Chapter 7 Revelations
Revelations
Tash
Saturday night
I’m ready. Or as ready as I’m ever going to be.
My girl posse arrives and hijacks me before I can find Seb. Mel’s still on the missing list, and I’m still keeping her secret. The guys invade and families descend.
“Darling, are you sure you are up to this?” My mother corners me before I can take my place with the other bridesmaids at the rehearsal. “I can tell Finley you have a headache.”
“Ma, I’m fine. Really, I’m fine.” For the first time, the word doesn’t ring false.
“You’ve been saying you’re fine for months. Why don’t I believe you?”
“Because it’s been a process. I don’t like the way they betrayed me. I regret not knowing my relationship was rocky until it was over. But I’m truly happy for them, and if Finley wants me by her side, then that’s where family should be.”
“I just want you to be happy. To find someone and build a …”
“I better go.” I cut her off before she can talk about her need for grandchildren. “Can’t keep the bride waiting or she’ll accuse me of sabotaging.”
The wedding rehearsal goes off without a hitch, which means I manage to stand across from Seb, smile on cue, and pretend my heart isn’t pounding every time our eyes meet.
He watches me the whole time, a sexy smirk that has Jess and Lyssa giggling from the sidelines.
They aren’t bridesmaids, but not even Finley is brave enough to block them from turning up.
I don’t miss the guilty look Conner throws my way when I clock the similarities between the vows he intends to say tomorrow and the vows he scripted for me.
Finley catches the look and there’s an entire three-way conversation with eyes.
He misunderstands my smile and genuine happiness for them as resentful jealousy.
But the way he looks at his fiancé is pure joy.
He means his vows for her. He never meant them for me.
That’s the difference. And I’m glad he gets the chance to say them for real.
“You okay?” Seb mouths when the man of my moment catches my eye.
“Absolutely.” I mouth back.
“Not just fine?“ He delivers the word with a dramatic eyeroll that sends Jess and Lyssa into choked hysterics, again. My aunt is not amused.
“You are getting me into trouble.”
“I am trouble.” He winks. “And you’ll love me for it.”
Finally, the pre-wedding wedding is over and while the celebrant confirms last minute details with the bride and groom, Seb takes the chance to cage me against the pew.
“You promised me a date.” I feel the intensity of his gaze to my core.
I thought family obligations trapped me into bridesmaid duties. All along, I was trapped by my secrets and fears. I’m done keeping secrets. I’m done holding back. I’m ready to meet Seb and ride whatever this thing is between us as far as we can go.
“What have you got in mind?” I whisper back.
“We start tonight and keep going forever.”
“We need to talk, first.” I don’t miss the look of concern those words create. But when he nods and replies, “me too,” a lump of dread forms in my gut.
At the designated time, we head to the resort’s beachside pavilion. My mother has decided I need a babysitter and keeps corralling me towards family as long as they don’t include my aunt and the happy couple. I can’t escape.
Me to Seb: Want to try that midnight walk and talk along the beach again?
Seb: 1 condition
Me: ?
Seb: I don’t let you go to sleep unkissed
Me: ??
The seating chart has me between Connor’s grandmother who never approved of me for her favorite grandson, and Seb.
If we even look at each other the wrong way, she’ll have me tarred and feathered as a scarlet woman by dawn.
I circle around the pavilion, looking for a glass of champagne with my name on it.
“Hey, Tasha.” Hunter has left Olivia’s side long enough to find me.
Does he remember? He’s the only person who knows my secret, and only because I was a drunken babbling mess.
Not my fault. I’m still working out how to handle the anniversary of my loss.
But this is not about me. This is about Hunter and Olivia finally getting their happily ever after.
“Congratulations. I hear Olivia has moved in.”
“Well, she either moved in with me, or we had to sage her old house from the stench of cheating bridesmaids and grooms.”
“Ouch.” I laugh. “This probably isn’t the right audience for cracking those jokes.”
“Seriously,” he softens his voice, “You and Seb? Can’t say Liv and me are surprised.”
