Taking Chances (BYC #3)

9. Anne

9

ANNE

E very time I think I’ve reached my rock bottom, fate shows me there’s further down to go.

I stare at the wedding invitation in my hand, practically shaking with despair and rage as Luna circles my legs, asking for attention.

There’s a note attached to it.

Dear Anne,

I’m so sorry. It was fate for me and Yasmin to meet, and I’m sorry you were a victim of its cruel play.

I will always love you and respect you as a friend, and I really hope we can stay in each other’s lives.

Love,

Bryce

“Urgh,” I growl, my fists clenching. Using fate against me is a low blow.

But what else could I expect from a man that’s sending wedding invitations so soon after we broke up?

This freaking sucks. My two-day no crying streak is long forgotten as I step into my apartment, not sure if the tears are the result of sadness or pure rage.

A mix of both, probably. On one hand, I feel pathetic to know he cared about me so little. On the other, the freaking audacity of that man?

Wedding? Marriage? He was living in this very apartment two months ago! Did she drug him? Or give him a love potion of sorts?

Am I witnessing a real-life paranormal romance?

As soon as my backside hits the couch, Luna finds her place on my lap, purring with satisfaction. At least one of us is happy.

Picking my phone up, I unblock Bryce and begin my research. It takes me barely five seconds to find his fiancé—shoot, the word makes bile rise in my throat—since his profile is flooded with pictures of the two of them.

Yasmin is twenty-four and a freaking super model. She has that curvy skinny body type I thought only existed on TikTok. Stacked both in the top and the bottom, she defies the laws of physics with a perfectly flat stomach and a Barbie-sized waist.

I look nothing like that.

I don’t see myself as unattractive, but I always considered myself cute rather than sexy. Luna jumps from my lap as I get up from the couch and head to the full-length mirror by the front door. A voice in my head screams this is a horrible idea, but I’m feeling too dejected to listen to it.

Taking off my sweats and tank top, I stand in front of the mirror in a bra and panties. My soft belly is nowhere close to being flat, my skin is so pale it’s almost see-through, and my freckles don’t stop at my face, finding their way down my cleavage. There’s one large, weirdly shaped mark right between my breasts, and I’ve hated it ever since I noticed it. When men say they like curvy, they mean Yasmin—curves only where they prefer them, not this .

My chin lowers to my chest as my throat constricts and my vision blurs.

No wonder he fell in love with her. Who wouldn’t?

“Today, in a new episode of Anne is pathetic, take a look at this.” I slam the invitation on the table as I slump into the booth at Factory. My face is probably still blotched and puffy from crying all day, but I’m too defeated to care.

“That asshole is out of his damn mind. You guys broken up just a few weeks ago. He really did that?” Natalie points a threatening finger at the invite.

“Yes, he really did that,” I snark, not caring there are six people witnessing my breakdown. “I’m not going, of course. . .”

“No! You definitely need to go. You need to go and show him you’re over his sorry ass,” Natalie states.

“Yes. You need to make him feel like a dick for what he did,” Rina adds.

“So, I need to be pathetically single in my ex’s wedding? Aren’t I already desperate enough?” I wail.

“No, you need a date.” Natalie waves me off.

“Here she goes again.” Rina rolls her eyes.

“The last time I found you a date, it was what made you two pull your heads out of your asses and get together for real.” Natalie smirks at Rina.

“Objection. It was only her who needed that, my head was fully out already,” Connor intervenes.

He and Rina were stuck in a friends with benefits situation until the BYC’s gala where Rina brought a date. Things happened, and afterward they decided to get into a real relationship.

“Sure, sure.” Natalie shrugs. “Anyway, we’ll find you a date.” She looks around the bar, her gaze landing back on me. “Hmm. How about Noah?”

Noah and Alex aren’t here today, they had other plans.

“Bryce knows Noah and I are just friends.” I sigh. “Plus, he met Alex.”

“OK, Noah’s out.” She motions her finger over her throat, and Matt snorts.

“I’m sure he’ll be devastated,” Matt responds.

“How about. . .” Natalie’s eyes land on the one person whose presence I’m trying to ignore. “Lennox?”

“Who? Me?” he asks, almost choking on his drink.

“He would be kind of perfect.” She shoots a predatory look his way. “He’s so damn hot. Bryce would eat his heart out seeing you with him. No offense, Matt.” She remembers her husband sitting next to her. Matt shakes his head, chuckling. He’s used to her antics.

“How would that even work? We’d pretend we’re hanging out?” Lennox eyes us warily, obviously reluctant.

“Nope. That would never work. I don’t do casual sex, and Bryce knows that,” I respond. This plan is horrible.

“She’s right,” Rina states. “If we want this to work, you need to seem totally enamored with her.”

“Obsessed,” Natalie adds. “Like the sun rises and sets with her. Like she’s the reason you get up each morning.”

“Fuck,” Lennox groans.

“Look, it wouldn’t work either way. Who would believe that he ’s into me?” I fake a laugh, my eyes burning.

Lennox’s eyes land on mine for a second, his brows furrowing before he looks back at Natalie. “I’ll do it.” His deep voice makes my skin prickle.

“You really don’t have to. I don’t think I should go to the wedding, anyway.” I leave him room to escape this horrible plan.

“No, you should . Especially now that you have this as a date.” Natalie gestures at Lennox like it’s enough of an explanation. And it is.

“I agree with them.” Lennox shrugs, picking up his drink.

Even the simple move looks manly on him. His beard is longer and lusher now, so I can add rugged to the endless list of positive adjectives to describe Lennox Cade. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but I’m grateful. Though the whole thing is out of character for me, desperate times call for desperate measures.

“Let’s see when and where is this thing.” Natalie grabs the invitation and studies it. “Woodland? That’s like two hours away.”

“Yup, it’s an estate of sorts. So, we would have to stay overnight.” I look at Lennox apologetically.

“Fine with me.” He shrugs again. His black-gray flannel does nothing to hide the wide shoulders and muscles that must lurk underneath. “I can book us a room.”

“I’ll do it. The least I can do is book us rooms.”

“ Rooms ? Are you insane?” Natalie whisper-yells. “You want everyone to believe you’re crazy about each other, right?” I nod. “One room.” She lifts up a finger like I’m a child and she’s telling me I can only have one piece of candy. Shooting us both a warning look, she takes Matt’s arm and leads him to the dance floor. Rina and Connor follow their lead, leaving Lennox and me alone.