Page 36 of The Keeper

Sloane was his scary but highly effective publicist.

“No problem.” I suddenly realized that groomsmen were often expected to walk down the aisle with bridesmaids during the ceremony. And if Scarlett was the bride, then… “Who are the bridesmaids?”

“Do you have to ask? Brooklyn and Carina, of course.” Asher checked his phone. “Shit. That’s my mom. I gotta take this—she’s been freaking out since I told her about our plans.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder before rising to his feet. “Thanks again, mate. Really.”

“Any time.”

He ducked out into the hall, and I let my smile slip. Brooklyn and Vincent were dating, so they’d obviously be paired together. That left me with…

Carina.

I swallowed. Living with her was both challenging and not challenging enough. Seeing her walk around in pajamas and oversized T-shirts was enough to tempt a saint, but she’d also integrated into our lives so easily and quickly that it was hard to remember what our house felt like without her. It was warmer, brighter, more alive—and she’d only been there for a damn week.

I’d secretly hoped she would be a slob or display some repulsive qualities that would quash this highly inconvenient fascination I had with her. No such luck. Her constant presence somehow made her more attractive. Even the terrifying face masks she wore every other night didn’t put me off. It defied explanation.

I glanced around. Once I was sure no one was looking, I pulled up Instagram and searched for Carina’s profile. My publicity team ran my official account, but I had a private account for friends and family.

Carina’s last post was from a week ago. She was with Scarlett and Brooklyn in a dimly lit restaurant, a bright pink drink in hand. Her cheeks matched the color of her drink, and she was leaning against Scarlett’s shoulder with the loose, sleepy happiness of someone who was pleasantly tipsy.

My mouth curved.

I scrolled further down her profile, feeling vaguely like a stalker but too hooked to stop.

A strip of photobooth-style pictures of her and Scarlett sticking their tongues out at the camera.

A semi-blurry snapshot of her croissant and sunglasses.

A candid photo of her laughing at something off camera, her joy infectious even through the screen.

Different haircuts and outfit choices marked the passage of time, but the bright, open warmth in her eyes remained the same.

I kept scrolling until I reached her first two photos on the platform. One was clearly from her university graduation. She was wearing a cap and gown and held a bouquet of flowers in one arm. Her parents stood on either side of her, beaming with pride. Dark hair, big eyes, soft features—she looked exactly like her mom, with a sprinkle of her dad’s nose and cheekbones thrown in.

The only picture before that one showed a group of penguins on a glacier. It was accompanied by a simple caption: One day <3

Her dream since day one. My smile tugged up another inch.

There was something so pure about Carina’s long-lasting devotion to those damn penguins. Sleeping down the hall from her was a special kind of torture, but if it meant helping her achieve her dream faster, then I’d take it.

“Noah.” The closeness of Vincent’s voice startled me out of my reverie.

I jumped. My thumb slipped, and I accidentally liked her graduation post.

Shit! I immediately unliked it, but I didn’t know how these things worked. Would she still get a notification even if I unliked? If so…

My heart hammered. Sweat pricked at my skin, making me hot and cold at the same time.

“Why are you so flushed?” Vincent took Asher’s vacated spot. His brow creased. “You look like you’re about to have a heart attack.”

“No reason.” I managed to keep my voice even. I slid my phone into my pocket before he noticed Carina’s profile or I did something stupid. Again. “What’s up?”

“Just heard you’ll be the other groomsman.” Vincent pointed his chin at Asher, who’d returned from his call in the hall. “Crazy, huh? Can’t believe they’re speed-running this, but I should’ve known they’d do something wild. Anyway, I wanted to check in since we need to start planning ASAP.”

“Sure.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take the lead if you want,” he said. “I know you’re not a party person, but it’ll be fun. We can even fuck with Asher a little. It’s tradition.”

“Yeah. Can’t wait.” I forced a smile.