"We?"
Nobody answered.
I looked at the other friends.
Jason. Kyle. Trevor.
All men I'd hosted, cooked for, bought birthday gifts for.
"All of you knew?"
Kyle muttered, "It wasn't supposed to go this badly."
I laughed. "What exactly was supposed to happen?"
Ryan said, "You fall in, everybody laughs, you change, and we have a funny wedding video."
"That was the plan?"
"Yes."
"You actually planned for me to spend part of my wedding reception soaking wet."
"You brought a second dress."
I stared at him, caught off guard by what he'd just said.
My reception dress.
I'd bought a short white dress for later because my gown was heavy.
Ryan knew. "You were counting on the second dress."
He frowned. "That's why I knew it wasn't a big deal."
Something shifted inside me.
Until then, a small part of me still tried to call it drunken stupidity.
Cruel. Immature. But stupid.
Now I understood he'd thought it through.
He knew where the pool was.
He knew what I would be wearing.
He knew I had another dress.
He'd told his friends in advance so they could film.
My humiliation had been scheduled.
Grandpa looked at Ryan.
"Did she agree to this?"
"No, but—"
"Then it wasn't a joke between the two of you."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"With respect, Walter, this is between me and my wife."
Grandpa nodded. "You're right."
Then he looked at me. "So I'll let my granddaughter decide what comes next."
My mother came rushing over.
She'd been inside speaking to the caterer.
She saw me and stopped. "Oh, my God."
She grabbed my face. "What happened?"
Ryan sighed. "Can everyone stop acting like somebody died?"
