Chapter 17

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Max

I pause at the sound of Alianna's voice and lean back against Mackenzie's bedroom door, my eyes falling closed. Who am I kidding? I came here because I knew this is where I'd find her, and not because I wanted to speak to my sister.

"I'm worried I won't be able to change her mind," Alianna says, "With just a few days left, my anxiety is off the charts. If Crystal doesn't show up on her wedding day, I'll be the one getting married."

"Would that really be so bad?" Mackenzie replies.

My heart races as I wait for Alianna's answer, but all that follows is silence. I brace myself and straighten my spine before knocking on Mackenzie's door. The door opens, and my sister's eyes widen when she sees me standing here.

I can count the amount of times I have been here on one hand. Being forced to live so close together meant that my siblings and I are very protective of our privacy, and normally I would never breach our unspoken rule of respecting each other's private space when we aren't in communal areas.

Today, however, is an exception. I'm not here for Mackenzie. I'm here for Alianna. I look past my sister into hazel eyes that carry a hint of agony.

"Alianna, can I speak to you for a moment?"

She hesitates, but then she nods and rises from her seated position on my sister's bed. She walks up to me, her dress swaying. Even when she looks this distraught, she's beautiful.

"Follow me."

She falls into step with me as I lead her to my house.

"Where are we going?" she asks, her voice soft.

"My place."

It's strange to think that Alianna might soon be living there with me. Neither of us wants this, but with each passing day it's becoming more and more clear to me that this is inevitable.

Both of us are just caught in a web of our own deception, convincing ourselves that Crystal will change her mind, that everything will be the way it should be.

But we both know better.

Alianna is quiet as she follows me down the long hallway that connects Mackenzie's house to the main house. Perhaps it would have been better to take her to the main living room, but I'm not certain our conversation would be private there.

I lead her to my home, suddenly seeing it through fresh eyes.

Crystal designed and decorated most of this throughout the years, both of us expecting to live here together someday. I wonder what Alianna thinks of it. Does she like the monochrome theme Crystal went with? I can't imagine what it must be like to even entertain the thought of having to live your sister's life.

"Can I offer you a drink?" I ask as she sits down on my white leather sofa, the same one she and I fell asleep on just a few weeks ago.

Alianna shakes her head and looks up at me questioningly, "I'm okay," she says, "What is it you want to talk about?"

I sit down next to her and turn to face her, "You know exactly what I need to talk to you about Alianna. We can neither avoid nor ignore this for much longer."

She looks down, trying her best to hide her distress from me, "Max," she whispers, her voice breaking.

I can't stand seeing that torment in her demeanor. I hate knowing that I played a role in the pain she's feeling, and it kills me to know that from here on out, I will only break her heart more.

"I'll speak to her," she promises, but I shake my head and grab her hand.

"You know that won't make a difference. Don't you think I've tried?"

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