MARRIED TO MY SISTER'S FIANCE

came at

ighbor or a deliveryman. The kind of knock that sliced throug

eyes wide in the darkness. Adrian

her

ats. The

he floor, my fingers trembling as they reached for the handle. Security should've stopp

hey belo

they on

ed the

orld crac

he rain, hair plastered to her face lik

bel

sis

Mrs. Adri

My lungs filled with too many emotio

" she

r, too. Hollowed out around the eyes. Her dress was torn at the he

woman who had surv

here else to go,

time. "You're supposed to be in Ita

mile. "I never made

hell have

water on the marble. "Somew

a door made

ri

s, hair tousled, a faint frown creasing his brow

slipped fr

tte

le

ne m

ne s

ded in o

he asked, voic

no

that, my wor

our passed

emanded

le gav

e. I stood in the corner like a forgotten ornament, watching the man I married st

you've done?" he asked he

ly. "I didn't co

y the hell a

. "Because my siste

lin

ked at me.

t me a note. She said

Thought you'

n't lik

hurch. Said vows.

shouted, voice breakin

ared

angerous behind his eyes. A storm gatheri

f. "You didn't sound like her. You didn't act li

whipped up. "Y

r, jaw tight. "

eyes wide. "You

dn't

s answe

nce was

floor til

r face pale. "I le

s, bitter sound. "You left

use I found out what your family was really planning. The merger? Th

u think you're the onl

ve my life to a man

nted to marry a Sin

s hit li

away, bli

ispered. "This

th turn

wrong. But you're not draggin

"Ivy, I didn't mean for

rms. "Then why

n whispered, "Beca

m fell

ars

r like she'd grown

. Just enough to show the sma

after. I wasn't going to come back, but..

readable. Cold. Careful. "

"You think I c

ft me at the altar and let your sister take your place.

away, shoul

t take it

one,"

them loo

t try to hold this family together. And now you're back, with sec

ce, there was something like r

vy

e when you said 'I do.' You don't get to

forward. "But i

d all of us. You don't get to come back

ed. "I didn't wa

, you

through his hair

d. "This is

tared

made

se she got scared and ran. You want to be a fat

heel and walked

g. My eyes were burn

the door c

blur of press cover-ups

rned from an emergency trip abroad. They bel

into a g

ration for our "modern blended

Adrian and I

g, he made h

talk about

he b

alling in love with a ma

etween us, th

ing the city lights below. He joined me

tell me the tr

dark. "Because you w

ay

't let th

ed at m

ewhere between the lies and the vows

't say

reach

ck of hair b

pered, "

h was still

lle wasn'