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Lyon lifted both hands. “The prompts are romantic.”
“You think intercourse is romantic,” Bliss told him.
“It creates families.”
“Sometimes it creates antibiotics,” Aura said.
Easton choked on his coffee.
Charm leaned into my arm as laughter moved through the hall. I covered the hand resting near my elbow and threaded our fingers together without checking who noticed. She looked down at our joined hands, then up at me, and the quiet victory in her eyes almost made me laugh.
She thought every public touch moved her closer to winning. I thought it gave me one more memory that wouldn’t end with her pretending I didn’t matter.
She belonged inside this chaos as naturally as she always had.
That knowledge carried no promise. It only reminded me how much remained capable of hurting.
Bliss raised her voice over everyone. “The competition is meant to bring our families and friends together before the formal wedding events begin. Please attempt to behave like people we willingly invited.”
“You invited Briggs,” Rider said.
“Which undermines her argument,” I added.
Briggs placed a hand over his heart. “I’m bringing joy to this marriage.”
“You brought a flask,” Cade said.
Every face turned toward Briggs.
He looked offended. “Why did you automatically assume it was me?”
Cade pointed toward the visible outline inside his shorts pocket.
Briggs removed a silver flask twice the size of mine and placed it on the table. “This could contain water.”
Rider took it, opened the cap, and smelled it. “It could. It doesn’t.”
Bliss closed her eyes. “No drinking during the activities.”
Charm shifted beside me, pressing her elbow into my ribs.
I kept my expression blank.
Cade looked directly at me. “Ryan.”
“What?”
“Give it up.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re wearing two shirts, and something square is sticking out beneath the green one.”
“That’s private.”
Charm’s shoulders started shaking.
“Hand me the flask,” Cade said.
