Chapter 1

Who knew a seating chart could be so tedious? Each time I think I have it completed, I get an email or text about someone not wanting to be near someone else. I've changed this thing fifty times now. I wish I could trash it and tell people to sit wherever they freaking want.

"Hey." I glance up to see Chloe and Sawyer entering the kitchen where I have my seating chart spread out over the island.

Chloe is my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and Sawyer is her husband. Sawyer is his normal stoic self. I notice he doesn't have a scratch or bruise on his face, so I guess my fiancé didn't land any blows when the two of them got in a fistfight a few days ago. Paul didn't fare so well.

"Hi," I respond.

I want to ask what happened the other night. I'm sure Paul gave me the watered-down version of whatever the truth was, but I honestly didn't want to listen to him. He was ranting and raving like a lunatic over the phone to me, and I zoned him out.

Whatever went down was most likely Paul's fault. I can't see Sawyer smashing his face in without good cause. And I'm guessing it has something to do with Chloe. That's the one thing that gets Sawyer worked up. The two of them have a fairytale kind of love.

"Is my mom around?" Chloe asks.

"She's in Bruce's office with Paul, I think." The three of them disappeared not long after we got to Paul's parents' house. We were supposed to be having dinner and going over more wedding details.

"Do you need help?" Chloe offers.

"No." She's already done enough. Chloe put on a whole bridal shower for me and is always so sweet.

In another world, maybe we could have been friends, but every second I'm with her I feel guilty. All the lies are slowly eating me alive. It was easy with others, but it's harder with Paul's family. Unlike my own family, his are wonderful.

"Come on, kitten. You start dinner and I'll be your sous chef," I hear Sawyer say to his wife, but I don't look up from the seating chart in front of me. The names start to blur together, but it's a good distraction from the two of them.

"All right, but no—" Chloe is cut off by shouting in the other room. I know that voice all too well.

"Stay here," Sawyer orders before hurrying out of the kitchen.

Chloe and I share a glance before we both rush after him.

"The two of you have set me up!" Paul screams.

When we make it to the office door, I can tell any of Paul's plans for a reconciliation have gone to shit. His face is flushed, his eyes are wild, and he's sweating through his dress shirt. He's truly lost it now. After getting kicked off the board of his father's company and the fight at the restaurant, things are bad. Really bad.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to keep this private," Bruce says and glances toward Chloe and me standing in the open doorway.

"What's all the shouting?" Katherine, Paul's stepmom, comes to stand near us.

"Paul's been forging company documents." My eyes snap to a man sitting on the long leather sofa, and I watch him stand up and straighten his tie. I've never met him before because I'd remember his face. "He signed his father's name to broker deals and collect the payment."

"You're stealing from your father?" Chloe says, and I see Paul turn his rage-filled eyes on her.

I know Paul has a temper, but I've never seen him like this. Not that we've spent much time together.

Sawyer steps to the side, blocking Paul's view of Chloe. "You'd be smart to watch how you speak to my wife."

"I've got a car waiting outside for you," Bruce tells Paul gently. "All you have to do is sign yourself in, and we can work this out."

"What is he talking about?" I ask as I take a step toward Paul. There's more going on here than I know, but I suppose that's always the case when it comes to my life.

"He's threatening to lock me up." Paul throws his hands in the air, and the more manic he is, the less anyone believes him. "He believes them!"

"It's a rehabilitation facility," Bruce says, again with that soft tone like he's speaking to a wild animal. "You need help, son."

Do they mean rehab? Holy crap. This is bad. My mind starts to race, and I already know my father is going to lose it.

"What about the wedding?" I ask. It's terrible, but Paul and I had a deal.

No one responds to me, and I guess I can't blame them. They're worried about their son, but I've got to worry about me too.

"Paul, I didn't want it to be like this. The documents are there with the forged signature and?—"

"He did it." Paul cuts his father off, waving his arms around wildly. "He forged the documents to get me fired."

All of this should not be shocking to me. Paul's in bed with my father, and I know his business dealings aren't on the up and up. Hell, I'm one of his deals.

"You were already fired," the mystery man chimes in, and I peek over at him. His bright blue eyes are on me, and they are a stark contrast to his raven-colored hair. I think he's baiting Paul, but I'm not sure why.

"We have you on camera," Bruce says, and it's like someone sucked the air out of Paul. He knows he's done for, and all of his bravado melts away. "We've also got you on camera using drugs in your office and at the restaurant on the night of your party."

