Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

PARTY
A
YEAR
, 
SO
AFTER
MY
SHOWER
breakdown, I gathered myself together and pushed thoughts of Max and Josh
aside until after the wedding.
Luckily, the palace kept us busy with rehearsals, pre-wedding parties, and
protocol lessons, and before I knew it, the ceremony was only half an hour
away.
Bridget, Ava, Stella, Bridget’s sister-in-law Sabrina—her matron of
honor as dictated by protocol—and I were gathered in the bridal suite for one
last check before we entered the cathedral where the wedding would take
place.
Seven thousand guests. Live broadcast to millions of viewers around the
world.
Nerves fluttered in my stomach.
“I know I’ve said it before, but thank you guys so much for being here.”
Bridget’s eyes shimmered with emotion as she looked around at us. “I know
the preparations have been crazy, and the scrutiny isn’t easy, so I appreciate
it.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Stella squeezed her hand, her eyes
glowing with a mix of happiness and melancholy.
The same contradictory emotions dripped through me as the clock
counted down to the ceremony. I was truly happy for Bridget, especially after
everything she and Rhys went through to be together, but her marriage
marked the end of an era.
My friends and I were growing up. We were no longer the young,
carefree students we once were. We hadn’t been in a long time, but

---

somehow, Bridget’s wedding drove that fact home harder than her coronation
had.
Gone were the days of impromptu weekend trips, late night spa sessions
in our dorm, and weekly catchups over coffee and scones at The Morning
Roast.
Now, Ava lived with Alex and was constantly traveling for her job.
Bridget was a literal queen and about to get married. And Stella was so busy
with the magazine and her blog I barely saw her, even though we were
roommates.
But when we were together, it was like old times again, and I would
never take that for granted.
“Tell Rhys to treat you right or he’ll have to answer to us,” Stella added.
Despite her threat, we knew we didn’t need to worry. Rhys treated
Bridget like a queen even before she ascended to the throne.
Bridget’s soft laugh contained a touch of wateriness. “I will.”
Someone knocked on the door. Freja, the palace’s communications
secretary, entered and dipped her head at Bridget.
“Your Majesty. Are you ready?”
Apprehension cascaded across Bridget’s face for the first time that day,
but she straightened her shoulders and nodded.
We did one last hair and makeup check before we filed downstairs and
across the long hallway connecting the guesthouse and ancient cathedral.
The doors opened, and every thought except not tripping during my
endless walk down the aisle faded.
Prime ministers. Royalty. Celebrities. Josh.
All in the audience staring at me, but of the thousands of pairs of eyes,
one in particular seared into me when I passed the pews reserved for the bride
and groom’s close friends and family.
My heartbeat drummed louder.
I took my place at the altar and trained my eyes on the entrance,
determined not to look at a certain friend’s brother in the crowd.
Don’t look. Don’t look. Do not look.
Bridget entered on the arm of her grandfather, the former King Edvard,
and an awed hush blanketed the crowd.
Across the altar, Rhys fell unnaturally still. His eyes locked onto
Bridget’s, and his face glowed with such love it made my heart squeeze. A
meteor could’ve landed in the cathedral and he wouldn’t have been able to

---

tear his eyes away from her.
Bridget’s returning smile was visible even beneath her lace veil. The
moment stretched between them, so raw and intimate I felt like I was
intruding despite the thousands of guests surrounding us.
I blinked away the tears gathering in my eyes. I wasn’t crying. I was
expelling excess moisture. That was all.
But when the archbishop started the ceremony, I couldn’t stop myself
from scanning the pews to tamp down my emotion. The last thing I needed
was to ugly cry on live television.
My gaze skipped over a handful of recognizable European royals, a
world-famous pop singer, and the up-and-coming soccer star Asher Donovan
before it snagged on Josh.