Chapter 1

My destination wedding with Mason was supposed to be a small, intimate getaway with both of our parents.

But on the day of our flight, I waited at the airport terminal for what felt like hours.

When Mason finally showed up, he brought his childhood best friend, Eve, her parents, and about seven or eight of her extended relatives.

Every single one of them held a first-class boarding pass.

Except for my parents.

I looked at Mason. "Where are my parents' tickets?"

He didn’t even look up as he helped Eve’s mother push her designer suitcase.

"We ran out of plane tickets."

"I bought them coach tickets on the Greyhound bus."

A thirty-hour Greyhound bus ride.

Followed by a local shuttle, and then a ferry.

My dad had just undergone major spinal surgery, and my mom got so motion-sick that even a two-hour car ride made her vomit.

My voice shook. "Then why does Eve’s entire family have first-class plane tickets?"

Mason frowned, looking annoyed.

"Eve’s parents are getting older. They can’t handle a rough journey."

"Besides, her relatives joined us at the last minute. I couldn't just tell them they couldn't come."

My phone buzzed right then. It was my mom on Snapchat.

Her voice was incredibly tentative, as if she was terrified of causing me any trouble.

"Sweetheart, the bus is actually really nice. We'll get there before you know it."

My throat tightened, but before I could speak, I heard my dad coughing heavily in the background.

He tried to muffle the sound, whispering urgently to my mom.

"Don't tell her. It's her wedding day. Don't make her worry."

In that exact moment, as I looked at the cheerful, bustling crowd surrounding Mason, I realized something.

This wedding didn't need to happen.