Chapter 2 : The Kiss

As Gabrielle headed for the exit, Camilla quickly started damage control, telling everyone around them that her friend had just had too much to drink. "Sorry about this, guys. Gaby totally lost it tonight. Please don''t take anything she said seriously."

She grabbed Warren''s arm and whispered urgently in his ear, "You need to talk to her! Get her to take it all back when she sobers up. My parents are going to kill me!"

Her eyes flashed with desperation. "She''s obviously still hurt." She gripped his arm tighter. "Talk to her. This whole rushed wedding thing was your idea in the first place!"

Warren could only let out a frustrated breath. He forced a smile for their friends and family. "Excuse me, everyone. I need to make sure Gaby gets home safely."

"Don''t worry," he added, trying to sound reassuring. "We''ll sort this whole thing out once she''s sober. It''s all just a big misunderstanding."

With that, he finally left to chase after her.

Outside the event hall, Gabrielle was practically speed-walking away.

Her chest felt like it was caving in as the full weight of her best friend''s betrayal hit her. "Eight months," she muttered under her breath. "Eight fucking months!"

That''s how long she''d been completely blind to what was happening right under her nose. She felt a tear slip down her cheek and quickly wiped it away, angry at herself. "How could I not see it coming?"

She was on the verge of breaking down when she heard someone calling after her.

"Gaby! Gaby! Wait up!" It was Warren, jogging to catch up with her.

She quickly wiped her face clean and put on her best poker face. Without even looking at him, she called back, "I need to go, Warren. My boyfriend''s waiting for me!"

He grabbed her arm. "Oh, come on! I know you don''t have a boyfriend, and I—" He glanced around, making sure no one he knew could overhear. "Look, Gaby, I know we screwed up."

"We never meant for things to happen this way. It just... happened!"

"Really?" Gabrielle''s eyes went wide. "Then why didn''t you tell me eight months ago? Why keep stringing me along if our relationship was already over?!"

She jabbed her finger into his chest repeatedly. "You—you and Cami lied to my face! You never once thought about how I''d feel! You were even planning to get married without telling me?!"

"But forget you for a second—Cami? She''s honestly the worst person in this whole mess for stabbing me in the back like that."

A bitter smile crossed her face as she shook her head. "Whatever. I''m over it."

She turned to walk away. "My boyfriend''s waiting—"

Warren let out a dismissive laugh. "I know you don''t have a boyfriend, Gaby! I know you way too well!"

He hurried to block her path, his voice getting more confident. "And I know exactly how crazy in love with me you still are, which is why—" He stepped directly in front of her, forcing her to stop.

"That''s exactly why we couldn''t tell you the truth." He held up his hands defensively. "Cami and I just couldn''t bring ourselves to tell you we fell for each other because we... we knew you''d lose it like this!"

"I''m done with your bullshit, Warren!" She ran her hands through her hair, glaring at him. "There''s absolutely no excuse for what you did—for what you both did!"

"Please, Gabrielle." He put both hands on her shoulders, his voice turning pleading. "Just hear me out. Let''s talk about this tomorrow when you''ve cooled off. Cami and I want to sit down with you and help you through this. We''ll help you move on."

His brow furrowed as he continued, "Just please help us clear this up with our families once you''re thinking straight, okay?"

Seeing the irritation building on Gabrielle''s face, Warren tried again. "Please. At least do it for Cami. She''s like a sister to you."

"I''ll do whatever you want. I''ll give you time to slowly let go of what we had." Warren''s additional offer just left Gabrielle speechless.

She actually laughed out loud, still trying to push past him. She thought bitterly, ''Now he wants to offer me a slow transition! Not before he decided to cheat on me and propose to my best friend a week after dumping me!''

As they reached the lobby, she shook her head firmly. "I''m not doing that, and I don''t need your transition period." She got right in his face like an angry cat. "I already have a boyfriend!"

"Oh, look!" Her expression suddenly brightened as she looked past Warren. "There''s my boyfriend now. He must be looking for me."

Gabrielle quickly walked toward a guy in a white shirt standing by the lobby bar. He was perfect cover—tall and gorgeous.

From where he was standing, he looked like he might be a bartender, though her judgment might have been a little cloudy at the moment.

For a split second, she thought, ''This guy looks familiar somehow.'' But she didn''t have time to figure it out.

She needed Warren to believe she was completely over him, and this handsome stranger was her ticket out.

She could see the tall guy talking to another man in a business suit, but she didn''t care. She walked right up and interrupted their conversation with a wave. "Hey there, handsome!"

When she had his attention, she stepped closer and said with the biggest fake smile she could manage, "I need a huge favor. Help a girl out?"

Without waiting for an answer, she closed her eyes and kissed him full on the lips!

To make it convincing, she didn''t just give him a quick peck—she held it for a solid three seconds.

When she pulled back, she could see Warren in her peripheral vision, standing several feet away looking absolutely stunned.

She pretended not to notice her ex and focused entirely on her "boyfriend," who was standing there completely frozen.

Flashing him a flirty smile, she said, "I know it''s pretty shocking to get kissed by someone this gorgeous."

She bit her lip playfully. "But think of it as a tip. You must have been working really hard tonight."

When she glanced back toward Warren, he was already heading back to the event hall.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and turned back to the handsome stranger. "Thanks again, gorgeous." She quickly pulled five dollars from her purse and tucked it into his shirt pocket. "For your trouble."

As she started to walk away, she called over her shoulder, "Bye! Have a great rest of your shift!"