Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Jackson was the first one to react. He shot up from his seat and practically yelled, "No way!" His voice cracked from the shock.

"What the hell is this? Am I seeing things? Dylan, pinch me or something—am I dreaming?!"

But while Jackson was freaking out, Richard's face just went dark. He could tell right away this was bad. Really bad.

Jackson grabbed the marriage certificate and flipped it open. The moment he saw the name, he cursed again, even louder.

"Clara?! Clara?!! You married Clara?! When did that happen?! No freaking way! I must be seeing things. Hang on, you've always liked her, right? So if you were going to marry anyone, of course it'd be Clara. So you went behind everyone's back, kept it from the whole Ferguson family, and just went and got married to Clara without telling a soul?!"

He'd barely finished when Nicholas, who'd just taken a sip of his drink, totally lost it and spat whiskey all over the table.

"What did you just say?"

The look in his eyes was pure disbelief, like he literally couldn't process what he'd just heard.

Wait, who likes Clara?

Dylan likes Clara?

was no way this could

and wiped his mouth, still staring.

for a full minute, making absolutely sure he wasn't hallucinating. When he finally accepted it was real, he put it down with hands that were still shaking, reached

about this, you know you're

it lightly. The

for himself. He stared at

hadn't imagined it

for any sign it was fake. At last,

type to

just want to tie Clara down, make her miserable forever. This is your way of getting back at her. Damn, Dylan, you don't mess

wince at that. He rubbed his forehead,

hell all of this had ended up exposing his

there on the table,

move. He pulled out a card-God knows how much money was on it, he'd never bothered to check—and set it

it was

your wedding

"Wait, that's it? You're just... cool with this? Richard, aren't you even