Chapter 1

The pop of a confetti cannon echoed through the bridal suite at the Hampton Beach Resort as Chase burst in.

I opened my arms for an embrace, but he walked straight past me to my maid of honor, Lexi, a huge smile on his face as he handed her the bridal bouquet.

My arms froze awkwardly in mid-air.

The other bridesmaids fell silent. Someone coughed. "Hey, man, wrong girl."

It was only then that Chase seemed to realize his mistake. He fumbled, snatching the bouquet of white roses back from Lexi and dropping to one knee beside my high heels.

"Babe, I screwed up. First-time wedding jitters. Can we do a take two?"

Looking into his deep, pleading blue eyes, I found myself comforting him, just like I always did. "It's okay."

I remember learning in a psychology class that when people are overwhelmed with excitement, they instinctively turn to the person who matters most to them.

I glanced over Chase’s shoulder at his line of groomsmen. If it were me... maybe my eyes would have instinctively found the one who had just flown in from Europe.

So, it’s okay, Chase.

...

But the guests and family in the room had already started whispering.

"Wow, the bride is way too forgiving. How could she let that slide?"

"I heard Chloe always lets him walk all over her. I guess it’s true."

"It's the first look! How can a groom not tell who his bride is?"

Chase heard the chatter and shot a glare at the crowd.

"Babe, you and Lexi are both wearing white dresses, and the confetti was so bright. I just got confused for a second. You get it, right?"

He buried his head in my neck, acting like a big golden retriever who'd done something wrong.

"You know how much work I put into this wedding. Why would I ever do that on purpose?"

Just then, Lexi pulled him to his feet. The bouquet tumbled onto the carpet.

"Alright, dude, enough with the PDA. You're making all us single people sick."

Chase laughed and slapped her on the shoulder. "Well, if you hadn't insisted on wearing white, maybe I wouldn't have gotten confused!"

Lexi hooked an arm around his neck, acting like one of the guys. "My fault? Blame Chloe for not getting me a bridesmaid dress. It's not a big deal, anyway. Chloe just wants a perfect wedding video. The videographer can just edit this part out and re-shoot it."

"Besides," she added, "Chloe loves you so much. She wouldn't get mad over a little thing like this."

And with that, she playfully shoved Chase out of the suite.

No one asked for my opinion.

I watched them go, their laughter echoing down the hall.

I knew Chase had a close female friend. I knew Lexi was more important to him than any of his other guy friends.

When I had finalized my list of bridesmaids, Chase had insisted on adding her.

"I was going to make Lexi a groomsman, but she insisted on being a bridesmaid. You're cool with that, right, babe?"

I told him the dresses were custom-made and there wasn't enough time.

He told me Lexi already had something prepared.

So, on the wedding day, Lexi showed up in a white lace dress that was strikingly similar to mine. It wasn't a wedding gown, but under the lights, it was easy to mistake.

"Chase wanted to see me in this style," she’d said. "I couldn't disappoint my best bro. You don't mind, do you, Chloe?"

She hadn't just "accidentally" ruined the floral arrangements in the honeymoon suite; she'd also pulled a prank during the groomsmen's arrival, sealing the suite's door handle with superglue.

Chase was stuck outside for half an hour until hotel maintenance finally got the door open.

"Babe!"

Chase’s cheerful voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

He strode back in and placed the bouquet in my hands again.

"Chloe, I'm here to marry you!"

The room was dead silent for a second before a few scattered claps broke the quiet.

Everyone had already used their confetti cannons. Their enthusiasm for the moment was gone.

Even the photographer didn't have time to readjust his lens.

And just like that, the ridiculous "first look" was over.

Chase kept asking me, "Are you still mad?"

I shook my head, but my eyes drifted to the silent groomsman standing behind him.

The moment our eyes met, all the noise around me seemed to fade away.