This Changes Everything by Jennifer Ashley Page 0,2

dark brown hair, ranging from the almost black of Austin’s to the red highlights in Ben’s. Zach’s is in the middle—rich, chocolate, enticing me to run fingers through it.

I haven’t seen Zach McLaughlin in years, and I realize I’ve missed out.

I notice Zach’s hand shaking a little—he is not happy to speak in public.

Yes, he kissed me when we were middle schoolers, and I went home half-fainting with joy. I figured he’d think me some nerdy girl chasing him if I talked to him again, so I ignored him. The logic of a thirteen-year-old.

We could joke about the kiss now, like old-timers reflecting on days gone by.

Except, I keep wondering what it would be like to kiss him now …

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here—” Zach breaks off amid chuckles and his brother Austin’s boo. “Oh, wait, we already did that. We’re celebrating Ryan and Calandra hooking up. Finally.” More laughter.

Zach waits until his audience is quiet, then he opens his mouth again. And nothing comes out. Maybe a little squeak of air.

He’s freezing, with his whole family, their closest friends, and a hundred friends of friends and acquaintances waiting for him to be Mr. Eloquent. I know enough about the McLaughlins, mostly from Calandra talking about them nonstop, to realize they’ll never let him hear the end of it if he can’t finish his speech.

“Say what’s in your heart,” I remind him in a hurried whisper.

Zach switches his panicked gaze to me. He is so seriously good-looking I almost lose the thread.

“What?” he asks.

“Say what’s in your heart. Go on.” I make motions for him to get back to it.

“Sorry.” Zach straightens up. “Taking cues from my prompter. The beautiful maid of honor, Abby Warren.” He indicates me, and there are awws and applause. My face goes hot.

“She’s telling me to go with my heart,” Zach continues. “So here it is. Ryan, you’re a pain in the ass. Now you’re Calandra’s pain in the ass.” A ripple of laughter. “But you know what? It’s obvious you two are so much in love. You make each other whole. So be happy Ryan, be happy, Calandra. You know we always have your back, bro. And sis.”

More awws, even Austin wiping off his grin to applaud. Zach lifts his champagne flute, and the rest of us follow.

“To Ryan and Calandra,” he says.

“Ryan and Calandra!” we all shout. Zach sits down, flushed and out of breath.

“How was that?” he says to me under cover of the clapping and cheering.

I take a demure sip of champagne. “Your fly was open.”

The horror on his face makes me laugh, my body shaking with it. Zach checks—he has to—finds his pants closed up just fine, and shoots me a vicious glare.

“Oh, you’ll pay for that, Abby Warren. You’ll pay.”

I pretend to myself that his words, his eyes, his voice, don’t make my blood run hot. I drink champagne and smile, until his mom comes to hug him and he turns away, giving me a much needed chance to cool down.

Wedding receptions pretty much follow the same pattern unless something goes seriously wrong. I pray as the meal finishes, the sun sets, and dancing begins, that nothing goes wrong. Getting Calandra to the church had been a feat. I deserve seven shots of tequila for pouring her into her dress and driving her there before she could run.

Ryan and Calandra do their first dance. We watch, breathless, as the two gaze into each other’s eyes, their love strong.

I relax. They’re going to be okay.

The bride and groom finish, and Calandra pairs off with her dad, Ryan with his mom. The rest of the guests stream to the floor to join them. I toss back the last of my champagne from the sidelines and watch, smiling, because my best friend has found happiness.

“Dance?”

Zach is next to me in the shadows beyond the dance floor, his hand out.

He’s tall warmth in the dark. His body is hard and honed from whatever workouts he does or whatever sports he engages in. I suddenly want to know which ones.

Should I play it cool? Pretend a shock hasn’t gone through me from his nearness, from the enticing way his tux hugs his trim body?

I can try.

“Do you ballroom dance?” I wave my empty champagne flute at the dipping, spinning crowd. “They’re waltzing.”

“You’d be amazed at what I had to do to prep for this wedding.” Zach plucks my glass from my hand and deposits it on the nearest table. “Come on. Need to