AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can’t do it, Tess. I can’t watch her marry him.” I throw the words out into the universe. Speaking them out loud feels good. I’ve been keeping this bottled inside for far too long.
“What do you mean?” Her voice is soft now, and the look on her face tells me she knows exactly what I mean.
“I’m in love with her. I was going to tell her. I told her that we needed to talk, and then I called her after the game.” I swallow hard. “And she didn’t answer, so I called my mom, and she told me that he proposed.” I shake my head to ward off the hurt that I still feel from that night. It should have been one of the best nights of my life, a highlight of my career for sure, but instead, I was miserable, angry, and pissed off, mostly at myself for keeping my head in the sand for far too long.
“Fuck,” Nixon murmurs. “I told you, Reeves. I told you this would happen.” He shakes his head in disappointment.
“I know. Fuck, I know, okay. I just… I can’t watch her marry him. I don’t know what to do.” I sound pathetic, but I truly need some guidance here. I can’t sit there and watch the love of my life marry another man like it doesn’t bother me. That’s not who I am, not when it comes to Reese and how I feel about her. Now that I can finally admit it to myself, I want to shout it to the world.
“I can tell you what you’re going to do.” This from Tessa. “You’re going to climb your ass out of this Jeep, and you’re going to go in there and put a smile on your face, and you’re going to support her with this.”
“I don’t think I can do that, Tess.” I look at Nixon. “Fuck, I can’t do this.”
“You have to. What can we do to help? I have to be up there with her. Nix, stay with him. Don’t let him leave your sight. If it gets to where you need to leave, the two of you go together. Make it a deal about an agent or football or some other excuse. You will not ruin this for her.”
“Do you think…?” I ask, letting my words trail off.
Tessa closes her eyes and exhales. “Yeah, Cooper, I do think.”
“What are the two of you talking about?” Nixon asks.
“I have to tell her, Tessa. I can’t let her marry him thinking that I don’t love her. I have to tell her.” I feel my resolve strengthening as I say the words.
“You have shit timing, Reeves.”
“Better late than never, right?” I ask, and even I can hear the hope in my voice.
“Didn’t Shrek say that?” Nixon asks.
“Focus, Nix. He’s going to tell her.”
“Wait. What? You can’t do that. Not today of all days.” Nixon is shaking his head and giving me a look that tells me he thinks I’ve lost my mind.
I have for her.
For Reese.
“What I think is that I’m crazy for even letting you entertain this, but I think you’re right. She needs to know. Give her the information and let her decide. That’s all you can do,” Tessa says.
“Come on then, Romeo. Let’s get this shitshow started.” Nixon pulls open my door. I reach over and roll up the window, grabbing my keys and phone, and climb out. I follow them to the doors, and as soon as they open, my throat closes up.
I’m scared out of my mind that telling her will make me lose her for good. However, I’ve already lost her. If she marries him, I’ll have already lost her. My eyes scan the room in search of her, but I don’t see her anywhere. Hunter is standing at the end of an aisle talking to two older gentlemen. I’m so focused on looking for her that I run into the back of Tessa and Nixon when they stop walking. “Sorry,” I mumble.
“She’s in the bride wing.” Tessa holds up her phone to show me a text message from Reese. “The time got pushed back, so you have an hour to lay your heart out on the rug.” She points behind me and to the right.
“Thank you.” I nod and turn on my heel in search of Reese.
“Cooper.” Eve, Reese’s mom, spots me. “I didn’t know you were here yet. How are you?” she asks.
Oh, you know, fine. Just getting ready to tell your daughter I’m in love with her.
“Good, Eve. I was hoping to get to see Reese before this thing gets started.”
“She’d like that. She’s down this hall. Last door on the right. I just left her.”
“Is she alone? You know, I don’t want to walk in on anything.” I smile. It’s forced, but I don’t think she notices.
