Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,189

sneaky. I remember when we were little, and he tried selling mine and his sister’s bras and underwear to his friends. What a perv.

I click to see there’s no new text messages or calls. I laid awake last night, guilt and shame gnawing at me knowing that as much as I’ve let him in, I also kept him arm’s length away. He’s nothing like the guy who broke me.

Without debating any further, I pick up the phone and dial his number.

It rings and rings, but he doesn’t answer.

“This is Dean Bennett, please leave your name and phone number and I’ll get back to you.” It’s his professional voice. It beeps and my own voice catches in my throat.

I clear it. “Dean. It’s Chelsea. I’m sorry…you’re right. I’ve been keeping a wall between you and my heart. That doesn’t mean that I lied when I said I love you. I do. So fiercely that it scares me because I know how much it hurt last time things didn’t work. And now I love you more…I don’t know if I’d survive it if it didn’t work again. I don’t want to compare you to five years ago and I don’t want to rehash what happened to us. I don’t want to recount our horrible past. Because we had good in that past, too. And I don’t want to forget our first kiss. Our first date. I don’t want to forget how your eyes watered when you first bit into that chicken wing as I sat across from you. I want to remember our wedding night and how I never felt more wanted and more loved, and how you still make me feel that way. I’m sorry for not telling you about the baby. Being scared isn’t an excuse. I know that. You know where I am today, and I’d love for you to come and join me. If not, I understand. Maybe we can sit down for coffee and talk about the baby. I guess I’ll be having herbal tea…anyway…I won’t have my phone with me, but I’ll check it periodically. Please just call me back. Just know that I love you, Dean and that includes the past, present and hopefully the future.”

I click end call. Zoe peeks her head out of the bride’s door. “You just about ready?” she asks with a smile.

I get up and move toward her.

“Everything okay?”

I nod. “Yeah. You know Mikey’s a lot smarter than we give him credit for.”

She laughs as I step through the door. Putting her wrist on my forehead. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

We laugh, she might not realize how great her brother is, but I do. He’s going to make some woman very happy someday.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Skylar and Beckett kiss after their vows and the entire church claps. I smile at my cousin for getting her happily ever after. Beckett and I may bicker like step-siblings, but there’s no doubt that he’s the one for her.

They walk down the stairs, Beckett unable to stop staring at her. As practiced we all follow as the guests smile on at us.

Once we’re through the doors, everyone takes turns hugging Skylar and Beckett.

“We have the receiving line now,” Skylar reminds Beckett and we all take our places.

All of my relatives walk through the line, kissing both my cheeks and telling me how beautiful I am. How I’ve grown. No one says congratulations which means my close family has been able to keep the news to themselves. Just like my first marriage, the perceived bad news has a way of staying on the DL.

Once it’s over, we take pictures. I smile on as best I can. I’m happy for my cousin, but my head still turns with every person who enters through the doors and I wonder if Dean’s called.

Finally, with sore cheeks, I make it back to the bride’s room and I pull out my phone.

No text messages.

No phone calls.

I climb into the limo, my smile fading steadily the more time that goes by.

We get to Buckingham Fountain and the bridal party takes more pictures. The night that Dean took me here after the game comes to mind. My heart tugs because that was the first night I thought maybe there’s more to him than the Dean of five years ago. Maybe Dean had changed. Hope bloomed inside me that night, but right now I feel as if my hope is fading.

I smile some more, growing irritated that I can’t drink out of the flasks