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Every day, I watched him come home from work, pull his watch from his back pocket, and place it on the table my mother kept just inside the front door. The next morning, on his way to work, he'd pick it back up and slide it in his pocket.
He took it everywhere with him. It sat next to his keys and his wallet. It didn't matter if he was leaving the house for five minutes or five hours, it was always on him.
Today it's with me, and so is he. He always will be.
Tears burn the corners of my eyes. Looking to the sky, I blink them back and pray none of them fall. I just sat in a chair for over an hour while a stylist sprayed two layers of makeup on my face, and even though she claims it all waterproof, I'm not willing to chance it before the ceremony.
We still have pictures, after all.
"Ready?" Chloe asks, tugging my arm closer to her.
We're walking each other down the aisle. No one is “giving us away,” we're willingly giving our hearts to the men we love.
Stepping onto the deep, red fabric, Chloe and I walk toward our futures. A smile on our faces and our hearts overflowing with love.
Love for the men in front of us. Love for the lives they've given us. The children we share, now and in the future. The overall joy they bring to our lives.
I hope every woman feels this intense feeling in her chest when she walks down the aisle. It's an overwhelming feeling that can only be described as happiness attempting to burst from your body.
Or maybe that's my morning sickness. Hopefully it won’t be as bad this time around.
I hope you loved the First Comes Love collection. If you’re looking for another small-town, friends-to-lovers romance, check outA Moment Too Late. Keep reading for a peek at chapter one.
Falling in love can happen in the blink of an eye.
I fell for Jay the moment I laid eyes on him. Was drawn to him in a way I’d never been drawn to a man before.
He was everything I wanted. The man I dreamed about at night and looked for everywhere I turned just for a glimpse of his perfection.
But I couldn’t have him. It was against the rules.
Forbidden.
He was my best friend’s boyfriend. I would never do that to her.
Then she died.
Looking at him became painful, bringing back memories of the reason we couldn’t be together. The reason I never pursued him.
I had to move on and vowed never to look back in an attempt to escape him and the devastation in my heart.
Yet here I stand, five years later, staring into the eyes of the man I still want. In the place I swore I’d never return to. With memories assaulting me from every angle.
He’s still the picture of perfection in my eyes, making our attraction even more dangerous than it once was.
The only difference... No one is standing in our way this time.
ChapterOne
Five years.Not long enough.
Which becomes evident the moment I see the number flashing across my screen. The area code alone brings back memories of those last few months. With the anniversary less than a week away, seeing his name and smiling face cause my stomach to churn and my heart to ache.
I left that part of my life behind me and never looked back. It was too painful … even now. Not just to remember what happened but to see the people I called friends back then. They’re all a reminder of what we lost. Of the events that changed our lives forever.
It’s amazing how one night can alter your entire future.
I should answer but I’m frozen, my finger poised to slide across the screen; my fear paralyzing me the way it always does when I think about my past.
