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Daniel stops her before she can enter the games room, his fingers curling around her wrist. "I'm sorry," he says, "I'm trying, I promise you I am."
She has no idea what he's talking about but he looks wrecked -- how much has he had to drink today? -- and it's probably better if she just pacifies him. "I know," she says soothingly. "Thank you."
Alex appears in the doorway. "There you are," he says, smiling. "Ready?"
The photographer waves Daniel over to take Alex's place beside her. "Closer together please."
She shifts her stance and Daniel's hand settles in the small of her back. "You know that Bill Murray movie where he keeps living the same day over and over again?" he asks.
Of all the things she could have expected him to say to her today, this isn't one of them. "Just how drunk are you?" she asks, trying not to move her lips.
Daniel grimaces. "Not nearly enough."
"Smiling please!" the photographer calls out.
"You expect me to play a game," she repeats, confused. "On our wedding night?"
"It's just tradition," Alex replies.
"Like... checkers?" She raises an eyebrow. "What happens when I win?"
"Closer together please."
Grace shuffles half a step nearer to Daniel, trying not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of whiskey wafting from him. He hasn't even tried to hide the amount he's drunk all day, and she's surprised he's still standing independently.
As the camera flashes, Daniel turns and stares at her. Stares and reaches out with a steadier hand than she would expected, his fingers skimming her jawline and anchoring on her nape. He closes the distance between them until he can press his mouth to hers and kiss her.
Like, kiss her kiss her. His lips firm against hers, sure and deliberate, and nothing like the playful peck of a drunken relative making a bad joke.
There's a shout from someone -- from Alex -- and Grace shoves Daniel away from her, the crack of her hand against his face echoing across the lawn a moment later.
What. the. fuck?
Daniel rubs his cheek. "Yeah," he says. "Should have expected that."
"It's just a game," Alex promises.
Grace looks at him dubiously.
Daniel's hand settles in the small of her back. "You know that Bill Murray movie where he keeps living the same day over and over again?" he asks.
She frowns, confused. "Bill Murray was in Happy Death Day? Was he the dad?"
"What? No. I'm talking about Groundhog Day."
"What day?"
"Ground-- you know what? Never mind." Daniel straightens, his hand dropping from her back. "Forget I even said anything."
Okay? Shrugging, she turns back to the photographer and smiles. Whatever.
She finds Daniel alone in the library.
"Help me," she begs. "Please."
He shakes his head, grief heavy on him, his hands flaked with Alex's blood still. "I can't. I've tried -- fuck. But I can't."
"It's just tradition," Alex says.
"Tradition?" she repeats.
"Our family -- It's... complicated."
"No." Grace steps back from him. "Complicated is working out what you're going to do with six fucking gravy boats because your husband's family apparently can't think of a single unique, useful, wedding gift for a couple in the 21st century. This?" She gestures towards the fucking body on the ground in front of them. "This is insane."
Alex reaches for her hand and she pulls it away, taking a step back.
"It's my wedding day," she says. "And already I want a divorce."
His face crumples. "Grace --"
The door slams open behind him, his father appearing over his shoulder with a rifle raised and pointed towards them.
Towards her.
She --
Grace smiles at the photographer, Daniel beside her, whiskey-drunk and swaying just a little. His hand settles in the small of her back.
Flash.
Grace ducks inside the billiards room, pressing her back against the dark wood panelling as voices -- his mother's, she thinks, and Fitch maybe? -- echo somewhere nearby.
What. the. fuck --
The door flies open and she yelps, cringing back as Daniel stumbles into the room. His tie is gone and his collar is unbuttoned and there's a smear of something dark on his cuffs. Something red and...
"Help --" she starts to say, only to freeze as he reaches for her, as he presses his mouth to hers and kisses her, hard and fast, like he knows he only has split-seconds before she shoves him back and slaps him.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
A gunshot splits the silence.
Alex corners her.
"I love you," he says.
"Forever," he promises.
"It's just a game," he explains.
He lies.
She ducks into the conservatory, edging around a marble column just as Daniel appears from the opposite corridor. His jacket is gone, his sleeves rolled to his forearms, his hair damp with sweat as though he's been running for hours.
"There you are," he says.
"What -- "
"We have to move." He catches her wrist and drags her back towards the way she just came from.
"No," she manages, "wait --"
But Charity is already there, gun in hand, lips pinched and bloodless as she glares at her husband.
Daniel stops immediately and holds up the hand not holding Grace's. "Char--"
She has almost reached the games room when she hears Alex and his brother talking ahead of her. Her steps slow.
"You don't understand," Daniel says.
"I understand perfectly," Alex snaps. "Stop trying to control everything."
"But I'm trying to keep you alive."
Alex laughs disbelievingly.
"I mean it." Daniel makes a rough sound. "You can't let her --"
Grace shifts her weight, and the floorboard creaks beneath her shoe.
Both brothers look up. "There you are," Alex says, smiling. "Ready?"
"I'm sorry," Daniel says. "I'm trying."
She has no idea what to say, what to do, what to think -- it's her wedding day for fuck's sake and her brother-in-law thinks he's in a fucking movie and her husband just held a knife above her head and her in-law's are trying to fucking kill her and --
"I just wanted a family," she whispers.
Daniel looks anguished. "I know," he says. "I'm sorry."
Grace loses track of how many lies Alex tells before midnight, how many excuses he makes. "You knew. You knew something could happen tonight."
"I didn't know -- "
"Fuck you."
"Grace, please. Please. I was just trying to protect you and --"
"You were trying to protect yourself!" She pulls her wedding ring from her finger and throws it at his chest, hating him more in this moment than she thinks she ever loved him at all. "I want a divorce."
"I can't stop it -- I've tried -- but the day just keeps starting over and over and over again, and you -- Alex -- everyone keeps dying no matter what I try to do to stop it, and --"
Grace stares at him, breathless from adrenaline, from fear, from the pain in her hand. "You're talking about a movie...?"
"It's happening though," Daniel says. He scrubs his face with his hands, leaving a smear of blood on his jawline. "It's re--" His eyes widen as he looks over her shoulder. "No!"
There's a sharp, heavy thwock sound as something hard and hot smacks into her back, the impact knocking her forward and into Daniel's chest, his arms wrapping around her. She is on fire, agony searing through her limbs, and there is something sticking out of her chest, and her ears are ringing, and she can't --
"It's just a game," Alex says.
"I'm sorry," says Daniel.
She knows which brother she believes.
The photographer waves Daniel over to take Alex's place beside her. "Closer together please."
Daniel takes a step nearer, his hand settling in the small of her back, a perfect fit.
She smiles.
Flash.
The End
