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My heart melts every time I hear Abby speak. “Hi, Miss Abby.” I poke the little girl’s cheek, making her giggle. It’s a beautiful sound. I ignore the way Karen and Landon’s soon-to-be-wife stare at me with sympathy in their eyes.
Subtle, guys
“Yes. Please don’t worry for me, I’m okay,” I promise the two women. I am okay. I have been okay with the long-distance kind-of-relationship with Hardin. I miss him constantly, yes, but the space has been good for us.
You've just been long distance for two years? That's the reason you're terrified to see him? What??
“We both know that I’ll never be married.” I stare at myself in the mirror. “Maybe.” Landon’s eyes meet mine in the mirror. “You’re okay, right? She’s here. Your dad saw her.”
Okay ARE YOU in a relationship?
I’m completely distracted by the sound of Hardin’s voice. He’s walking out from the long hallway to my left, his mouth moving in that slow way it always has, as he talks to Landon.
What's wrong with his mouth
“We need someone to walk with Tessa; her boyfriend didn’t show up,” someone says.
So they're NOT in a relationship
“Who’s walking with the maid of honor?” the bride’s sister asks everyone nearby. “There’s too much going on,” she says with a huff as she walks past me. I’ve done more than she has for this wedding, but her stress level would make you believe otherwise. “I am,” Hardin says, raising his hand.
Wait is he her boyfriend?
Breathe in. Breathe out. It’s only for a few minutes, less than that really. It’s not that difficult of a concept. We are friends. I can do this.
Friends. Not boyfriend.
“Your doctor boyfriend cleans up nicely,” Hardin taunts me.
So Robert is the boyfriend!
“He’s in med school, not a doctor yet. And yes, he cleans up nicely. You know he’s not my boyfriend, so hush.”
Okay Robert is not the boyfriend.
“Your mum, I’ve spoken to her a few times. You know that.” I have no clue what he’s talking about. “She came to a signing last month, when my second book came out.”
Oh god there's ANOTHER?
“There you are,” a familiar voice says as a hand touches my shoulder. Vance is behind me, his pregnant wife next to him.
His wife is Kimberly right? RIGHT?
“He has not.” Kimberly smiles, her hand resting on her giant belly.
Oh good
“That other guy’s here now,” Kim says knowingly. “But he’s not actually her boyfriend. You didn’t buy that crap, did you? She spends time with him, but you can tell by the way they act that it’s nothing serious. Not like you two are.” “Were.”
So there is NO boyfriend
“How’ve you been?” Doctor asks me as we both watch the same woman. “Fine, and you?” I should be nice to the guy—he is dating the woman that I will spend my life loving.
So he IS her boyfriend?????
It’s been so long, too long, since the last time I held her. She came to Chicago a few months ago for her friend’s wedding, but she didn’t invite me as her date. She went solo, but we met after and had dinner. It was nice; she had a glass of wine and we shared a massive mound of ice cream, topped with chocolate candies and too much hot fudge. She asked me to come back to her hotel for another drink—wine for her, club soda for me—and we fell asleep after I made love to her on the floor of her hotel room.
THEN HOW IS THIS OTHER GUY HER BOYFRIEND
She quickly changes the subject. “When’s the release date for your next book?” “Next month—did you read it? I had an early copy sent to you.”
A THIRD????
“I’ve missed you so much,” I say into her hair. Her hands move to my shoulders, tugging the heavy jacket off me, and the expensive cloth falls to the floor. “You’re sure?” I hold her beautiful face between my hands. “I’m always sure with you.” I can feel the vulnerability and sweet relief as she presses her mouth to mine, lips trembling, breathing slow and deep. Too soon, I pull away, and she drops her hands from my belt. “I’m just blocking the door.”
In the bathroom at Landon's wedding??
“True.” She smiles. “I hate that you didn’t try harder.” “I did but—” She holds up a finger to silence me. “I hate that you didn’t try harder, but it’s unfair of me to even say that because we both know that I pulled away from you. I kept pushing and pushing, expecting too much from you, and I was so angry over the book and all of the attention that I didn’t want, and I let that rule my mind. I felt as if I couldn’t forgive you because of other people’s opinions, but now I’m angry with myself that I would even listen to that. I don’t care what people say about us, or me. I only care what the
...more
Hmmm
“I don’t know what to say.” “That you forgive me?” she nervously whispers. “I forgive you, of course.” I laugh at her. Is she insane? Of course I forgive her. “Do you forgive me? For everything? Or close to everything?” “Yes.” She nods, reaching for my hand. “Now I really don’t know what to say.” I run my hand over my hair. “Maybe that you still want to marry me?” Her eyes are wide, and mine feel as if they are going to pop straight from their sockets. “What?” She flushes. “You heard me.” “Marry you? You hated me like ten minutes ago?” She’s truly going to be the death of me.
