“Damn, Jossie. You’re not the six-year-old I first met playingBarbie. You’re stunning.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Is everyone ready?”
“Are you?” Seth countered.
“I’ve never been so sure of anything else in my entire life.”
“That’s our cue,” Autumn said. “I’ll show Cat and Nathan to their seats and get ready.”
My gaze met Seth’s again for a brief moment, and I swore the look in his eyes was the same pain I was feeling. Like it hurt to breathe the same air because no matter what, we loved each other, but we weren’t together. At least I knew I loved him. Still did. Except if he loved me, why did he give up? I know I didn’t make it easy for him. I’d never taken his calls, never returned them or his texts, and then he just stopped trying. But I was young, dumb, and my heart had been broken for the first time. I never wanted to experience that pain again. But seeing Seth after all these years—in a tuxedo that I knew was hugging muscles that went on for days—brought everything back.
I missed him.
I still loved him.
I wanted him to tell me that he loved me and we could be together because that was what I’d always wanted. That was what I searched for in every failed relationship I had. But he only spoke two words to me. He didn’t hug me, didn’t kiss me—didn’t so much as tell me he’d missed me or that it was good to see me too.
And as I walked with Nathan’s hand in mine behind Autumn, the heart that I thought couldn’t be broken anymore started to crack again.
11
Seth
I had a few shots.I needed them to calm my nerves.
I wasn’t nervous because I was walking my best friend down the aisle to give her away. I was freaking out because I knew Cat was with her.
The tequila was starting to put me somewhat at ease, but that quickly disappeared when I opened the door and saw another man with the girls. My worst nightmare was confirmed.
Cat had a boyfriend.
I hoped Mark stocked his house with boozed because, to get through the night, I was going to need to get wasted.
“Jossie.” I grabbed her hand in mine. I needed to tell her what was weighing on me before I gave her away. “Before I give you away, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I always thought I’d be there to protect you and I wasn’t.”
“We don’t need to go down that road, Seth.”
“I know. I don’t want to either. I just wanted to tell you that even though I wasn’t there for you, I know Paul will be.”
She snorted. “Is this your way of telling me that you approve of Paul?”
“I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same way I used to look at …” I trailed off thinking ofher.
“At who?” Joss prompted.
I sighed. “It was a long time ago. Didn’t work out.”
“You know what they say, true love has a habit of coming back.”
I looked toward the front door where Cat had just gone through—with another guy. “Or it wasn’t meant to be.”
It didn’t matterthat it was one-hundred degrees in the evening by the pool in Mark’s backyard, I could feel Cat’s body heat radiating off of her as I sat next to her while Joss and Paul exchanged vows. You know, front row on the bride’s side is for her family. That would be Cat and me.
“Paul, bro. You may kiss your bride,” Mark advised. Anyone could become ordained on the internet these days. Even an owner of an escort service. Maybe Mark would start offering that for couples that book dates. Instead of getting married by Elvis, they could get married while beingescorted. I wasn’t into threesomes, but if they wanted to have a date with someone and then get married, that was on them. More money for Mark so he could afford this crib.
