“May I have this dance?” Jade bats her eyes, looking all flirty.

“I don’t know.” I say, cocking my head to the side. “Shouldn’t you be dancing with your husband?”

She rolls her eyes. “He’s in the bathroom...or by the bar...I don’t know. Come on, Liam. Just one dance.”

“One dance.” I relent. I can practically feel my blood pressure rising as I head to the dance floor with my ex. Something about this just feels wrong. I don’t know why. It’s not like I owe anything to Jade, or even to Haley. Even though I’m just Haley’s fun, fake date for the week of festivities, it’s starting to feel like we might have a real, honest-to-God, deep connection.

Something Jade and I never had.

The slow song plays and I take one of Jade’s hands in mine, and put the other on her back. It’s a little awkward, but I don’t want to give her any ideas.

“You know,” she leans in. “You can take hold of my waist if you want.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s Zack’s territory from now on. What do you want, Jade? I’m happy to dance with you for a song, but it’s never ‘just a dance’ with you. So tell me what you want.”

She sighs and bats her eyes at me. The music courses through me, soothing me a little, but I’m still quite skeptical of what Jade wants from me.

“Geez, are you ever going to get over what happened? It was more than seven years ago. Just let it go.”

I clench my jaw, tensing up. “So I’ve got a memory like an elephant for that time when I walked in on the girl I loved doing it doggie style with my former best military friend. So fucking sue me.”

“Fine.” She says, and I do her the courtesy of giving her one twirl. I reluctantly admit to myself that she does indeed look stunning in her dress. Not as stunning as her sister, but still, it’s evident good genes run in their family. “I just want to know something. Do you ever--did you ever think about me? After it was over?”

Her voice is like a little puppy dog’s. Jade is much too skilled at manipulating men and getting her way. Don’t I know it, more than most.

“Yeah, I thought about you sometimes.” I whisper into her ear, because no one else on the dance floor can hear this. “I thought about what you did to me. I wondered how a person could do that to another person they loved. And then I finally realized. What you felt for me wasn’t love at all. And I found comfort in knowing that what I thought I’d lost wasn’t lost. Because it never was love in the first place.”

After I say my part, I stop and let it sink in. I don’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings, least of all on her wedding night. But if she wants the cold hard truth, I can be the guy to give it to her. Thanks to her, I’m a cold hard man now. I’m like an old fashioned knight with armor. No one gets through to me any more. Why even let them? True love isn’t real, anyways. It’s a bunch of bullshit we tell ourselves to justify living and staying with someone, like Jade, who has wronged you. It’s all a bunch of bull.

Or maybe I’ve just become more and more bitter over the years, who knows.

Jade’s body shakes against me, and I wonder if maybe there is a bit of feeling in the ice queen’s veins. “Liam. I was twenty two. I was young and stupid. I didn’t know what I was doing, or think about how much I would hurt you. You say you were in love with me, but did you even know what love was back then? I would see you once every couple of weeks. I mean, we only dated for what, a few months?”

Shots fired. I feel my head swell with pressure. My mouth dries and my muscles tense. I swallow, not knowing what to say.

The fact that she’s maybe even a little right about that--that I’ve matured into a man so bitter and distant based on something that wasn’t even real--hits me like a freight train.

“It doesn’t excuse what I did.” Jade continues. She catches me off guard, laying her little head on my chest. “I do feel bad about it. And what it did to you.”

“You mean how it sent me into an alcoholic tailspin, got me kicked out of the military, and ruined my life?” I fume through gritted teeth. The words come out more bitter than I intended. My hand wraps around naturally, to her waist.

“Yes.” She simply says. “I’m sorry about that.”

My heart thumps like crazy. I notice Haley stands with her arms crossed on the side of the dance floor, glaring at us as if we just ate the last chocolate donut, knowing it was her favorite. It’s not a look I’ve seen a lot from her, given that she’s usually so soft and happy with me.

At least, she’s been that way after I destroyed her bitch shield she had during our first night together.

I smirk toward her, and mouth a kiss, and Haley’s gaze softens into a smile.

I fucking love that smile. And I love the power I have to shift her mood.

The song ends and the couples separate. I let go of Jade.

“Have a great night then.” I say.

“You too.” She blinks, starts to walk away, then turns back to me. “Oh and hey Liam.”

“What?” I turn, a little distracted by Haley.

“It’s just so crazy how you met Haley just this week in Blackwell, and now you’re engaged isn’t it? I just can’t get over how cute you two are together.”

I grin. “It’s a little crazy, I admit. I didn’t think when her car broke down three days ago in Blackwell we’d have ended up here. Like this.”

She scrunches up her face, combining smile and surprise. “Thanks for confirming my suspicions.” She whispers, leaning back into my ear. “And thanks for the dance, hot stuff. I really wouldn’t mind one more time with you. It would be a shame for my family to find out the truth about how you met, wouldn’t it? And about how this engagement is a sham.”

My face goes white. She giggles and hops away as her husband steps back onto the dance floor.

Haley taps me on the shoulder and I spin around.

“Well I’m glad you and my sister are…hey are you okay? You look really pale.”

I rake a hand through my hair. “Yeah. Fine. I think I just need a drink. I’ll be right back.”

“I can come with you.”

