Chapter 27
Kenzie
It irritates me how many people flocked to Gina and Lance’s party but claimed they were busy when I invited them to mine first.
“Let the games begin!” Holly announces, and I fight the urge to smack her. “We have an even number of people, so let’s pair off. Not all games will require teams, but this will just make it run smoother.”
I take Asher’s hand, feeling his cold, clammy palm against mine, and glance at Harper through my mascara-coated lashes, bracing for her to shoot daggers at me or maybe wear that kicked puppy dog expression with those big blue eyes of hers.
Instead, she tosses her honey-blonde waves back and laughs with Gina before she entwines her slender arm with Ford’s muscular one.
It’s pathetic that she’s chasing after Asher’s best friend like some desperate groupie.
I turn to Asher, my cheeks flushing hot with rage, ready to scream until my throat burns.
He’s glaring at Ford and Harper, his jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle twitching beneath his skin, and I know his whispered confession from the other night was genuine—he’s still in love with Harper Wallace.
“Is it true?” Gina asks, her crimson lips curving into a smirk. “Did you quit as Asher’s best man?”
Ford chuckles. “Something like that.”
How can he be so disloyal? Asher is his best friend, and he walked away for what? Harper? She’s not that special.
The games begin, and honestly, they’re dull. Some kind of trivia game. Who cares about trivia? This is a bachelor party; it should be wild. And where are the strippers?
I notice Gina sipping water instead of her usual vodka concoction. She’s getting married in a few weeks, so I’m fairly certain this confirms it: Gina’s pregnant. “Not partaking in the festivities, Gina?” I call out.
“What are you talking about, Kenzie? No one here but you and Asher speaks idiot, so you’re going to have to help us out,” Gina retorts. That woman used to see me as a sister until Harper got in her ear. She hates anyone who likes me more than her and sabotages all my relationships.
“You’re usually a vodka girl, but that’s water. Is there more to your rush to get married than just being in love?” Leaning forward, Harper flashes a sweet smile that infuriates me. “Gina doesn’t want to risk looking puffy for her wedding.”
Gina nods. “I know you don’t care because everyone’s only attending your wedding to see if Asher actually goes through with it or leaves you at the altar, but I want to look good for my husband.”
Suddenly, the front door bursts open with a bang that makes me flinch, and a gust of frigid December air slices through the room, raising goosebumps along my bare arms. I turn to see Tracy and Alex stumbling in.
Each of them cradles an absurd number of liquor bottles—expensive tequila, vodka, and whiskey—the glass clinking together as they struggle to maintain their grip.
I stand there, gaping at them, my mouth hanging open stupidly. “I thought you had plans this weekend.” My voice comes out higher than I intended.
“We did,” Tracy replies with a dismissive flip of her glossy dark hair, not even bothering to look at me as she deposits her bottles on the marble countertop.
Alex, still wearing her ridiculous cashmere scarf around her neck, points a manicured finger directly at my face, her eyes narrowing. “What’s she doing here?”
Harper shakes her head. “They crashed and think this is for them, too.”
That’s it. My vision blurs at the edges, hot rage prickling under my skin like a thousand tiny needles.
I whirl around so fast my hair whips across my face as I lock eyes with her, my lips peeling back from my teeth in what I know is an ugly, feral glare.
“I should have been invited as a courtesy, considering your family is trying to take what’s mine! ”
Gina stands and meets my gaze, unflinching. “What’s yours? Honey, all you’ve ever done is try to take anything and everything Harper ever had. You succeeded with something we all think she should’ve tossed out years ago, and you’re still not happy.”
“That says more about you than anyone else,” Holly interjects. “You’re not happy unless you’re miserable.”
To make matters worse, Asher just sits there silently, staring at Harper. “You’re not going to defend me?”
“Just sit down, Kenzie,” he says, tugging at my hand. “It’s not worth starting a fight.”
Not worth starting a fight?
“Let’s play a game,” Harper interrupts, guiding Gina to sit beside her again.
