Mr. Swoony (The Nest #3)

Chapter 12

Twelve

Eloise

“Who is that?” Tristan asks from next to me at the altar.

“Shit, man, I think that’s Conor Nilsen,” Merrick says, elbowing Tristan.

“Who?” Tristan asks.

“You know, the Chicago Falcons goalie. Big contract last year when he got traded.” Merrick steps forward. “Are you Conor Nilsen?” He hits Tristan again as if he should be fanboying. Did he miss the part where Conor objected to our marriage? “Shit, half the team is here. At your wedding, man.”

“Eloise?” Tristan whispers with accusation while Conor says my name in that sweet voice of his.

I must be in a dream. I mean, nightmare right now.

I weave past my mom and Tristan’s mom as they argue about if I am, in fact, a whore, and grab Conor’s hand, tugging him toward the door. “Come with me.”

We pass Kyleigh, and she mouths sorry.

Henry and Rowan have their teammate with the longer blond hair cornered, his hands up, and he keeps repeating that he didn’t know.

Once we’re out the church doors and in my bridal room, I flip the lock and whirl around. “What are you doing here?”

He smiles. Oh, that panty-melting smile he uses on all the girls. “I’m here for you.” He says it as though it’s obvious and perfectly acceptable.

I groan. “Conor, this is my wedding.”

“Yeah, and that’s why I’m here.”

I lean forward and smell the alcohol on his breath. “You’re drunk. You smell like a distillery.”

“No.” He shakes his head and seems to lose his balance a bit. “Maybe a little bit.” He brings up his fingers and laughs. “But it gave me the courage to do what I’ve wanted to for the past week.”

He was thinking of me the entire time I thought of him?

My shoulders drop. “Oh, Conor.”

“I wasn’t alone in my feelings on Saturday night. You know you don’t want to marry him.”

I stare at Conor, at how handsome he is, and he’s right. I was there with him, but still. To do this?

“It’s not up to you if I marry Tristan today.” I throw my hands in the air. “Why does everyone think they can tell me how to live my life?” I rip the veil off my head.

“I thought?—”

“You thought what? That I’d run down the aisle, and you’d catch me? That I’d link hands with you, and we’d run out of the church and disappear to some island?” My voice raises.

A hard knock lands on the door. “Eloise!” Tristan shouts.

“Kind of.” Conor looks sheepish now.

My hands land on my hips. “Did I give you the impression I wanted you to come here and save me?”

“Eloise!” Tristan bangs again.

I pull bobby pins out of my hair, my scalp sighing with every single one I remove.

“Don’t try to minimize it. You know you don’t want to marry him.” Conor points at the door.

“So what? You want to marry me because we shared one night with some chemistry between us? You want to step into Tristan’s place on the altar?”

His face pales.

“Yeah, I thought so.” I step forward with my finger in his face. “Go look in the mirror, Conor, because you don’t want this.” I take a break from pulling the bobby pins out of my hair and lift the skirt of my white dress. “You’re used to getting what you want, and you couldn’t have me, so you’ve convinced yourself that I’m somehow the girl for you.” I step closer. “Tell me, Conor, what number am I on your list? But I’m supposed to believe you felt different with me?”

“I did,” he says, not arguing about how many women came before me. “And you did too. I know it with everything inside of me. Sure, I’m not ready to marry you, but I?—”

“You’re just drunk, Conor.”

There’s more noise at the door, and I worry Tristan will break it down if I don’t let him in.

“Just go home and sleep it off. I have a lot to handle here.” I cross the room and open the door.

Stepping outside the room, I find Tristan’s fist raised to knock again. He lowers his arm and glares at Conor behind me.

“What the fuck, Eloise?” Tristan lets me walk out into the foyer area of the church, and I hear Conor follow us.

Henry is there, talking to Merrick.

“Just let them talk,” Henry says with Rowan, Tweetie, and three other guys at his side.

“Eloise, I want answers now!” Tristan shouts.

“Give her some breathing room,” Conor snipes from behind me.

“Fuck you!” Tristan yells at Conor and grabs my wrist to spin me to face him. Then he decides better of it and turns us so his back is to Conor, lowering his voice. “You need to explain this—now. Nana is going crazy in there, and our moms are about to roll around in the rose petals.”

“Get your hands off her,” Conor says.

I shake my head at Conor and try to unwind my wrist from Tristan’s grip, but he tightens it, leaning closer. “This isn’t a fucking joke, Eloise. All my family’s business contacts are in that room, which is embarrassing.”

I hear Henry starting to argue with Merrick behind me.

“Let her go,” Conor growls.

“Okay, bud, how about we go outside to get some air?” Rowan comes over and says.

“Fuck no.” Conor dodges Rowan’s grip and pushes Tristan to the side.

Tristan’s shoulder hits the wall, and when he recovers, he eyes Conor as though he’s going to kill him with his bare hands. He focuses on where Conor now has my wrist, inspecting it.

I wiggle out of Conor’s hold. “I’m fine. You need to go,” I say softly.

“I’m not going anywhere until we talk.” He turns to me, blocking out Tristan. “Talk to me.”

“This isn’t the time.” I shake my head.

“You don’t want to marry this asshole. He only cares about himself.”

Kyleigh breaks into our little circle. “Let’s go, Conor. We’ll go outside and let them get this all get sorted out.”

Tristan stomps toward us and raises his fist, but when Conor ducks, Tristan’s punch lands on Kyleigh’s cheek.

“You’re a dead man!” Rowan tackles Tristan.

Merrick breaks from Henry, trying to pull Rowan off Tristan while Conor grabs the back of Merrick’s jacket. Soon, all the groomsmen and the Falcons are in a brawl in the middle of the church’s entryway.

“Are you okay?” I ask Kyleigh, who is holding her cheek.

“Yeah, but I think I saw stars for a second there.”

“Okay, I think I got the moms handled.” Jade steps through the doors to the sanctuary and takes in the scene, her gaze zipping around the room. “What the hell did I miss?” She finds Kyleigh and me and rushes over to us. “Did you get hit?”

A few other guests enter the foyer, presumably hearing the fighting. It’s hard to miss with all the cursing, punches, and expensive items falling to the floor.

As Jade takes care of Kyleigh, I slink away to the bridal suite, toss everything in my bag, and leave through the back door. I stop at the curb, still hearing all the yelling going on in the church, and close my eyes. I need somewhere to go and a way to get there.

Henry’s restored vintage car pulls up along the curb, and Jade leans over from the driver’s seat. “Get in.”

I open the door and see Kyleigh in the back, still holding her cheek.

Climbing in, I look at the church and say, “Go.”

I didn’t think today would go as planned, but I’ve made a huge mess. All because I put everyone else’s needs ahead of my own. No more.