Chapter 3

Zackary let out a sigh, like he was about to talk me into something.

He said, "She twisted her ankle, and her emotions were all over the place. I was just helping her out."

I nodded. "Yeah."

Zackary's tone turned a bit sharp. "Jenny, I was just taking care of her."

I looked up at him. "Did I say it was something more?"

He paused and then said, "You didn't say it, but the way you're acting, it's like you're blaming me anyway."

I just smiled.

Zackary frowned. "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing. It's funny how you've already made me the bad guy."

His face darkened. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

Zackary tried to keep his cool. "Her fiancé bailed, and tonight she was mobbed by cameras, barely able to breathe. I was just patching her up. Is that really a problem? Should I stand there and let something happen to her?"

I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself, my stomach twisting with pain. "So what, am I supposed to push her over the edge now?"

Zackary's face changed a little. "Jenny, don't make it sound so harsh."

"Wasn't it you who said it first?"

He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw real impatience in his eyes. "You know her dad saved my life."

There it was again.

All these years, whenever it came to Lexie, he'd always pull out that line, like it was his get-out-of-jail-free card.

I looked at him. "When I stood up for her this afternoon, why didn't you think I was helping her?"

Zackary was caught off guard.

At the welcome party this afternoon, people were whispering about Lexie, saying she was just milking her illness for sympathy and even her fiancé couldn't take it anymore. I stood up for her.

Lexie, eyes red, grabbed my arm and said, "Jenny, don't get into it with them because of me. It's the night before your wedding. Zackary will worry about you."

Right then, everyone stared at me.

When Zackary showed up, he threw his jacket over Lexie's shoulders and quietly told me, "Jenny, calm down."

After that, he never bothered to ask what actually happened.

I brought it up, and Zackary was quiet for a few seconds before finally saying, "I know you meant well."

"And then?" I pressed.

He rubbed his temples.

"But meaning well doesn't always mean it's right. She's a public figure; she hates people thinking she's pitiful. You stepping in only made things worse for her."

I looked at him, and suddenly, even being mad felt exhausting.

"So when people humiliate her, she's embarrassed. When I defend her, she's still embarrassed."

Zackary's voice dropped. "Is that really how you see it?"

"So how am I supposed to look at it?"

I finished his sentence for him.

"If I keep quiet, I'm cold. If I speak up, I'm causing trouble. If I see you holding her, I'm just reading too much into it. If I ask, I'm not understanding. Zackary, when it comes to Lexie, I can't do anything right."

Zackary's expression darkened.

But just like he'd done so many times before, his voice softened and he stepped closer to me.

"Jenny, I know you're hurting." He reached out to take my hand, and I didn't pull away.

So many times before, he'd coaxed me back just like this.

He always said it was tough, caught between us. He said I was the one he truly loved, and Lexie was just his responsibility.

This time was no different.

"It's not like that with Lexie," he said. "Her dad made me promise to take care of her before he passed. I can't ignore that. But the one I want to marry is you. That's never changed."

I looked down at our hands clasped together.

There was an old scar between his thumb and index finger, the one he got helping me rescue seabirds at the wildlife center.

He wasn't always like this.

But after that, Lexie's crises always seemed to coincide with my big moments.

On my birthday, she had trouble breathing.

When we were taking wedding photos, her medical checkup turned out abnormal.

On the anniversary of my dad's death, she said she couldn't go on.

At the wedding rehearsal, she insisted Zackary accompany her to therapy.

Looking back, I realized I'd been stepping aside for her for far too long.

Seeing me stay silent, Zackary thought I was giving in. He squeezed my hand, his voice even softer.

"Once this wedding's over, I'll make it up to you. I'll give you everything you deserve."

I looked up at him.