a

oat behind me. I yank my dress free from the tablecloth and take

the crowd toward me, her silver dress catching the light with

cked on him as he moves beside her, his s

tailored to every line of his body. He's even taller up close, and the height makes me tilt m

key. "You didn't tell me your daughter was so... str

ch at my sides, nails digging into my palms hard enough to leave mark

to make me feel like he's looking right through me. "I wasn't

and raw. "You're the reason she left my dad. Don't pretend you don't kn

ool against my skin. "Maya, that's not tr

d you're engaged to him. How long were you two together before she signed the papers? A week? A mon

looks at me with eyes the color of dark coffee, st

derstand why you'd blame me. But you're wrong about what happened. Monica

like a sob. "You expect me to think you just happened to fall in love with

smell his cologne, something intoxicating and expensive like pine needles and rain after a h

hance. I already k

but a voice cuts in from behind us

party, right? Especially not when there

fast my dress twis

e's in a dark velvet jacket over an open-collared white shirt instead of a tux, and there's smudges of blue paint under his fingernails. H

here are tw

s she moves to stand between us. "Maya, this is Etha

his lips and pressing a light kiss to my knuckles. His lips are warm against m

ing mine. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances

" Philip says, his voice sharp now

n winks at me, still holding my hand. "Would you like a

been burned. When I look at P