Chapter 2
I held my pillow.
"How long?" I asked.
James almost seemed relieved, as if he'd finally expected me to snap—but all he could do was sigh helplessly.
"Lily," he said. "She's a total mess right now, throwing up everywhere.
"I can't just walk out on her."
I nodded.
"Alright," I said. "I'll go ahead then."
He was clearly taken aback.
It was as if he couldn't believe I wasn't pushing back this time, either.
I turned and walked out.
Grace Summers was waiting for me at the end of the hallway.
When she saw me coming out with a pillow in my arms, her expression changed immediately.
"What's going on?" she asked.
I didn't answer.
She hurried over and peeked into the bridal suite.
She looked like she was about to march right in.
I grabbed her arm.
"Grace, wait," I said. "Don't go in."
Grace looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
"She's literally in your wedding bed, and you want me just to stand by?" Grace demanded. "Where's James?"
"He's inside."
"Isn't he coming with you?"
I hesitated for a second.
"He said he'll come over after she falls asleep," I replied.
Grace gave a disbelieving, angry laugh.
"Then I'm going in there to drag him out myself," she snapped.
"No need," I said.
Grace whipped her head around to stare at me, her eyes full of disbelief.
I looked down at the pillow in my arms.
Of course I was furious.
The second I had walked into that suite, anger hit me like a physical wave.
But then I recalled a conversation James and I had just a week before the wedding.
That day, Stella had liked one of his posts on social media.
It was the first time I'd ever asked him about her seriously.
James hugged me and laughed, telling me I was overthinking things.
He told me they'd broken up eight years ago.
He assured me Stella was engaged to someone else now.
He said that as adults, once you get married, you learn to respect boundaries.
And then he asked me, "Do you not trust me?"
I believed him.
So tonight, I wasn't going to clean up his mess.
I looked at Grace.
"If you have to go in and call him, what's even the point of him coming out?" I said.
Grace just stood there for a few seconds.
Ultimately, she stayed silent.
She took the pillow from my arms.
"Let's go," she said.
She had booked the suite right next door for tonight.
By the time I finished my shower, it was already 1 a.m.
My phone was still silent.
At 1:30 AM.
Silence.
At 2:00 AM.
Not a single notification.
I lay on my side, staring at the wedding ring on my ring finger.
Just hours ago, when James slipped it onto my finger, his hands were trembling.
I had teased him about being nervous.
He said, "It's my first time getting married. Of course I'm nervous."
I stared at the ring for a long moment, then slowly pulled it off.
Under the bedside lamp, its shimmer felt harsh—almost painful to look at.
A few seconds later, I slipped it back on.
Almost instinctively, I slipped it right back on.
Just a little longer.
Maybe Stella really was that drunk.
Maybe James would come over the moment she fell asleep.
I turned my phone volume all the way up.
3:00 AM.
4:00 AM.
5:30 AM.
By the time twilight broke outside, my phone was still completely silent.
Not a single buzz.
James never came back.
I got up and started getting ready for the day.
Grace was sitting in the living room, looking past me toward the door.
"He didn't come back at all last night?" she asked.
"No," I said.
Grace opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately held her tongue.
I picked up my bag.
"Let's go downstairs," I said. "We need to be at the airport by 10:30 AM."
Our honeymoon had been booked six months in advance.
Our flight was at 12:40 PM.
It was a forty-minute drive from the hotel to the airport.
We still had time.
Just as I opened the door, my phone finally buzzed.
It was a message from James.
James: [Are you up? Come down for breakfast.]
I stared at the message for a few seconds before typing back a single word.
Me: [Okay.]
When I got to the hotel restaurant, pretty much the whole wedding crew from yesterday was already there.
Stella was already in a new outfit.
It looked like someone had brought her a change of clothes.
She was sitting by the window, still looking a little pale.
James was sitting beside her.
When he saw me, he jumped to his feet, calling out, "Lily."
I pulled out a chair and sat down.
"I slept on the couch last night," he blurted out immediately, desperate to explain himself.
I looked up at him.
He went on, "Stella was throwing up all night, and I was worried she'd hurt herself.
"Seriously, nothing happened between us—absolutely nothing."
I looked at him, and I almost burst out laughing.
From last night until now, I hadn't even asked what went down between them.
The only thing I cared about was why he never came back.
Yet all he was desperate to prove was that he hadn't touched her.
"Lily, please don't fight with James because of me," Stella chimed in quickly. "I swear, I don't even remember anything from last night."
I took a sip of water, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"I won't," I said.
She let out a breath of relief.
"I'm so glad to hear that," she said.
"I knew you'd understand," James said, settling back into his chair.
My hand stilled on the glass.