“We’re just friends.” My words even sound sincere.
“Friends can bump uglies. And I mean it in the nicest possible way … the two of you deserve each other.”
“Thank you, I think?”
“Does he know … that thing you told me. Did you ever tell anyone?”
Shit. He remembers. Then again, it was only seven months ago when I hit my rock bottom.
“No, no one,” I say definitively. “Not even Olivia.”
“And if you still loved Connor, you’d have said him instead of Liv.” Hunter pulls me in for a hug. “You are loved. And if Seb hurts you, they won’t find his body.”
Before I can form a response, my cousin calls my name from across the pavilion.
“Tasha!” Finley cries again, making her way towards me. Wearing a stunning blush pink and silver pantsuit, she’s glowing. Radiant in that way that makes you believe love is real and weddings aren’t just expensive parties with cake.
I step away from Hunter and paste on my brightest smile. “You look gorgeous.”
“The girls say you’ve been MIA all day.” She pulls me into a hug. It feels genuine. Then again, why wouldn’t she be happy? She’s about to marry the man she loves.
“Just making sure everything’s perfect for tomorrow.” It used to be a lie. Now? Partial truth?
“Well, you can relax now. Tonight’s just family and close friends.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
The genuine warmth in her voice makes my chest tight. She means it. Despite everything—despite stealing my fiancé, despite the public humiliation—she actually wants me here.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I say, “You two make a lovely couple.”
Connor appears at Finley’s side, sliding an arm around her waist. My ex-fiancé looks happy.
It should bother me more than it does. “Hey, Tasha. I … we … Finley and I never got the chance to really thank you for standing up for us. Not just with the wedding but with our friends. You had every right to hate on us forever.”
“I don’t hate either of you.” It’s the truth.
“Still, I’m sorry about the way things happened. I’m not sorry for falling in love with Finley, but we could have and should have … well, we should have found a way not to hurt you.”
It’s an apology two years in the making. Or, maybe, this is the first time I’ve heard and processed the words. “I’m genuinely happy for both of you. If it shuts down the negative Nellies by having me as a bridesmaid, then I’m happy to be here.”
“You were always going to be my number one choice.” Finley pulls me into a hug that takes me back to giggling about first crushes and swooning after first dates.
“Um,” Connor interrupts. “Seb’s been asking about you.”
“Has he?” I aim for casual.
“Yeah. He said you’ve been dodging him all day.”
The words come out before I can think. “Not dodging. Strategic repositioning to avoid … him delegating his list of things to do.”
A snort from over my right shoulder, and I freeze. Seb’s close enough that I can smell his cologne—the same one that was all over my sheets this morning, and the reason I declined housekeeping.
“That’s an interesting way to describe hiding,” Seb says mildly. “And I’ll have you know, the only outstandings are joint responsibilities.”
“I wasn’t hiding. I was getting exercise.”
“Twenty-six beaches, Tasha. I checked them all.”
“Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough.”
His mouth quirks. “Oh, I was looking plenty hard.”
Heat floods my face as Finley and Connor exchange glances.
“We should, um, let you two...” Finley trails off, pulling Connor away.
And then it’s just us. Me and the man I ran out on this morning.
“Nice day?” Seb asks conversationally.
“Delightful.”
“See anything interesting?”
“Clouds. You?”
“Clouds.” His eyes hold mine. “And a woman who left me a note instead of a conversation.”
My throat tightens. “I needed space.”
“Space, or an excuse to run?”
“I strategically relocated where no one would find me while I cleared my head.”
His laugh is soft. “That’s what we’re calling it?”
People are starting to take their seats. Romany is making frantic gestures at us from across the pavilion.
“We should sit,” I say.
“After you.” Seb gestures to our table, and when I move past him, his hand brushes the small of my back. The touch is brief. Possessive. It sends heat straight to my core.
I nervously slide into my seat. He takes the chair next to me, close enough that our knees touch under the table.