Girl whyyyy
“You actually mean that? You want to marry me?” I can’t believe that she’s saying this. There’s no way in hell she’s saying this. “Have you been drinking?” I try to recall if I tasted any liquor on her tongue. “No, I had one glass of champagne over an hour ago. I’m not drunk, I’m just tired of fighting this. We’re inevitable, remember?” she mocks, using a terrible English accent.
In a public bathroom!
I love her. Fuck, I love this woman so fucking much. “Marry me? Really, you will?” “Not today or anything, but sure, I’ll think about it.” She climbs down from the counter, adjusting her dress. I smile too. “I know you will.” I adjust my clothing, trying to understand everything that’s happening in this bathroom. Tessa is somewhat agreeing to marry me. Holy fucking shit.
"somewhat" doing a lot of heavy lifting there
“Vegas is a fifteen-hour drive.” She glances at me, then at her reflection in the mirror. “Don’t you think a fifteen-hour drive is long enough to think about it?” I joke, pulling the chairs away from the door. Then Tessa truly shocks me by cocking her head and saying, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Of course
“What about Landon? Your mum and David? Don’t you want them to be there?” I asked. She turned to face me, and I could see the thought occurring to her in a different way. During the drive, our minds were both so clouded by our excitement over our decision to be wed in Vegas that we forgot about reality. “Oh,” she sighed, staring at me while I caught up to her.
Truly
THE DAY I GRADUATED FROM college, I was so proud of myself. I was so happy with every aspect of my life, except that I didn’t want to work in publishing anymore. Yes, Theresa Young, obsessive planner of every detail of her future, changed her mind midway through college.
To wedding planning
Hardin, a New York Times bestseller at the young age of twenty-five, had four books published,
Four. Of course. This whole fucking series god I hate you
TWO YEARS AFTER THAT HARDIN
I feel this whole series would have been better with giant time jumps like this
“You’re sure?” I said like an idiot. “Yes, obviously.” She tried to laugh but she broke into happy tears, and so did I. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her onto the counter. I laid my head on her stomach and promised that baby that I would be a better father than either of mine had ever been. Better than anyone had ever been.
Ugh
I carried my fiancée to the car, and I died a little each time she sobbed during that long, long drive to the hospital. Thirty minutes later, we had an answer. They were gentle when they told us Tessa had lost the baby, but that didn’t stop the splintering pain that shot through me every time I looked at the complete devastation in Tessa’s eyes. “I’m sorry, so sorry,” she cried into my chest after the nurse left us alone in the room.
Very much not your fault
“Hi, baby,” I said into her skin. “Hi, Daddy,” she whispered back to me. I cocked a brow at her; the way she said Daddy made my cock twitch, and her hands slowly traveled up my thighs.
Ew
“I’m afraid to get too excited,” she quickly admitted. I reached for her hand, crumpling the page between us. “Don’t be.” I kissed her forehead. “We don’t know what will happen, so we should be as excited as we fucking want to be.” My lips pressed against her head again. “We need a miracle.” She nodded, trying to joke, but she came off so serious. Seven months later, we had a blond little miracle named Emery.
EMERY???
I was planning three weddings at once, and I was pregnant with our second child. A little boy. His name was set to be Auden.
AUDEN???????????
TEN YEARS AFTER THAT HARDIN
Y'all are like 45 at this point right?
I had just gotten some of my tattoos touched up the night before. You’d be surprised how much some of them had faded over the years.
No, that's just how tattoos work
“I’m sorry, but you aren’t going. Unless you want to reconsider not letting me be a chaperone.” “No. No way.” She shook her head with attitude. “Not happening.” “Then neither is this trip for you.” She stormed off down the hallway, and within seconds Tessa was walking toward me, Emery behind her. Damn it. “Hardin, we already discussed this. She’s going on that trip. We already paid for it,” Tessa reminded me in front of Emery.
????? You already paid for it but now you don't want her to go?
Auden came walking into the room
Not a name
“It’s been a long road.” She sighed, and I brought my hands to her shoulders and rubbed them. She sank back, relaxing immediately. She turned to me, her blue-gray eyes still holding so much love for me after all these years. AFTER EVERYTHING, we made it. Whatever the hell our souls are made of, they are the same.
This has been a terrible time
