Chapter 3

Before I could catch my breath, Serena's mother marched over.

"Evelyn, your nephew dumped juice all over my daughter! If Julian hadn't handled him, we would have."

"I only did it to calm the Vales down," Julian said quickly. "I held back. I'd never really hurt Noah."

Noah's lip was split and bleeding. One side of his face was already puffing up.

I looked at Noah, then at Julian. Julian couldn't hold my stare. He looked at the floor.

"Mrs. Vale," I said, "an hour ago, your daughter was standing on the roof, threatening to jump. I'm the one who sent my groom up there to save her."

She opened her mouth to argue. I didn't let her.

"Noah came straight from school to see me get married. Instead, he walked in and found another woman marrying my fiancé. He thought somebody was hurting his aunt, so he threw his drink at her. I helped save your daughter's life today. Is a stain on her dress really worth more than that?"

Mrs. Vale glanced around at all the guests watching. Her mouth pinched shut, and she stepped back without another word.

Leaning on Noah, I finally made it to my feet.

"Evelyn, why are you so pale?" Julian asked.

I ignored him and turned to Noah. "Call 911."

He already had his phone out.

"911?" Julian said. "I barely pushed you. It can't be that bad."

Serena laughed. "She just wants you to feel sorry for her."

Julian frowned at me. "Is that what this is? You know how much I hate these little games."

Noah lunged toward him, but I grabbed his arm.

"Just help me outside."

I held my stomach as we headed for the front doors. Every step hurt more than the last.

Julian moved to block us. Then someone yelled, "Ms. Vale fainted!"

He spun around, scooped Serena into his arms, and shouted for someone to get her to a hospital.

I watched him carry her through the crowd. Even back when I thought we were happy, she'd always come first. If I'd seen it sooner, how much pain could I have saved all of us?

"You still have me, Evelyn," Noah said. "I'm always gonna be here."

I tried to smile for him. "I know. Don't worry about me."

He didn't believe me. "When I'm older, nobody's ever gonna hurt you again. I promise."

We'd just reached the hotel entrance when the ambulance pulled up. The hospital was only a few blocks away, so it hadn't taken long.

Before I could say a word, Mrs. Vale rushed past us.

"Help my daughter! She's unconscious!"

Someone shoved me out of the way. Noah caught me before I went down.

Julian came through the doors with Serena in his arms. He looked right at me and didn't slow down.

"Evelyn, you just took a little fall. Serena's unconscious. She needs this ambulance more. I'll have my driver take you home so you can rest."

"No." I dug my fingers into Noah's arm. "I need a hospital."

I didn't believe for a second that Serena had really fainted. And even if she had, I was bleeding. I wasn't going home with pain like this.

Mrs. Vale slapped me across the face.

"Who do you think you are, fighting my daughter for an ambulance?"

Noah tried to get in front of me, but two security guards grabbed him and pulled him back. Without him holding me up, my legs gave out, and I went down.

I looked up at Julian. He wouldn't look at me.

"She's just scared for Serena," he said. "Someone's life is on the line, Evelyn. This isn't the time to be jealous."

Some of the guests started whispering that my big act of kindness earlier had been fake all along.

Julian carried Serena right past me to the ambulance.

At the back doors, he turned around. "You've always been the kind one. You understand why I have to do this, right?"

He climbed in before I could answer.

As the ambulance pulled away, I screamed after it, "Julian, you bastard!"

Noah was already on the phone with 911 again, his voice cracking. The dispatcher said the next ambulance was twenty minutes out.

Then someone pointed at my legs and screamed.

"Blood! She's bleeding!"