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There was a knock on my door, and we both turned to see Connor standing there. He looked so handsome in his all-black tuxedo. I was glad he’d gone with all black. It was so charming and classy.
“Connor, hey, you look great.” I sighed, relieved. “It’s so good to see you’re here, because that means Jason’s here, which means this is really happening, and I was crying for no reason and—” My words trailed off as I stared at Connor. His lips were doing something strange, something I’d never witnessed them do before.
He was…frowning?
“What is it?” I asked, alarmed. “Is everything okay? Is Jason all right?”
He cleared his throat and slid his hands into his pockets. He looked at Hannah, and then back at me, that frown still resting uncomfortably against his lips. “Do you think we can speak privately?”
“Oh no…” Hannah muttered quietly, shaking her head.
I shot my stare toward her, even more alarmed than before. “What do you mean ‘oh no’? What’s going on?”
Hannah gave me a broken smile and squeezed my hands. “I’ll give you two space to talk.” She left the room as if she knew what was about to happen, as if she knew how my world was about to be turned upside down.
Once she was out of the room, Connor stepped closer to me. The closer he grew, the sicker I felt.
I can’t breathe…
I can’t breathe…
“No,” I whispered, my body beginning to tremble. “I mean, this is ridiculous. He wouldn’t…I mean, he couldn’t…” I laughed, fully in denial, and the more I laughed, the more Connor grimaced. “Why are you here right now?”
He lowered his head before raising it slowly and staring at me with those blue eyes. “I’m so sorry, Aaliyah.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t be sorry, because there’s nothing to be sorry about. I mean, he loves me. We love each other. Today’s happening…it’s just nerves. I had nerves, so I’m sure he had nerves, which is fine. We are fine.” I swallowed hard. “Right, Connor…?”
“He, um…” Each word that left Connor’s mouth was tainted with pain. Each word dripped with guilt as he said all that needed to be said for me to fully understand the situation at hand. “He left a note on the nightstand…”
13
Connor
All the guests had dissipated,taking with them their gossip and judgmental commentary. All that was left in the church were Aaliyah and me. I was only still there to make sure everyone got the fuck out and left the poor woman alone.
Her back was to me as she stood at the end of the aisle, staring at the arch filled with beautiful flowers. The train of her gown was spread out behind her, and her shoulders were rounded forward.
“Aaliyah.” I spoke gently, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my suit. “Where is your wedding planner?”
“I sent her away. I just couldn’t handle being around people. Marie tried to comfort me, but I told her to go off to make sure her son was okay.”
“Oh.” Her body stood a bit straighter, yet she didn’t turn my way. “I can have my driver take you home. Or if there’s somewhere else you want to go…anywhere…anywhere you want to go, I’ll take you.” I took a breath, unsure what I should say next. There wasn’t anything I could say to make the current situation any better for her.
Her head shook a bit, and she fiddled with her fingers. “Do you think he’s all right?” She turned my way. “It just doesn’t seem like him to run.”
I took another step toward her but didn’t speak. She must’ve known a different Jason than I had. The Jason I knew was a runner, through and through. When things got hard, he dashed. When he had to put in a bit of actual work, he’d throw a fit and end up in Bora Bora for a mental break. He was the definition of unstable, yet Aaliyah didn’t see it that way for some reason. She seemed truly shocked by the events that had taken place. Me, on the other hand? The idea of me being shocked that he’d bolted seemed absurd.
How had he tricked her into believing he was someone worthy of her time?
“We were right for each other. I know we were. I felt it…” She shut her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “At least, I thought I felt it. I mean, I know he’s been stressed with work lately, and…”
She was seconds from falling apart, and I didn’t blame her. She had every right to fall into a million pieces right then and there. I had to get her out of that place. Out of that dress. Out of her tragedy.
“Aaliyah, we should go.”
“He won’t answer my calls.” Her eyes were filled with water, but no tears fell. “Maybe there was an accident, and that’s why he hasn’t answered my calls. Maybe there was some kind of panic at the office, or maybe someone told him a lie about me. I heard people talking yesterday, but they were just making things up, Connor. I swear. But maybe he believed them. Maybe someone got in his head. Or maybe…” She took a breath. “Or maybe everyone was right. Maybe I was just another blip on his roadmap of women. Maybe I wasn’t anything special.” She choked on her next words. “Or maybe, maybe, maybe…”
She covered her mouth with her hand as her body curved forward, and the tears began to flood her face. She sobbed into her hands, shaking uncontrollably as realization set in, the knowledge that on that day—the day of her happily ever after—she was left standing at the altar alone, with no love story to hold her upright.