“I said, I’ll be right back,” I snap.

“What’s gotten into you?” Haley asks softly.

“Nothing. Leave me alone. I need some air.”

I storm off the dance floor in a huff, and head out to the open air balcony that winds along the south side of the building. I pass through the main double doors out to the ledge, and take a big breath of fresh air. The building looks over the lake. It’s a tranquil place in comparison to the tumult going on inside here. I glance around the outside balcony, and note there’s a rickety-ish ladder that leads up to the rooftop.

Duly noted. I wonder what’s up there.

I spot the bar at the other end and make a beeline for it.

A little sip of something special is just what the doctor ordered.

“Hey buddy.” I say, posting up to the makeshift bar.

“I’ll have a double double Jack and coke.”

The hipster looking guy behind the bar arches his eyebrow and gives me a funny look. “Did you just say a double double?”

“That’s what I said, man. A double double. Did you pass fourth grade math? If not, I can help you out.”

“I can do the math, dick. It’s just, I’ve been bartending for this whole summer, and no one has ever asked me for that. I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Just pour the drink, buddy.” I say, taking a twenty out of my wallet and waving it.

“You can’t do a quadruple drink.” A voice says from over my shoulder. His voice has a little squeak to it, like he’s just finishing up puberty.

I spin around with a scowl and stare down Jack.

“Will you stay the fuck out of business that’s got nothing to do with you?” I simmer. I’m a hot pot of water right now, and I’m this close to boiling over the edge.

“Oh but it has everything to do with me. I’m the best man, and I just absolutely can’t have some asshole from out of town getting drunk and hitting on the bride like I just witnessed on the dance floor.”

My nostrils flare. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? He might as well be asking for a beat down.

I try to keep calm, try not to clench my fists and reveal that he’s getting to me. But my mind flashes to an image of him going after Haley last night, and I can’t stop the angry look that spreads over my face. I stare down his dark eyes, and I feel like I’m staring into a black soul. How did a guy as dumb and petty as this motherfucker land a soft-hearted dime piece like Haley? The world just makes no sense sometimes.

“What’s the matter?” He says, sensing how I am over thinking as I stare at him without saying anything. He’s trying to egg me on. “No response? Good. I went to Harvard, just like my father, and you have no idea the people I know. I know so many people. Who the fuck even are you, anyway? You’re a goddamn thug. You should be in a prison cell, not at a nice wedding like this. People like you don’t belong here.”

I take a deep breath and turn back to the bartender, mustering the most even look I can. Hipster Bartender’s eyes are wide as hell, and I know what he’s worried about: me decking the shit out of this Harvard asshole.

I don’t blame him.

“I’ll take two double Jack and cokes, please.” I say, finding the loophole I should have thought of in the beginning. “And a whisky ginger,” I add, remembering that Haley is probably thirsty by now, too.

I lean my arms on the bar, and Jack just stands there looking at me, staring. I don’t take the bait. He’s the exact type of guy I grew to hate when I was living on the east coast. He’s overly cocky without having shit to back it up. I met a couple of types like him when I was out partying with my military buddies before we got kicked out. He’s the type who got ahead in the world by relying on his Daddy and his Daddy’s connections.

“Buddy.” He growls, leaning in. “Let’s get this straight. I don’t like you. I don’t like you with Haley, I don’t like the fact that Jade was dancing with you. And I want you out of here. Out of the wedding. And then, after you’re out of there, I want to you to march right out of Haley’s life. Got it?”

The bartender is damn near shaking as he plops my drinks down. “H-h-here you go, Sir. Your drinks.”

“Thanks man,” I say, stuffing my twenty dollar bill into his tip jar.

I chug the first drink in a few seconds, chuck it into the trash, and grab hold of the other Jack and Coke as well as Haley’s drink.

“I’ve got my eyes on you!” Jack says. “And one slip up. Just one little thing. I’m going to call my lawyer friends and have you put in jail so fast.”

I start to walk away, but I pause for a moment.

“Hey Jack,” I say. “You hear that?”

“Hear what?” He scoffs.

I lean in. “It’s the sound of me not giving a shit.” I say, and walk away.

I can feel my blood pressure drop as Haley comes into view.

“Hey you.” She says, her tone conveying so much more than a simple hello.

“Got you a drink.” I say. I hand it to her, then grab behind her neck and kiss the shit out of her for a full minute.

When I release her, she’s starry eyed. “What was that for?” She asks.

I shrug and take a drink. “Because I fucking felt like it. And because I like you.”

“Oh, do you?” She shimmies toward me, tempting me with the healthy amount of cleavage showing at the top of her dress. “So are you in like with me? Or are you in ‘like like’ with me?”

I laugh. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re insane? Like, batshit crazy?”

“Yeah.” She says, gripping my collar. “You have. Several times, I think.”

“Well it’s true.” I say, and she kisses the side of my neck, a fucking PDA on the dance floor if there ever was one.

I turn my head to let her suck on my skin like a vampire, loving how her lips feel against me.

Jade stares at me with a cold look of icy death and we lock eyes. She squints and shakes her head and I realize something.

Maybe it’s the booze. Maybe it’s the craziness of the last couple of days. But I feel something for Haley I haven’t felt. For anyone. Ever.

I am in ‘like’ with her.

Maybe even more.