She gasps. “Oh my God! Wren! I forgot! You need to spin the wheel!”
She quickly runs off to grab it, and I turn back to Mike. “Gee. Thanks alot.”
He laughs. “Sorry. I thought she already got to you.”
She comes back a moment later with the wheel in her hand. I laugh as she holds it out in front of me. “Do I have to?” I sigh.
“Yes,” she beams with a huge ass smile.
I can’t very well say no to the bride, especially one as sweet as her. I reach up and spin the homemade wheel that lists a bunch of various basically dares to complete. It comes to a slow stop until it finally lands on lock lips with a stranger you met tonight.
I open my eyes wide. “Jesus! I should have read these before I agreed to this.”
Tina laughs. “Oh, c’mon! It’s just one little kiss! There’s plenty of hot singles here tonight.” She wiggles her eyebrows seductively at me as a joke. “I’m sure Mike here would gladly volunteer.”
He laughs. “Well, I can’t very well say no to the bride,” he flirts.
I stick my tongue in my cheek and think for a second. “Fine. But no funny business,” I joke.
“Promise.” He winks.
He steps forward and cups my jaw with his hand as he leans down, but right before his lips connect with mine, he gets yanked back. My eyes shoot to Reed, who is now standing between us. “Reed,” I say angrily.
Mike looks annoyed as well. “What’s your problem?” he asks.
Reed scowls at him. “Back off.”
“It’s just a game,” Mike responds.
Tina pipes up then. “Yeah! C’mon, Reed! Let the girl have some fun! She’s been through enough as is! Taking protective brother a little too far here.”
I can see people starting to look our way, and the last thing I want is for the focus to switch from the wedding to Jake’s death and his poor widow. I laugh, trying to play it all off. “I’m going to grab another drink.”
Then I quickly walk toward the kitchen while I hear people behind me already explaining to Mike about how my husband died. I sigh as I turn the corner and see more people gathered in the kitchen. I need an escape for a minute. I decide to head to the basement where they have a mini wine collection.
Reed and I used to sneak down here during parties and open one of the fancy bottles of wine that are outrageously priced and have a glass. Afterwards, Reed would bring the bottle up and pretend it was served to the guests on accident. It was our own little secret way to stick it to his parents.
I enter the small room and walk over to the little bar. I lean against it and cover my face with my hands. I hear footsteps behind me, and I know who it is without turning around.
Reed leans his hands on the bar on both sides of me. His body presses up against mine, and his nose drags up my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
His right hand falls from the bar and sneaks its way to my hip. His fingers begin to dig into my skin as he slides his hand slowly up my hip to my side. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
I whip around and face him. “I can’t do this with you right now.”
I push past him and run back up the stairs. He follows behind me. “Wren!” he calls out after me, but I keep walking.
“Wren, please!” he says behind me, but I still don’t turn around.
He finally grabs my hand and pulls me into the laundry room in the hall before the kitchen. “Wren, please listen to me,” he says as he shuts the door behind himself.
“What?” I ask angrily.
He looks at me like he doesn’t know what to say, so I roll my eyes. “Exactly.” I try to push past him to the door, but he grabs me and pushes me back.
“I’m sorry. When I saw his hands on you…” He trails off and clenches his hands into fists.
I give him an annoyed look. “Like you’re one to talk. What ever happened to Katie was only coming for the wedding?” I step closer to him. “Is she staying in your room with you?”
He clenches his jaw. “Of course not.”
I give him another annoyed look. “Why are you acting like that’s obvious? Isn’t that why she’s here?”
He gets angrier. “I don’t fucking want Katie!” he shouts as loud as he can without anyone hearing us. His eyes fall down to my mouth, telling me exactly what he does want, and I lose sight of what we are talking about for a moment.
I drop my eyes down to the floor to collect myself, and then I look back up at him. “Then why is she here? Don’t let me mess up your plans.”
“That was never my plan,” he says angrily.
“No? So you weren’t going to sneak away to her hotel tonight to get away from your family?” I ask bitterly.
I try to push past him again, but he grabs both of my arms in his hands and walks me backward until I am pressed against the washing machine. He leans his hands against it, boxing me in. “I never planned to sleep with her,” he says again, staring back at me intensely.
“I don’t believe you!” I spit back.