t see you make an Irish exit well before the party ended last night.”

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