Lucky for me, Rhonan beats me to the punch. Seems he followed me. “What the fuck is going on here?”
Laney and Fletcher freeze, turning their heads slowly toward the door where we’re standing. I can feel the heat of Rhonan at my back, but we’re both motionless. Fletcher releases Laney from his grasp and moves to quickly adjust his shirt and coat.
“Rhonan…” Fletcher starts, but Rhonan cuts him off.
“What the fuck is this?” Rhonan waves his hand between them. “You and my sister?”
More anger builds in my chest because the last thing I imagined adding to the turmoil of the day would be finding one of my best friends sneaking around with another’s little sister.
I clench my fists at my sides as the reality dawns on me. “You broke the pact, man.”
The pact that we made in high school that nothing would ever come between us—me, Rhonan, Fletcher, and Henley—which included any feelings for sisters.
Guess that went to shit today too.
Fletcher takes a step toward us, his hands up in the air. “Listen, it’s not what it looks like…”
“Jesus Christ.” Henley, the fourth part of our friend group, appears behind us, pushing me and Rhonan into the room far enough that he can shut the door. “I guess we’re doing this now too.”
“Then what is it?” Rhonan asks. “Because to me it looks like you were about to fuck my sister in our family’s winery.” His eyes move around the room as anger rolls off him, mixing with my own. “God, I fucking knew it. That night with the popcorn cart…” Rhonan turns to his sister. “I asked you if something was going on, and you lied to me.”
“I know—” She starts, but I cut her off before she can attempt to explain because the volcano boiling inside of me is about to erupt.
“You fucking violated bro code, Fletch.” My voice is low, almost void of any emotion, but the intensity in my body is saying otherwise. All I can feel is rage coursing through my veins, extending down each of my limbs and burning me from the inside out.
“This isn’t just some fling, okay?” Fletcher explains. “I’m in love with her.”
Laney gasps as Rhonan lunges forward. Henley takes a step in front of him, holding Rhonan back. Rhonan shoves him off. “Love? You don’t know the first thing about love!”
“You’re right. I don’t, but—”
That’s when I snap.
My laugh is maniacal. “Love? Love is a fucking joke!” I point a finger at Fletcher and that’s when pieces start snapping into place. “You lied to Rhonan! And you knew Tori was gone and didn’t fucking tell me!”
“That’s my fuckingsister, asshole!” Rhonan shouts, stepping toward Fletcher to seek his own revenge. Laney moves to stand in front of him, but she’s too slow. Rhonan cocks his fist back and swings at Fletcher’s face, forcing Laney and Fletcher to both stumble back. The sound of Rhonan’s fist connecting with Fletcher’s nose gives me the push I need to hit something—or someone—too.
“Rhonan!” Laney screams, but I rush toward Fletcher next.
“You motherfucker!” My fist collides with Fletcher’s ribs, causing him to fold in two.
“Easy there, buddy.” Henley pulls Rhonan back before he can get another swing in, but I stand back, heartbeat wild, my eyes dancing around the room as evidence of today mocks me from every corner—Tori’s clothes, her makeup, her jewelry, her robe, and the empty bag for her wedding dress—the fucking dress that she’s supposed to be wearing as she’s walking down the aisle toward me—but wore as she ran away from me instead.
And that’s the tipping point.
I see nothing but red.
I know there’s talking going on around me, but all I want to do is smash every memory of this woman from existence, to take out this anger on something else.
Because this pain? This is exactly why I should’ve stuck to my original plan—no marriage, no commitment, no risk.
My eyes land on Tori’s makeup bag sitting on the vanity, taunting me with its contents. Without a second of hesitation, I pick it up and throw it at the wall as pieces of shattered glass and plastic spray in every direction.
“Fucking bitch!” I roar, reaching for her bottle of perfume and smashing it to the ground as I hear Henley muttering behind me to Fletcher and Laney.
“You both need to fucking leave,” Henley barks out, shoving the two of them toward the door. I can feel Rhonan still in the room, but my focus is solely on destruction at this moment.
I don’t stop until my chest is heaving and everything around me is in pieces.