Rebound

1. Lavinia

ONE

LAVINIA

It’s too bad killing someone is not socially acceptable because there’s a man I want to kill right now.

Josh

I’m sorry, Vin. I can’t do this.

This is all too much. I need time to think. Something doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure I can go through with this.

Well, fuck.

I toss my phone down on the bed and reach up, removing the veil from where it’s pinned to my updo. Other hands join mine, helping me undo my hair. Hair pins clink as my best friend and I toss them on the dresser.

“You know, considering I’m not a chef, I’ve never really had a reason to appreciate the sharpness of a knife before,” Jules says, as she continues to unpin my hair. I love how our thoughts are perfectly aligned on killing Josh.

Should it bother me that I’m not hurt? I’m angry because Josh didn’t have the fucking decency to tell me to my face that he didn’t want to marry me. I’m angry that I have to tell everyone the wedding is off.

I run my fingers through my hair once the pins are down and moan in relief. Ah, that feels good.

“I’ll go down and cause a distraction while you leave out the back door,” Jules says. Her blonde hair has been curled to perfection and is half pinned up. Her blue maid of honor dress is the exact color of her cornflower blue eyes. When we saw it, we knew right away it was the perfect dress.

“Do you want to change?” She moves to the travel bag which is on the window seat and looks over her shoulder at me. “Never mind, we don’t have the time. The photographer is going to be back up soon, and you need to leave before they come in.”

“Jules, how can I leave?”

My green eyes look a little panicked in the mirror. No doubt because I’ve never not faced the consequences of my own actions. Mostly because I’ve never done anything that comes with consequences. Everyone is waiting for me downstairs, and I always do what everyone expects of me.

“I might have an idea.”

I turn at the sound of her voice and find Jules looking out the window. The bridal suite juts out of the building and has windows on three sides, looking down at the outdoor wedding venue, the side of the building, and the back parking lot.

I walk to where Jules is looking down at the parking lot. There’s a man leaning against his motorcycle with his arms crossed, helmet still on, his head turned up to look at the window. I scowl, and he lifts his hand, waving at me.

“Please tell me you’re not serious,” I say to Jules. “There have to be better options than him.”

Jules waves around the room. “What options?”

I look back out the window again. “Who rides a motorcycle in February? It’s so dangerous! He’s going to kill me.”

Jules follows my gaze. “Okay, then let’s go down and tell a hundred people that you’ve been left at the altar.”

“I think I’m going to throw up.” I move away from the window with Jules following me. She picks up my coat and puts it on me, pushing me out the door. It’s not like I’m afraid. I just don’t know how to tell everyone the wedding is off.

I know I’m not at fault. Thanks to this patriarchal society in which we live, I can’t help feeling a twinge of guilt for having done something wrong.

“That’s what I thought,” Jules says. “If you go down, everyone will ask a million questions. They will give you pitying looks. Someone might even cry.”

I shudder. “Okay, you’ve convinced me.”

I grab my dress in both hands as we run down the hallway and stairs, exiting through a side door. It’s not as cold as I’m expecting and it’s been a pretty mild winter so far.

Jules gives me a hug. “Good luck. I should have everything sorted in an hour or thereabouts. Come back then. Take this.”

She hands me my phone and I slip it into the pocket of my wedding dress.

With a nod, I hurry across the parking lot until I’m standing in front of him.

He reaches up and pulls his helmet off, revealing thick dark hair, gorgeous hazel eyes, and a face carved to perfection.

Probably the last person I want to see right now is Roman Maddox, but the universe obviously has a different plan.

“I need to get out of here. Right now.”

Roman’s eyebrows shoot up. “Getting cold feet?”

“Only because I am standing outside in heels,” I reply.

“Do I need to know what this is about?”

“This mission is on a need-to-know basis.” I look over my shoulder to make sure no one has seen us.

Roman must sense my urgency because he holds out his helmet. I eye it distastefully.

“I can’t believe you came to my wedding on a bike,” I say, instead of taking the helmet. My heart is pounding as my brain slowly catches up to what’s happening. I’ve been left at the altar and I’m about to run away with Roman Maddox of all people.

“At least I wore a suit.” He smooths a hand over his jacket.

“How troublesome that must have been for you,” I say, with a roll of my eyes. Roman plays right wing for the Philadelphia Falcons, the same team as Josh, and is required to wear a suit every game day. Wearing one now is not a new experience.

“The longer you stall, the faster someone finds us,” he says, waving the helmet in my face.

I roll my lips between my teeth, even though my decision is already made. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before, and Roman is exactly the sort of man your mother warns you against getting on a bike with. But I can’t stick around here and wait for my family to find me.

I love them to death and the feeling is mutual on their end.

I can’t face them right now. My whole life I’ve been the good kid who’s never embarrassed her parents or done anything wrong.

Somehow, I managed to pick a man who was entirely wrong for me.

Why couldn’t Josh fucking realize he didn’t want to marry me any other day?

“Give it to me.” I grab the helmet and pop it on. Roman gets on the bike and I grab my dress, swinging my leg over the bike and tucking my dress around me.

The bike roars to life under us and Roman jerks it forward. I yelp.

“Better hang on tight, Blossom,” he calls back.

I wrap my arms around his waist, my heart thumping inside my chest and pulse roaring in my ears. I can’t help thinking I’m making a huge mistake but doing the right thing isn’t exactly working right now.

“Please don’t kill us!”

His laugh is the last thing I hear before we’re rushing out of the parking lot and onto the road, the resort a dot in the distance.