entirely too early to wake up after the binge he’d managed the night before.
A text from his mother had come through at six. His parents were on their way to the airport, said Justin was staying an extra day to make sure he was okay, and that if he needed them, to call before they boarded the plane and they’d come back.
He fired off a quick note telling them he was okay and that he’d call them later that week.
Other than his mom, his phone was painfully silent.
No word from Corrie. He’d be damned if he would text or call her first.
No messages from his extended family who had shown up to witness his humiliation. Nothing.
Arwin and Kurt where probably still sleeping, and Justin was probably piling in breakfast.
Victor plugged his phone in to charge and headed to the shower.
Twenty minutes later, he found his brother in the hotel restaurant, sitting in front of an empty plate and a cup of coffee.
When Justin saw him, he put his phone down. “I didn’t expect to see you until noon.”
Victor pulled out a chair. “I won’t be running any marathons this morning, that’s for sure.”
Justin laughed. “I’m glad to see you up.”
“I’m a little surprised I’m vertical. I don’t remember going to bed.”
“That’s too bad. The strippers we hired were top-shelf.”
Victor narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, right.”
They both laughed.
The waiter brought him a menu and he ordered coffee. His head still had a band playing inside, but his stomach didn’t seem any worse for the night. “Thanks for keeping me from following my shoes into the ocean.”
“I’m not sure what thought bubble prompted that rebellion. It isn’t like Corrie left because of your footwear.”
He didn’t know where that came from either.
“You made us crazy, taking off like you did last night,” Justin said, taking a drink from his coffee.
“I took off?”
“Yeah. One minute you said you were going to take a leak, the next thing we know, you were gone.”
The image of the moon hitting the water the night before surfaced in his head. He remembered being pissed the view was perfect. A perfect view on an imperfect night. Then he remembered sitting at the bar with her.
Singing.
“Please tell me that photographer wasn’t part of last night.”
Justin sat in silence.
“Hell, no.”
“Sorry, Vic. But you’re lucky she stumbled upon you. Or you on her, however that may have been.”
“We were drinking at the bar.” And singing.
“That you were.”
Victor shook his head. “She told Corrie to leave. I know it.” Her conviction on the plane, the words she told him when she didn’t know who he was. The strength and confidence in her couldn’t understand how a woman would want a man like him.
Justin sat forward. “You said that constantly last night . . . sober, drunk. What if she did, Vic? No one put a gun to Corrie’s head and told her to flake. In the end, she did that all on her own.”
“Still . . .”
“Do you remember what you were saying seconds before you realized Corrie wasn’t walking down that aisle?”
His back teeth met and didn’t let go. “That was nerves.”
Justin fixed him with a look. “That was second thoughts. We both know it. So what if Shannon nudged Corrie to walk away? What if her best friends drug her away? It doesn’t matter. Her second thoughts stopped her. Why didn’t yours?”
“Nerves, not second thoughts.”
Justin shook his head. “I call bullshit. If Corrie was the end all, be all, you would have run after her and begged her to come back. But you didn’t do that. Did you?”
Victor swallowed. The thought had never occurred to him.
“You’re getting a do-over, Vic . . . a new start without going through all the crap that happens when you marry the wrong person for the wrong reasons and end up giving up half your shit for the effort. Trust me on this. Count your blessings.” Justin had married in his late twenties and was divorced by thirty-four. No kids, thankfully. His ex did take half.
Victor turned his gaze to the beach outside the open doors of the restaurant. Maybe his brother had a point. “I should just go back to work and forget all this happened.”
Justin blew out a frustrated breath. “Or maybe you should take the two weeks you were supposed to be on your honeymoon and figure out why your priorities are all messed up.”
He snapped his eyes to his brother. “My priorities are just fine, thank you.”