Chapter 3

Anne's POV

The ceremony ended with cheers and applause.

I stayed pressed against the back wall while the lights came up and everyone moved toward the reception area. People swarmed Owen and Mae immediately, hugging them and shaking hands.

I reached into my purse and touched the necklace box. Just give it back and leave. That was all I needed to do.

I pushed through the crowd, keeping my eyes on Owen. Every time I got close, someone else pulled him into conversation. Mae's hand stayed locked around his arm the whole time.

"Anne!"

I turned around. Emily from college waved at me from across the room.

"Hey." I forced a smile. "Congratulations to the happy couple, right?"

"So sudden though." Emily grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed me one. "I had no idea Owen was even seeing anyone."

Yeah. Me neither.

"Life's full of surprises," I said.

Emily kept talking about how beautiful Mae looked, how romantic the whole thing was. I nodded in the right places and watched Owen over her shoulder.

He was laughing at something his dad said. Mae leaned into him, her hand on his chest.

"Anne?"

I blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you're okay. You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine. Just tired."

I saw an opening. Owen had moved away from the crowd, and Mae didn't seem to be with him anymore.

"Excuse me," I said to Emily. "I need to—"

"Anne!"

Fuck.

I turned around. Mae was walking toward me.

"You must be Anne." She reached out and took my hand in both of hers. "I'm Mae. I've heard so much about you."

"Hi." I pulled my hand back as politely as I could. "Congratulations."

"Thank you!" She moved closer and linked her arm through mine like we were old friends. "This is so crazy. Owen told me you two grew up together. Practically siblings, right?"

Siblings. Right.

"We've known each other a long time," I said.

"I actually went to the same university as you." Mae guided me toward a quieter corner, away from the crowd. "I was two years ahead though, so we probably never crossed paths. But I remember hearing about Owen's childhood friend. Everyone thought you two would end up together."

I wanted to pull away but her grip on my arm was surprisingly strong.

"People assume things," I said.

"Of course." Mae's smile never changed.

Before Mae could say anything else, Owen appeared beside us. His hand went straight to Mae's waist, pulling her close.

"There you are," he said to her. Then he glanced at me. "Hey Anne. Glad you made it back."

I looked at him. You were inside me yesterday.

"Mae was just telling me about school," he said. "You two are practically classmates."

A group of Owen's friends came over, loud and already drunk. They clapped Owen on the back and made jokes about marriage and ball-and-chains.

"Hey, that's Anne, right?" One of them pointed at me. "Owen's childhood friend?"

"The one and only," Owen said.

Mae looked at me with this bright, curious smile. "Anne, you're really pretty. I bet lots of guys ask you out, right?"

The way she said it. Lots of guys. My stomach dropped hard.

"I mean," Mae continued, tilting her head, "coming late tonight, someone waiting for you earlier... You must have a very active social life."

Owen's expression changed. His jaw tightened and something dark crossed his face.

"Anne?" He let out this short laugh. "Guys don't really go for her."

I stared at him.

"She's got this..." he waved his hand vaguely, "rough personality. Kind of abrasive, you know? Most guys find it off-putting."

Mae's eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

"Yeah." Owen shrugged. "She's always been like that. Stubborn, aggressive. Gets angry over nothing and just lashes out."

Rough personality. Abrasive. I felt each word sink into my chest and stay there, heavy and sharp.

"She's basically been single forever," Owen continued. "I mean, we grew up together, so I know. Guys would try to ask her out in high school and college, but they'd back off pretty quick once they got to know her."

One of his friends laughed. "Damn, that harsh?"

"I'm just being honest." Owen looked straight at me. "Anne knows I'm right. Don't you?"

I couldn't speak. My throat had closed up completely.

"Oh man, speaking of Anne," the friend said, "tell them some of those stories. The ones from when you were kids."

"Oh yeah?" Someone else joined in. "Like what?"

Owen laughed. He actually laughed. "Oh man, where do I even start with Anne?"

Everyone turned to look at me. My skin started crawling but I couldn't move.

"Okay, so when she was five," Owen started, "she tripped and fell flat on her face in the park. Just completely ate it. And she starts bawling. I'm talking snot everywhere, tears, the whole thing. She looked like a little wet cat."

The group laughed. Mae covered her mouth but I could see her smiling.

"It gets better," Owen kept going. He was enjoying this. "Fast forward a few years, she's like ten or eleven. She's riding her bike and showing off, right? Trying to go no-handed or something. And she loses control and goes straight into a drainage ditch. Like, straight in. Covered head to toe in mud and gross water."

More laughter. Someone said something about kids being stupid.

My face burned so hot.

"And the best part," Owen couldn't stop smiling, "her mom had literally just told her not to show off on the bike. Not even five minutes before. But Anne being Anne, she had to prove she could do it."

"Classic Anne," one of his friends said.

"Yeah." Owen looked at me. "She was always trying to prove something. Still is, probably."

I wanted to vanish into the floor and never exist again.

"Owen really knows you well," Mae said softly, squeezing his arm.

She turned to me, her eyes traveling up from my dress to my face, stopping on my neck.