29. Brick

Well, here we were again. At yet another party to celebrate the nuptials of people I actually cared about. It was a habit I was hoping to soon break.

Meanwhile, every affluent, connected person in the city was present, the mayor included. And my only job was to make sure I was seen.

Which sucked because I didn’t want to be here at all.

I mean, engagement parties had to be even worse than wedding receptions. At least newly married couples had probably already had their first fight over the flowers or caterer or something. Engaged people didn’t even seem to know how to fight yet.

I glanced toward Kaity who was standing next to Ezra and talking with the mayor, and when she looked up at her fiancé and smiled as if he was her world, my gut tightened.

I remembered someone looking at me like that not so long ago.

Twenty-two days ago, to be exact.

But Hayden had warned me to stay away from her until this whole mess with Black Crimson was over—for her own safety and mine—so I’d been a go