219

I woke up with a start from a nightmare when I heard knocking on my door. My heart raced, and I fumbled out of bed, tangled in the blankets. My body was on autopilot, even though my mind didn’t want to face the world. But when I opened the door, I was forced back into reality. Constance stood there, her face red and swollen.

I took a slow breath and stepped aside to let her in. The room was dark, so I turned on a lamp, reaching for my phone, only to find it was dead. As she sat down, I walked over to the window and looked outside. The moon still hung high in the sky.

“It’s two in the morning…” she said, her voice strained. “I should’ve waited until later.”

I shook my head, sitting at the other end of the bed. “It’s fine. I wasn’t sleeping well anyway.”

We sat there in silence for what felt like forever. I didn’t know what to say. As much as I empathized with her, I also knew she was a part of why the guys had left. The hurt inside me simmered into anger.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Her soft question hung in the air, sending a chill down my spine.

I took a moment to gather myself, hugging a pillow to my chest. “He asked me to help with his vows. He was being kind. Then he kissed me, wouldn’t let me go. He dragged me on top of him, and when you came in, he shoved me off. I didn’t kiss him. I would never. I… I love his brothers, and now they’re gone.”

She cried quietly for a while, wiping her eyes before meeting my gaze. “I believe you.”

I hugged the pillow tighter. “Good.”

“You’re angry,” she said, sitting up straighter. “And you have every right to be.”

“I’m not…” I took a shaky breath. “I’m not angry. I’m crushed. The guys… they left. They believed you and Braxton, and they left me. Braxton told them we’ve been sleeping together for months.”

“Oh, Margot… I’m so sorry.”

“No,” I shook my head, sitting up. “It’s not your fault. It’s Braxton’s fault. I’m not upset with you. I’m just… upset. They left me. They didn’t even try to talk to me.”

“I shouldn’t have gone to them,” she said, her voice full of regret.

“What about you? What will you do now?” I couldn’t talk about the guys anymore if I wanted to keep it together.

She took a deep breath. “I’ve had a bad feeling for months. I wanted this perfect wedding. More than that, my manager wanted it. I convinced myself marrying Braxton was the right thing. But the more I thought about what I saw when I walked in, the more it felt like everything was falling apart. It looked terrible, but the look on your face… you weren’t guilty. You were horrified. You looked like someone who had just been assaulted.” She squeezed my hand, sobbing. “I’m so sorry, Margot. He hurt you, and I helped him do it. He wanted to tell his brothers, and I was confused. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong.”

I looked away, not wanting to focus on them anymore. “I can’t talk about them, Constance. Every time I breathe, I feel like I’m going to be sick. I just need to talk about something else.”

She pulled out her phone with a bitter laugh. “I found more. Braxton passed out after the bachelor party you planned for him. I took his phone and hacked into it. He’s been talking to and meeting up with dozens of women. He’s disgusting.”

“No,” I gripped her hand tightly, horrified. “God, Constance, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

She gave a hollow laugh. “At least I found out before I spent hundreds of thousands on a wedding, huh?”

I cringed. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to confront him. I was hoping you’d come with me,” Constance said, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I froze, unsure. “What he’s done to you is worse, Constance. You don’t need me for this.”

“I want you there,” she insisted. “I want him to see both of us. I want him to know he failed.” She sniffled. “I think you’re the only real friend I’ve got, Margot. It’s kind of pathetic considering we’ve only known each other for two weeks, but it’s the truth. Everyone around me wants something, and it’s exhausting. They feel what they think I want them to feel. You’re different. I just want someone by my side who’s angry for their own reasons, not because I told them to be.”

“Okay,” I nodded, a part of me understanding the weight of her words. “I’ll be there.”

She moved closer and hugged me tightly. “Let me call your guys and explain. I messed up, and I want to make it right.”

A sob caught in my throat, and soon Constance and I were both crying. The tears came hard, and we broke down together, our sobs filling the space around us. By the time the storm had passed, we were lying side by side on my bed, exhausted.

“I don’t want you to call them,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I turned toward her, a small smile on my lips as I felt her hand squeeze mine. “It’s over. I think it’s best if we just leave it alone.”