Page 6 of The Replay

"Yes, of course." I force my voice to appear calm. "I'll bring some more drinks out."

And I disappear into the kitchen for another minute.

This is not how this evening was supposed to go. This isn't how my time in Seattle was meant to start. I need to fix it, stat.

But first, hostess duties.

Fuck.

Chapter 3

Dom

Saint: What the hell happened? Are you okay?

Bear: Rate from 1-10 how much you need an intervention already. Greater than 7, we'll be at your place in 20.

Logan: Report coordinates asap.

Dom: I'm on my way home. I'm fine.

Absolutely thriving, over here. Fuck.

A driver is taking me to my place and all I do is stare out of the window. No details get registered. My jaw gets a workout with the way I clench my teeth. I thought I had come up with the best plan. It should have been simple. If I was going to see Mariana again after so long, then I'd keep it casual. I'd be unaffected. Things would eventually settle and I'd go back to the life I chosefor myself post royal fucking marriage. I'd be my mother's son and keep going despite everything, dammit.

My idea was to turn around and move on. Ignore that the guy her parents liked for their darling princess of a daughter had the kind of inherited prestige I could never acquire by hard work. Yet as soon as I saw her— as soon as she called me out— I let out things I’ve kept buried deep for years.

Damián: Suuuuuure. That's why you left like that.

Saint: Yeeeaaah, that's why your last words were 'you have my regards'. Who are you?

Bear: Where are you?

Dom: I am fine. Just annoyed. Don't intervene. Everything is fine.

Logan: 'Fine', he says. Thrice. Do we believe him? Time for a vote.

Dom: Enjoy Cora's party. Tell your better-halves not to stir the pot. Nothing happened.

Bear: Pen doesn't stir the pot.

Logan: Evie is only keeping an eye on things.

Damián: We're all keeping an eye on things and, at least on our side, things are calm. What about you? How are you doing?

Just processing a minor explosion I didn't expect. All it took was a few words and we— I— I think it was me— went for the jugular. We rehashedthings I didn't want to care about, like we've been waiting years to have this fight. Maybe we had.

Did she love him? Was it easy for her to move on, when I couldn't for the longest time?

Dom: Did you hear us? Were we too loud?

Logan: You weren't. The two of you coming out of the kitchen like that was quite the shock. But now we know things happened in there.

Dom: Only a mild argument. Forget about it.

Saint: My vote is aye on the intervention.

Damián: Aye