"Oh my god," Katherine whispers.

"It's rehab or jail," Bruce says with finality.

"You can't be serious." Paul lets out a humorless laugh as he looks around the room for help. "Sawyer's framing me. He's trying to take my job."

"He already has your job." The man in the corner shrugs. His demeanor is calm, but his eyes aren't, and they are still on me.

"Shut it," Bruce warns him.

"This is all your fault." Paul grits his teeth, his focus going back on Chloe. "And that bitch. The day your money-grubbing mother showed up with you was the day I lost my father."

"What the hell did you just say?" Bruce cuts in, but Sawyer holds his hand up to stop him.

"Let him get it out. He's like a toddler that needs a good cry." Blue Eyes snorts. "You're a spoiled little shit that's been fed from the family tit far too fucking long. You've done this to the only people who ever truly cared about you, and you're not even sorry."

"You motherfu?—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sawyer bellows, making the room fall silent. "You've got a chance to make this right."

Paul blinks, and for the first time, I take notice of how big his pupils are.

"Your father is giving you the opportunity to do the right thing," Sawyer tells him. "Take it."

Chloe steps out from behind her husband, and he wraps an arm around her before pulling her into his side. "When you told me about the bet, I ran out on Sawyer," she says to Paul. "You've always been so terrible to me."

I have no idea what bet she's talking about, but I'm guessing this has to do with the fistfight between Sawyer and Paul. It was over Chloe? It's surprising when Paul actually hangs his head in shame. He never has anything nice to say about his stepsister. I thought she was going to be horrible until I met her, but then I realized Paul was jealous of her.

"You don't deserve my forgiveness," Chloe says softly "But there are big and wonderful things happening in our lives that mean more to me than holding a grudge. I hope you take this gift Bruce is giving you so that you don't lose the chance to be a part of them."

With that said, Paul finally breaks and says he'll go to rehab. They don't give him much time after that so he can't change his mind. They get him out of the house and into the waiting vehicle while we stand silently in the entryway.

"I suppose the wedding is off," Blue Eyes says, breaking the awkward silence. It takes everything in me to not glance his way because I can sense he's staring at me. Again.

"Luke," Chloe snips at him, and I peek in his direction.

"What?" Luke shrugs. "Probably for the best."

Why does he sound almost gleeful?

"Postponed." Katherine tries to lighten the dreary mood that has fallen around us.

I need to get out of here. "I...ah..." I wring my fingers together. "I don't know, but I should go."

"You don't have to go," Chloe says softly.

"I really should go. There are some things I need to take care of." I dread telling my father and what his reaction will be. There's already fear creeping up my spine. I didn't want to marry Paul, but he was the best out of the bunch my father shuffled through.

"Oh, honey. Don't worry about the wedding. I'll call everyone and let them know it's off for the time being."

"Yeah." That was so not what I was thinking about. "Right, thank you," I say to Katherine and take a step back. "I'll get my purse and be on my way." When I go to the sitting room to collect my things, Chloe follows after me.

"Hey." She's still so nice, and I hate that I can't give her more. "I'm sorry, but this is for the best. He can get healthy and then you two can be together."

"We're not going to be together." What I don't tell her is that my father will come up with a new plan before Paul returns.

"Okay, that's your choice, but love can?—"

"It's not love." A sardonic laugh bubbles from me. What Paul and I had was so far from love. "Sorry. It's, ah, well. Never mind." I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. Thank you for all you did. I'm really sorry I wasted anyone"s time."

"You didn't waste my time. I enjoyed our time together."

I did too.

"Thanks," I say again before I go to leave, but Chloe snags my hand.

"You can always call me."

A rush of emotions fills me, and tears sting my eyes. I know she's telling the truth because Chloe is the kind of person that would try to help anyone. But this isn't her mess. It"s become mine now, so it's on my shoulders to handle it. I try to smile at her before I slip free and return to the front of the house.

"I'm guessing you need a lift?" Luke says when I see everyone is still standing in the entryway.

"I was going to call a ride." Paul drove me here, so I don't have a car. When I pull my phone out of my purse, Luke stops me.

"I'll take you," he insists before his hand goes to my back and he moves me along.

"No, it's fine," I try to protest, but he's not having it. "Seriously I can?—"

My words are cut off when those icy blue eyes meet mine. Right then I know without a doubt that Luke is taking me home, and there's no use arguing.

He's a man that always gets what he wants. But don't they all?