and she’s making a mistake is fucking with my head. Not that I miss her and want to be with her…
Seeing her dredges up old memories. None of them fond either. I remember the hard times. Finding her with Craig. The way her betrayal cut at my heart, leaving it in shreds.
Well, that shit is pieced back together now, and it seems to only beat for a certain dark-haired woman who’s not here yet.
Finally the rehearsal ceremony starts, and I do my thing. I escort my eighty-nine-year-old grandmother down the aisle and guide her to her seat in the front row on the groom’s side before I get into position at the altar. My parents are here tonight as well, accompanying my grandmother, and I’m grateful to see them sitting in the chairs watching the run through unfold. Especially since Kelsey hasn’t shown up.
I need someone here on my side.
Craig makes his way down the aisle with his parents, making cracks as he passes by familiar faces and acting like this moment is one big joke. Swear to God, his mother just looks relieved. I bet she thought her son would never find a woman to tolerate him.
Or maybe that’s just me being mean.
The music changes, and everyone stands up straighter. It’s time for the bride to make her way down the aisle. I know it’s just the rehearsal and it’s not even my wedding, but my stomach twists like I’m a nervous groom, and that is some ridiculous shit.
Just as Jessica is making her way to the start of the aisle with her father, I spot Kelsey emerging from the building in front of us, off in the distance. She’s headed toward the ceremony, wearing a short floral dress that looks nothing like the sedate floral dress my grandmother is currently wearing.
The skirt is short and—sassy. That is the only word I can think of to describe it. It swishes and swirls around her slender thighs, accentuating her long, smooth legs. The long sleeves are billowy, covering her up, but the neckline is a deep, sexy V, exposing her chest and a hint of cleavage. Her strides are effortless on strappy nude stilettos, and her long dark hair falls in luxurious waves past her shoulders. The entire look is effortless. As if she rolled out of bed and just showed up.
I can’t stop staring.
Our gazes connect and she offers me a little wave, a look of apology on her pretty face. She came into the area at an angle, so she doesn’t disrupt the bride-to-be coming down the aisle, and my parents greet Kelsey enthusiastically as she settles in beside them.
I smile at Kelsey. She smiles back, those dark eyes capturing mine once more as she mouths sorry.
God, this woman. She has stolen my heart and she doesn’t even realize it.
A new song starts up, something romantic and cheesy, and I tear my gaze away from Kelsey to spot Jessica standing with her arm wound around her father’s as they slowly walk down the aisle. And she’s not watching Craig as she heads toward him. She’s watching…
Me.
Her expression is sour. As if she caught me making googly eyes at Kelsey, which she probably did. But so what? I’m not with Jessica any longer. She has no say in who I’m with.
Fuck her.
Damn, those are harsh words, but they describe exactly how I feel. Fuck her. She’s the one who cheated on me. She’s the one who snuck around behind my back for months and had sex with my idiot cousin, all while pretending to still be in love with me.
That’s messed up.
So yeah. Fuck her.
I get bored after a few minutes of standing around and doing nothing as everyone frets over the flower girl and ring bearer, or the speed Jessica is supposed to walk when coming down the aisle. Nearly groan out loud when Craig’s mother demands we do one more run through. We go through the ceremony again, and all I can think about is wanting to be with Kelsey. Wishing I was sitting with her and my parents instead of standing up here pretending I care about and support the bride and groom.
Let’s be real. I don’t.
Finally, the show is over and we’re all walking to the restaurant in the hotel where the dinner will be held. I wait for Kelsey to approach, trying my best to avoid seeing Jessica, but she comes to me before anyone else does, and I have no choice but to