Wednesday morning greeted Massie by blinding her with its cheery sunlight. Leaning over, she grunted and ripped the curtains closed. Her maid had pulled them open earlier that morning, as Massie usually requests because it helps her wake up and start her day. Today was not going to be one of those types of productive ones, she thought to herself as she buried her head further into her down pillows.

Although she was marrying Tristan soon, her father still wasn't a fan of him sleeping in her bed every night, so yesterday he had went back to his apartment shortly after Massie went out to dinner and drinks.

Fuck, what happened at dinner?

It was all such a blur, she hoped that when she went through the messages on her iPhone, it would jog her memory.

#TBT🍻🍻

Leesh: Who's idea waz the sake

Kemp: Yours, niña.

Joshy Hotzy: Guys keep it down my head won't stop pounding

Kemp: Massikur u there?

Kemp: Hope u kno ur secret is safe w/ us

"What the fuck is he talking about?!" She murmured to herself as her thumbs typed on the touch screen.

Massikur: what secret?

Before she could get a proper answer, she was bombarded by phone calls from both Kemp and Alicia. She settled on answering Alicia, sending Kemp a 'did i rly do that' text.

"Puh-lease tell me you're kidding," the latina whisper-yelled into her phone, as her heels were heard pacing through the marble-tiled bathroom at Ralph Lauren's corporate office. Her and Josh had a meeting with more designers in an hour, so she tried to keep her voice somewhat calm.

"I have no idea what happened, Leesh. What secret?" Massie exclaimed at the tone of Alicia's voice, she'd never whisper-yell unless some serious shit went down.

"Oh my god, you actually do not remember a thing, do you?"

"Not after Josh telling me that they all feared my gorgeous blowouts and french manicures in middle school."

"Okay, well, I don't think he said it like th-"

"LEESH!"

"Okay, okay, you can have that one. Anyway, so Kemp had us play a dumb fuck marry kill game, because you know we're all twelve years old when we're together."

"Okay."

"Okay, and maybe he asked JOSH if he'd rather fuck marry or kill KUH-LAIRE, but whatever."

"You're stalling."

"You said you'd fuck Tristan because, and I quote because I'm a journalist, 'he is definitely worth a fuck, but marriage is a strong word."

"Oh my god."

"No, wait, I'm not done!" Alicia's heel stomp echoed through the phone.

"Okay Leesh, what else?" Now, the alpha was growing very impatient. She replied to Kemp's thumbs up emoji before climbing out of bed and heading to her in suite master bathroom to shower off her sleep and liquor-filled brain.

"You said you would marry Derrick, because 'who doesn't want to fall asleep next to the love of their life?"

Massie couldn't tell if the sudden wave that overcame her was of embarrassment or guilt. They both felt the same, and left a pit full of nausea inside her stomach as her insides churned. Was it the hangover, or did the whole room just raise twelve degrees? Little beads of sweat balled up on the back of her neck, and she grabbed her bathrooms black granite countertop to keep steady.

"You there, Mass?" Alicia decided that the silence was going on for too long. "I know it's hard to remember, and I really hoped you'd remember so I didn't have to do this. I think you guys need closure, especially before your parents throw that huge party this weekend. You two need to talk, and you really need to make sure this whole Tristan thing is what you actually want, before you're stuck in a marriage you regret every night."

"How do I know, Leesh?" Massie asked her best friend in a quiet voice, because it was about all she could muster right now. She hadn't come to terms with those feelings regarding Derrick in literal years, and what, one drunk night it just all pours out of her?! What kind of self control does she have?

"Mass, you just know. You'll just know whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with him. You'll know if you want to sleep next to him every night, yell at him for making the thermostat too cold, argue with him about which show you want to watch on a wednesday night, and scold him for saying the wrong thing to your mom. But, you'll also know if you see a real future with him, children with him, everything with him. You'll throw your identity away and basically take his, so make sure you're ready for that." Alicia wanted to add in another comment, but bit back her tongue.

"I'm going to take a shower, I'll call you after."

Massie never called.

Massie never called because once she got out of her steamy bathroom, her eyes landed on her fiance sitting on her bed, holding a tense position. His arms were bulging, his eyes were dark, and his forehead was hot.

