Chapter4

"Out of the country."

Something flickered in his eyes. It looked like panic. Then it was gone, and I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"The wedding's the day after tomorrow. What do you mean, out of the country?"

Maddie's eyes narrowed. She slid in front of me, blocking the door.

"Nor, sweetie. Did you take your meds this morning?"

She looked at me with so much concern.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I took a step back.

Maddie sighed and shook her head sadly.

"I knew it. You skipped them, didn't you? That's why you're forgetting stuff."

"Nor, you gave me the London fellowship. And the promotion. Remember? You don't have anywhere to go overseas."

"Honestly, you sound really confused right now. You can't stop taking your meds."

I clenched my jaw so hard it ached.

Forget? How could I forget?

I'd spent a month of sleepless nights on that application. I got the fellowship, a research position at an institute in London. Dr. Whitfield, my advisor, told me it was a one-person spot.

I turned it down and recommended Maddie instead.

A week before the team was supposed to fly out, she backed out.

Dr. Whitfield was furious. He'd fought for me, and I'd embarrassed him. He told me exactly what he thought of me, and then he stopped answering my emails.

Then it happened again, right when I was up for a promotion.

I wanted Maddie to keep her job, so I handed her the project I'd been leading.

She took my work, walked it straight over to a competitor, and got hired there. My company fired me for the leak. After that, every reference check hit the same wall, and every offer I got close to quietly disappeared.

The day I almost fell apart, Ethan had rubbed my back and said, "Maddie didn't mean it, Nor. Try to be the bigger person."

Now he let out a relieved breath and said almost the same thing.

"She's just worried about you, Nor. Look, you can't stay here like this. Come stay at the hotel with me. The one where we're having the wedding."

I nodded.

Then I got in the car and booked a one-way flight to London.

All the places they'd seen for me? I was going to go see them myself.

I'd just gotten out of the shower when someone knocked.

Room service, by the look of the uniform.

"Sorry to bother you. Is Mr. Cole here?"

I pointed next door.

But right then, Ethan walked out of Maddie's room across the hall.

He saw me and lifted the shirt in his hand, a little too quickly.

"Maddie stole my garment bag so I wouldn't sneak over to your room. Had to go get it back."

He shook his head with a fond little laugh, like she was adorable.

I just looked at him. I didn't have anything to say.

It wasn't the first time.

When we checked in, the front desk saw we had a wedding booked for the weekend and offered to put Ethan and me in the same suite.

Maddie had jumped in before I could answer.

"Absolutely not. The groom can't see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck."

"Ethan, you behave tonight. If I catch you sneaking into Nora's room, I'm telling everyone."

"And Nor, you be a good girl."

I looked down and started to close the door.

A bucket of ice water hit me square in the face.

The guy in the uniform set the empty bucket down and pulled off his cap.

It was Tyler.

Maddie leaped out from behind him, cracking up. "Surprise!"

She put her hands on her hips. "I told you. No seeing each other before the wedding. That's your penalty."

Ethan clearly thought I had no idea what that meant. He said it right in front of me. "You just wanted another checkmark."

Maddie stuck her tongue out and didn't answer.

And something in me refused to take it anymore.

"Is this fun for you? Is this funny?"

I said it twice, ice-cold, staring straight at Maddie.

She blinked, and then her face crumpled. "Nor, it was a joke. I was just playing around."

Ethan stepped in front of her. "What is going on with you lately, Nora? You've been picking fights over everything. You were always so sweet to Maddie. What, you're done pretending now?"

Every bit of love I'd ever given them, shredded.

I smiled. "Yeah. I'm done pretending. So what?"

Maddie's eyes filled up instantly. Her voice wobbled. "I didn't think you'd get so upset. Fine. If it matters that much, I'll say sorry."

Tyler jumped in. "See, this is what you do, Nora. You always have to make everybody feel bad."

The door across the hall swung open. My stepbrother leaned in the doorway, frowning.

Logan was two years older than me. My mom married his dad when I was twelve, and he'd spent every year since making it clear I was the thing that came with the house.

"Ask yourself what the difference is between you and Maddie," he said. "If you were half as pretty or half as smart, maybe people wouldn't be so sick of you."

I looked at all of them, lined up against me, and suddenly I was so tired.

I couldn't find the energy to fight.

I went back into my room and shut the door.

Whatever.

In two days, none of them would matter. There was no point arguing anymore.

On the morning of the wedding, Ethan stepped out of his room in a navy tux.

Maddie wore a white sundress, and my ring fit her finger perfectly.

Tyler snapped a picture of them on his phone. "Called it. You two look way better together."

Maddie blushed. Ethan glanced at the door across the hall and lowered his voice.

"Don't say that in front of Nora. She's been off lately."

He hesitated.

"Just humor her today."

But when they knocked on my door, nobody answered.

Ethan stopped a housekeeper rolling her cart down the hall.

"The woman in 512. Where is she?"

"512? She checked out around two this morning."