I realize I’m not exactly making a good impression, so I take a seat as well and lock my gaze on Harper. “Let’s play truth or dare. Bring it back old school.”
She shrugs and glances at her sister. “It could be fun, but it’s your party. What do you think?”
Her party. I see how it is. My fingers dig into my palms, nails leaving crescent moons in the flesh as I watch Gina hold court like some smug queen bee. They’ve hijacked my weekend—my carefully planned bachelorette celebration—and now they’re flaunting it.
I had to book the venue myself, order my own tacky penis-shaped decorations, and arrange my own sad little cake, all because my so-called bridesmaids couldn’t be bothered. Now here I am, trapped in Gina’s Pinterest-perfect celebration with everyone who couldn’t attend mine.
“Oh, I’d love to hear a few truths from some people. Assuming they’re capable of not telling a lie,” Gina says, locking eyes with me. “Let’s do it.”
“I’ll start,” I say. “Harper, truth or dare?”
Narrowing her eyes, she glances at Ford. “Dare.”
“Oh, now you want to get adventurous,” Asher mumbles.
“She was always strictly a truth girl before,” I add. “Trying to show off and prove something?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Are you going to give me a dare or just make comments no one cares about?”
Licking my lips, I lean back. What can I choose to make her look foolish? “I dare you to… imitate a chicken for one minute.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.” No one looks good acting like a chicken. Whatever Ford sees in her will disappear in seconds. It’s perfect. She’ll lose her ally.
Harper shrugs and stands, tossing her hair over one shoulder.
Cracking her neck with an audible pop, she stretches her arms over her head as if preparing for a workout and smiles as she bends her toned arms at the elbows to form wings.
She flaps them with exaggerated movements and clucks loudly, strutting around in a wide circle.
Her jeans stretch as she bends her knees in a perfect chicken waddle, pecking her head forward in quick, jerky motions, eyes bright with laughter.
“Bock-bock-bock.”
Everyone erupts in laughter, their faces flushed with delight as tears fill their eyes.
My stomach twists into a hard knot as I scan the room.
They’re not laughing at Harper, they’re laughing with her.
This isn’t going according to plan at all, and she even looks like she’s enjoying herself.
Completely unfazed by my attempt to humiliate her.
Ford stands, tucks his large hands under his armpits, and juts his head forward. “Cock-a-doodle-do!” he bellows, his deep voice carrying through the room.
One by one, they join in, everyone flapping theatrically. I stay frozen in my spot, my jaw clenched so tight my muscles ache, while Asher shifts uncomfortably in his seat beside me. The urge to scream builds in my chest and is almost impossible to hold in.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Guess you can’t make her look bad like you thought you could,” Asher mutters.
“And our sulking and glaring at them really tells people—including your fiancée—that you’re totally over her,” I snap back.
Gina laughs, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can take any more Truth or Dare. Let’s make this a real bachelor party.”
Hopping up, Holly giggles and grabs the box of dirty Pictionary. “I have just the thing!”
“Oh, gross, I don’t want to play anything dirty with my sisters,” Eric protests.
“Guess you’ll have to sit this one out, then,” Ford replies. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Harper bumps her shoulder into him, blushing as they check out the game. “Maybe Eric should sit this one out. I don’t think he’s old enough for this.”
“He is still a virgin, isn’t he?” Gina asks.
“Lost it at eighteen, thank you very much. Freshman year in college was really good to me.”
Gasping, Harper covers her mouth while Gina nods, impressed. “Not bad, little brother. Still the oldest of the three of us, but that’s okay. You can be a late bloomer. We still love you.”
“Gina!” Harper hisses, hitting her with a pillow. “That’s enough.”
“Let’s do this,” Eric declares. “You’re going down.”
I fume as I watch everyone around us. My goal was to ruin this for the Wallace family, but I’ve clearly underestimated my adversaries. Harper and Gina are much harder to embarrass than I expected, especially with a room full of backup. But this party isn’t over yet.