Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
Eva didn’t look away. This was the consequence.
She had kissed Maddy twice now, and now she was going to watch her marry someone else. She deserved to watch it happen. Deserved to feel every second of it.
Maddy stood at the altar, radiant and trembling, her bouquet held just a little too tightly.
What was she feeling? Eva couldn’t be sure.
She wanted to think it was uncertainty. She wanted to think she mattered to Maddy.
It was a selfish feeling. She shouldn’t want to ruin her life like this. She should want this to work for Maddy.
Because she was in love with her.
The officiant cleared her throat, preparing to finish the question. Eva couldn’t help but close her eyes as she said, ‘And do you, Maddy…’
A sound like something tearing itself apart exploded above them.
Eva flinched. The entire room jolted. Gasps rippled through the guests. The officiant froze mid-sentence. Adam looked around, startled. Maddy blinked, disoriented.
The sound came again, louder this time. A deep, grinding groan reverberated through the ceiling.
Eva’s head snapped upward. She saw it before anyone else did, the fracture spreading across the plaster ceiling, a spiderweb racing outward.
‘Everyone move…’ she started, already stepping forward. The ceiling gave way before she could finish.
Plaster rained down, dust erupting into the air in a choking white cloud. Guests screamed. Chairs scraped violently against the floor.
For one awful second, Eva couldn’t see Maddy. Her heart stopped. Then the dust shifted.
Maddy stumbled sideways, coughing as she tried to catch her breath.
Adam stood a foot away, shaken and confused and white-haired with plaster.
The officiant had been the most reactive, leaping out of the way and falling on her bum a few feet away from the mess.
The debris had missed them by inches, slamming into the space between Maddy and Adam.
Eva reached them before anyone else.
‘Are you hurt?’ she demanded as she scanned them, searching for injury.
Maddy pulled up her dusty veil and shook her head, eyes wide. ‘I, I, I…’
Adam coughed, still trying to process. ‘I think… we’re alright. Bit pissed off though.’
A smaller piece of plaster dropped behind them with a dull thud, as if punctuating the statement.
Around them, the room dissolved into chaos. Guests began to stand, shuffling about uncertainly.
A voice rang out, loud and commanding. ‘NO ONE MOVE!’ yelled Hannah.
Mary, nearby, asked her, ‘Is that wise? The ceiling’s coming in.’
Hannah paused. ‘EVERYONE MOVE!’
‘We probably should get out. Come on,’ Eva instructed Maddy, and to a lesser extent, Adam.
Adam moved first. ‘What the hell? Like, you know? Mad. Crazy. We were just about to…’
‘I’m sure we can still sort that out,’ Eva told him and then looked at Maddy. ‘Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to get in the way.’
Maddy nodded.
Everyone began to shuffle out of the room in a scrum.
‘Everyone, stay calm,’ Eva called, her voice firm and carrying. ‘We’re moving out of the building.’
In the hall, Eva popped out of the bottle neck just as Ralph, the venue manager, rushed up, pale and flustered. ‘What just happened—’
Eva turned on him. ‘The ceiling just came down over the ceremony,’ she said flatly. ‘That’s what happened.’
He swallowed hard. ‘That’s weird. I mean, your plumber said it was fine.’
‘It wasn’t wet,’ Eva cut in immediately. ‘It was just dry plaster chunks.’
He didn’t say anything.
‘Did you use the plasterer Sue offered to arrange?’ Eva demanded.
‘We had Barry patch it,’ he admitted.
Eva stared at him. ‘Your handyman?’ she spat.
He nodded weakly. ‘Sue was pricey enough. It seemed silly to hire an exorbitant plasterer when we’ve got Barry.’
Eva let out a short, humourless laugh. ‘You had water damage in a ceiling directly above a wedding ceremony,’ she said, each word precise and controlled, ‘and it came in mid-ceremony. So, tell me more about silly choices?’
A faint crumble sounded from the ceremony room. Ralph flinched. ‘We didn’t think—’
‘No,’ Eva said. ‘You didn’t.’
Eva turned to Maddy and Adam. They stood side by side, dust-covered.
‘Let’s head outside,’ Eva said. ‘There could be further structural damage. We’ll figure out our next move.’
‘So, the wedding’s not over?’ Adam asked.
Maddy’s eyes widened at the question.
‘Doesn’t have to be. Let me have a chat with the officiant. This is a big place. Plenty of places to get married,’ Eva assured them, swallowing down a lump in her throat.
Maddy nodded. Adam placed a hand at the small of her back, protective and instinctive. Eva had to look away.