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My mouth locked shut, and my heart seemed to break as I turned away. Now, I was the one that felt betrayed. Did Summer ever have any intention of truly being with me? It didn’t feel like it, since she didn’t seem to want to help me make things right with her parents.
I didn’t look back as I walked away, heading back to my hotel to meet with my coworkers. I couldn’t help feeling like I’d just lost something that I never really had in the first place.
Summer was never really mine, no matter how much I wanted her to be.
CHAPTER13
Summer
It was the big day. My brother was getting married.
The wedding ceremony was taking place outside, with the ocean as the perfect backdrop on a gorgeous day. There were rows of folding chairs set up and my parents were seated in the front row on Michael’s side of the aisle. I wasn’t with them. Instead, I was perched on a stool just to the side of the groomsmen, my violin on my shoulder and a music stand with sheet music in front of me.
I was dressed in a dress similar to the one the bridesmaids were wearing since Faith wanted to give me special recognition as the sister of the groom and musician. It was a floor-length lavender gown with a halter top and cinched waist. I appreciated that she was including me in the ceremony like this. It made me feel like I really was gaining a sister.
I waited patiently for the sign from the mother of the bride, who would let me know when the ceremony was about to begin. My eyes landed on Michael, standing next to an arch decorated with flowers. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo with the deep purple vest that matched the flowers Faith would be carrying.
He was already beaming, and she hadn’t even come out yet. He was just that excited to be marrying the love of his life. Selfishly, I wondered if I’d ever be in that position someday.
The only way that I could ever see myself looking so happy to get married, flooded with so much love, was if it was Levi waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I had always loved him, even when I tried so hard to hate him. I understood now why I was never fully able to ignore the hurt and embrace him as my enemy. It was unnatural to feel that way about someone I was supposed to be with.
Faith’s mom appeared then, giving me a nod as she made her way to her seat. Trying not to linger on my own feelings of melancholy, I started to play. I forced myself to give my music complete focus, finding that the sweet sound washing over me was just as comforting as it always had been. There was something about the beauty of it that made me feel connected to something bigger than myself. Music could be so powerful, and that was why it was my one true passion.
I played as the bridesmaids came down the aisle, not stopping until Faith was standing in front of my brother with tears of happiness in her eyes. I lowered my violin to my lap and watched as the happy couple exchanged short and sweet wedding vows, rings, and their first kiss as a married couple. Then, I played again as they walked back up the aisle to the covered shelter nearby where the reception was taking place.
I didn’t put my violin down again until everyone was out of their seats and had followed the bride and groom to the reception area. I knew that my parents were waiting for me there, but I took my time packing away my instrument in the case.
No matter how much I wanted to be in the mood to celebrate Michael’s happiness, I couldn’t make myself truly feel that way. It was because of Levi. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the look on his face yesterday when I told him to leave my parents alone. He’d been so hurt, I could see it. And Ihatedmyself for causing that.
I hadn’t been thinking clearly. I’d been blindsided by his sudden appearance at the flea market, and I didn’t know how to react at first. On the one hand, my parents needed to know that Levi wasn’t the bad guy they thought he was. But I wasn’t prepared for the emotional turmoil that occurred. Seeing my dad get so upset had triggered the negative emotions inside of me that I’d held onto for years.
I’d made the wrong decision in that moment.
I should have supported Levi, and I knew that now. I’d been indecisive about what happened ever since Levi walked away from us, but as I entered the reception and saw my brother twirling his bride around the dancefloor with love practically radiating out of him, I was sure that I had screwed up.
But was it too late to reach him today? I knew that he was leaving the island with his coworkers, but maybe I could catch him in time to tell him that I knew I was wrong and beg for his forgiveness. I didn’t want to do it over the phone. That felt too impersonal. Messing things up this badly felt like the kind of thing that needed to be fixed with an in-person conversation. I wasn’t sure that it would be enough though. I’d been so wrong about so many things, and I wasn’t sure that I deserved his forgiveness at all.
“You okay, Sweetheart?”
My dad had appeared at my side, and I realized that I’d just been standing on the outskirts of the reception alone for the last ten minutes, too lost in my thoughts to pay much attention to what was going on around me.
“No,” I said, impulsively deciding to put on my big girl panties and be honest with him. “Dad, I’m sorry if this upsets you, but I need to tell you...I’m crazy about Levi.”
His reaction was slow, as if I’d shocked him too much to warrant a proper response. “Levi Grant?”
I would have laughed at his question if I wasn’t so worried that I’d finally lost Levi forever.
“Yes. He’s the one for me, always has been, and I know in my heart that he didn’t willingly betray our family.”
“Summer…”
“No, Dad. Listen to me,” I said, needing to tell him the truth. “He was tricked into signing those papers by Harold. His own father betrayed him just the way that the jerk betrayed you. The two of them haven’t spoken since. If anything, you should feel sorry for him because he lost his father in the dealandthe close relationship he had with our family.”
Once again, Dad didn’t say anything immediately, but I could tell he was thinking, mulling over my words and trying to see if the truth of them fit into the narrative he had. Finally, he sighed and shook his head.
“Fucking Harold.” My dad rarely swore like that, but I tried to hide my surprise. “I believe he’d do that, even to his own son. God, I was foolish to trust him so completely. I knew that he could be manipulative in business dealings, caring way too much about the money and not enough about doing the right thing, but I really thought I was beyond that as his partner.”
His words were so similar to Levi’s that I felt like I was having déjà vu.