"How drunk were you?" That was the first thing out of his mouth. Not a 'hello', not a 'good morning', not a 'can I bring you coffee?'. No, and one look into his eyes told her she didn't want to ask him for one.

"We had sake." Massie's voice came out as weak, as soft. This was not the kind of girl she was. She was the kind of girl to kick boys in the ass, keep them coming back for more, and always be on top. With Tristan, there was no top.

"Sake with Kemp and who else, Alicia? Josh? Was Derrick there for good measure, too?" His voice sounded so snarky and hostile, it made her flinch. Or, did the mention of Derrick coming from Tristan's mouth just feel that wrong?

"Alicia and Josh ran into us there, so we all sat together. We had sake and sushi and made fun of ourselves in high school. Is this over?" Massie snapped the last part, Tristan was growing on all of her damn nerves.

"You know I don't like you around Kemp, and you did it anyway." The boy spoke in such an eerily calm manner that she felt the baby hairs on the back of her neck stand up stick straight. Massie closed her amber eyes tightly, willing him to just get on with it so she could kick him out and continue on with her day. Usually he'd scold her, she'd kick him out, and not speak to him for two days. That was how disagreements went with Tristan. You had to let him get his way first, then treat him like the child he was.

None of her friends knew how fucking crazy he was. He's a self-glorified egomaniac, who needs to feel superior in order to feel better about himself. Massie was told she was crazy and a bitch and a narcissist, but she'd take that over an egomaniac any day. She liked to think she turned over a new leaf since high school ended and the real world began for her. College was a wakeup call, where you could be the best dressed in the room, but if you were a total bitch, nobody cared what you looked like, dressed like, or who your parents were. College made her grow up.

"What is going on in here?!" Dylan yelled as she entered Massie's bedroom.

The sudden new voice made Massie jump out of her thoughts and out of her skin, while Tristan flinched as he lowered his arm to his side. She didn't even realize he had raised it, so distracted in her own thoughts, as she usually was when he would grow angry. What was he going to do with that hand? He plastered a fake grin on to his plump pink lips, a grin that read 'tell no one' to his fiancée before turning around and facing the redhead. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dylan raised her hand to silence him and stepped up so she was right under him.

"I see you lift that fucking hand one more time at her, and I'll have your ass thrown out of this house. You're just the type too, you arrogant asshole. I'm sure William would love to know what just went down, or what would've if I didn't come in and ruin your fun. If you want to try me, I'd love it. I'll get you on the next plane to Mexico so fucking fast, Montgomery. Are we clear?"

Without a word, Tristan abruptly ran out of the room and down the stairs. He murmured a goodbye to William, mumbled something about having a stomach ache, and was out the front door before Massie's father could get a word out.

The girls shared glances, Massie standing there in her robe with a towel wrapped around her head, and Dylan opposite her in a pair of navy lululemon leggings, a white zip up activewear top, and a gym bag hung lazily over her shoulder where she stowed a change of clothes. Her original plan was to come to Massie's and shower, then the two would head off into Manhattan to have lunch with Kristen. Clearly, this situation was more important.

Massie broke down in the silence, coming to her knees and holding her breath as Dylan followed suit and held her close.

"That never happened before," Massie breathed out quietly, tying knots around her fingertips with the strap of her robe. "I feel like I don't even know who he's becoming, Dylan."

The redhead didn't speak, mainly because she wasn't sure what to say. In the past, in school classes, you're told that if you see something, you should say something. Dylan just didn't know when she should say something, and to who.

She sent an SOS text to Kristen, as Massie crumbled in her arms.

Kristen agreed to come by Dylan's later tonight to help her with her Massie situation, although she wasn't sure what kind of situation the girl with the perfect life and perfect fiancée would have.

"Mass, you have to tell someone." The redhead murmured, leaving her chin to rest on the top of Massie's head.

"I know." Her alpha spoke in a defeated tone, and Dylan knew a piece of her broke watching the girl who was her best friend, knew all her secrets, and led her throughout high school, was breaking down.

"Maybe we need a sleepover," Dylan suggested quietly. She felt Massie nod her head, taking it as confirmation Dylan then texted Alicia, asking her to attend as well. Claire, well, Claire they could figure out another time.