Chapter One

Eden had been dreading this day since the moment her sister, Carol, had announced she was getting married. A wedding was supposed to be a happy occasion, a cause for celebration. But not when your sister was marrying the brother of your ex-best friend.

Eden had done a successful job of avoiding said ex-best friend for ten years, crying off any get-togethers, school reunions, and even her sister’s engagement and hen parties. Understandably, it had made her incredibly unpopular with Carol and their parents, but she’d had to put up with their displeasure for the sake of her own sanity.

Today, though, Janine or no Janine, Eden was going to her sister’s wedding. It was kind of crucial, really, given she was chief bridesmaid. She was just thankful that Janine hadn’t been asked to be a bridesmaid. That would have been problematic.

“I honestly don’t understand what happened between the two of you. What made you fall out so badly that you still want to avoid her?” Carol was asking, as the hairdresser put the finishing touches to her up-do, then settled her tiara on top of it, leaving the attached veil trailing down her back.

Well you wouldn’t, would you? Eden thought, trying hard not to let her emotions show on her face. You’ve never been confused about your sexuality and come on to your best friend, have you? But she kept quiet, determined not to ruin her sister’s special day.

“Can you even remember what happened?” Carol continued, thanking the hairdresser and standing up. She moved over to the full-length mirror in the room and examined herself from every angle. The hairdresser held up another mirror so the bride could see the back of her hair. She nodded.

“Yes,” Eden replied shortly, then added, “You look beautiful, sis. Really gorgeous.”

Inside her head, though, she was already reliving that fateful night.

“Yeah! Livin’ on a Prayer, I love this one! Come on, let’s dance,” Eden said, grabbing Janine’s hand and pulling her away from the bar.

“All right, all right, I’m coming. Let me grab my drink!”

They made their way, cheap alcopops in hand, onto the dance floor, which comprised of a series of square tiles which lit up in various colors, flashing on and off and changing hue in time to the music. It was cheesy as hell, and the girls loved it. So did every teenager within a ten-mile radius. The place was packed, and they adored the fact that they met new people all the time, people they hadn’t gone to school with. Guys they hadn’t gone to school with. It was new, exciting, grown up. They were on the very edge of adulthood, and they couldn’t be happier about it.

They reached the flashing floor tiles and began jumping around to the song—taking care not to spill their drinks—and sang along at their top of their voices. Mercifully, they weren’t audible over the thumping music. X-Factor hopefuls they were not. But...

Another Dance