Huh. So much for being able to wear it again.
Camden let Brandy go, and she made a break for the doors leading outside with Mandy in hot pursuit.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He grabbed one of the napkins off a nearby table and handed it to me.
I nodded, pressing the napkin to my nose. “It’s okay. I get nosebleeds all the time. You know, whenever the air is dry or when my face gets kicked.” I pressed the napkin harder. “What part of the Old Testament do you think we’re on now?”
“It’s not that bad,” he said, trying to placate me but it felt like there was no hope. “I’m going to go help with Brandy, but I’ll be right back.”
He kissed me on the forehead and I tried to remember whether I was supposed to lean my head back or forward. I settled for holding still and hoping that nothing was broken. I noted that Krista was busy helping Dan’s grandma get cleaned up, Hank was yelling at the cameramen, and Troy was barking commands to his assistants, telling the DJ to play another song.
Sadie was going to be utterly humiliated. I had no idea what this was going to do to her online reputation. Would she lose sponsors? Followers? I tried calling her, but she didn’t pick up. I told myself that it made sense that she’d turn off her phone, given that she and Dan were running away from the reception. They wouldn’t want people to be able to get in touch with them.
That had to be it, right? It wasn’t that Sadie had seen the live feed and was furious with me? I tried to ignore the rising sense of dread that this was only the beginning and things were about to get worse.
Although how they could possibly get worse than this, I wasn’t sure.
I also had no idea how to fix any of this. The damage was done and online.
Camden joined me a few minutes later, sitting in a chair next to mine. “We got her up to her room. She was conscious and still had on most of her clothes, so I’m counting that as a win.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m here to help you in any way that I can. We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”
I considered his words. It was so nice to have someone who was here for me. Of course he cared about Dan’s wedding because they were close, but he made me feel like everything he’d done today had been because of me. It had been so long since anyone had made me feel that special.
There were smeared frosting and tiny chunks of cake stuck to his suit. “I hope that wasn’t a rental,” I told him, pointing at the food decorating his clothes. “I don’t think you’re going to get the deposit back.”
“At least it isn’t blood,” he teased as I pulled the napkin away. It seemed like the bleeding had stopped. His smile faded when he saw my expression. “What is it?”
“I should have been out in front of this. It never should have happened.”
He reached for my free hand and said, “You couldn’t have predicted that any of this would happen.”
“Sadie told me it might, that she was worried about it, and I should have prevented it.”
Camden squeezed my hand gently and it was so reassuring, even though I didn’t deserve it. “Rachel, this isn’t your fault.”
My throat felt heavy, thick. I blinked back tears. “It might not be my fault, but I definitely feel responsible. If I hadn’t been busy with . . .” I let my voice trail off as I looked down at my feet.
“If you hadn’t been busy with me.” I heard the pain in his voice at my implication that he was responsible for this failure, too.
I met his gaze, feeling wounded by the upset I saw there. “Camden, no, that’s not what I—”
“Rachel?” I heard a male voice ask.
I turned to see where it was coming from and my mouth opened in shock. No.
This was not happening.
No, no, no, no.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The man smiled at me, pointing at himself with both of his hands. “It’s me. Vinnie Hemmings.”
I had been a bridesmaid for Vinnie’s wife, Theresa. I’d never even considered this possibility. We deliberately chose brides and weddings where there didn’t seem to be any connections to our previous work. I stood up, still gaping in shock.
“Camden! How are you, man?” He shook hands with Camden. “Have a little trouble with the cake?”
“Something like that,” Camden said as he got to his feet.
“How do you two know each other?” I asked—both because I was desperately curious and because I was trying to turn the conversation away from myself. Hoping I could somehow salvage this.