“How soon can we get out of here. We need to talk,” he says quietly, draping his arm casually across the back of my chair while Connor’s grandma gives me the stink eye.
“About?”
“You started it.” His words sound like a childish whine. It’s all we need to break into laughter, drawing the attention of the group. “Sorry. Tash was giving me her football tips.”
“Southern Mavericks forever.”
“I can’t believe Dawson Briggs got back together with his reality TV girlfriend,” Lyssa groans. “Elena, what’s the goss. You were on that reality TV show with them.”
“Nice deflection,” Seb whispers as Elena and Kye bat away questions about their time on Australian Love Story.
Before I can respond, waiters appear with champagne. I take a glass, grateful for something to do with my hands. Drinking. There should be more of it. Perhaps we can steal a bottle for our walk and talk along the beach?
“Speech!” someone calls out.
Connor stands, tapping his glass. The pavilion quiets, and I wonder how much of our speech he’s reused.
“Thank you all for being here,” he begins. “Finley, you are the other part of me. You complete me, make me a better man, and I can’t imagine a future without you.”
His eyes flick between Seb and me and back to his bride.
“Finley is the love of my life. She is my best friend. My soul partner. My every morning wake-up call and the last person I want by my side as I grow old.”
His grandmother has real tears streaming down her face. Really? Those words sound like he plugged “write me a soppy speech” into AI and it sprouted out pages of purple prose.
“You okay?” Seb asks, squeezing my hand under the table.
“Never better.” It’s the truth.
Finley stands, sliding her hand into Connor’s. He kisses her cheek and whispers something. She nods, and they both look as excited as kids on Christmas Day, “We wanted to share some news with all of you tonight.”
My stomach drops. No.
“Some of you will figure it out when we start doing toasts.” Connor looks lovingly at his bride-to-be. “And we don’t want our announcement to get in the way of tomorrow’s festivities.”
His mother gasps. His grandmother forgets how much she hates me and grabs my knee.
“We’re pregnant,” Finley squeals.
The pavilion erupts. Cheers. Applause. Happy tears from various mothers and aunts.
I can’t breathe.
Pregnant.
She’s pregnant.
I’m happy for them. A new baby is a new life, and why wouldn’t I be happy for the happy couple bringing new life into the world?
My hand instinctively goes to my flat stomach, covering my empty womb. I’m not fine. My baby died. I was going to tell Connor after we signed the wedding certificate. We never made it that far. My baby didn’t make it that far. I’m not happy. I don’t know how to be happy. I’ll never be happy.
Seb’s hand tightens, but I snatch mine away, quickly standing. Moving. Smiling so wide my face hurts. Do it and get out of here.
“Congratulations!” I manage, pulling Finley into a hug. “That’s wonderful news.”
“I wanted to tell you earlier,” Finley whispers. “But we wanted everyone to know at once.”
“Of course. I’m so happy for you.” The words taste like ash.
More people are standing. More hugs. More congratulations. I’m swept into the celebration, playing the part of the supportive bridesmaid who is thrilled for the happy couple. I brush away Hunter’s concern. I avoid Olivia’s puzzled gaze.
“Tasha?” Seb’s voice cuts through the noise. “You okay?”
I nod. Smile. Can’t say the word, fine, because even I’m not that big a liar. “Just need some air.”
“I’ll come with …”
“No.” Too sharp. I soften it. “I’m…just...I need a minute.”
I move before he can argue. Past the tables. Past the fairy lights. Out onto the beach where the darkness can hide the fact that I’m breaking into a thousand pieces.
Behind me, I hear laughter. Music. Celebration.
I press my hand to my stomach where life used to be.
And I let myself feel everything I’ve been running from for the past two years.
The tears all come at once. Not the pretty, single-tear-down-the-cheek kind. The ugly kind. The kind that steal your breath and buckle your knees.
I sink onto the sand, arms wrapped around my middle, and sob.
For the baby I lost.
For Seb, who deserves the truth and might not forgive me for hiding it.