In Another Reality (Reality #2)
Prologue
WEDDING CRASHER
“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The sound of gasps rippling through the attendees had me whipping my head toward the entrance.
I spotted the cause immediately—angry eyes piercing me with a fierce stare. The bones in the corset top of the ridiculous white dress I was wearing dug relentlessly into my skin. I couldn’t take a full breath.
He stalked forward, nostrils flaring as he took long, deliberate strides to reach the front of the aisle.
“Absolutely the fuck not,” Danny said as soon as he reached us. He spared Tripp a quick, withering glare before returning his attention to me.
My heart raced as I took him in. He looked the same, wearing a loose black t-shirt, tan cargo pants, and his hiking boots. He was out of place against the sea of pastels that blurred together behind him. He didn’t look like he belonged at a beach wedding. Because he didn’t…
Why was he here?
Black dots lined my vision as I tried to process this. His presence. Him.
“What’s going on?” Tripp’s bewildered gaze shifted sporadically between Danny and me.
“And who the hell are you?” Danny barked, turning his anger toward Tripp, who had enough sense to take a step backward.
Danny was big. All encompassing. He filled up the space between us the same way he’d overwhelmed my thoughts since the day our paths first crossed.
“What are you doing here?” I hated how small my voice sounded now that the shock had given away to sadness. I wished I could say anger was consuming me, but I never could seem to come up with the appropriate amount of rage when it came to him.
That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Danny’s eyes only narrowed.
“Me? What the hell are you doing here? A wedding? I saw you four goddamn weeks ago.”
“I know.” I sighed, letting my head fall backward. Did he think I’d forgotten? As if I’d forget any interaction between us, any of the false promises he’d given me, or any of the crumbs I’d foolishly begged for.
He grabbed my hand in a gesture that was just as gentle as it was forceful.
“We need to talk.” Even though it sounded like a demand, he didn’t start walking or tug me away. But I could hear the plea in his voice.
Hadn’t it all been said already? I met Tripp’s gaze. His mouth was slightly ajar, eyes wide, like he didn’t know what to make of any of this. I couldn’t blame the poor guy.
Guilt itched somewhere in the back of my mind.
Tripp had been nothing but sweet to me. He had even given me the tiniest inkling of hope that this whole experiment might possibly work.
He’d been kind, up front, honest. He wanted to get married, start a family—words I had only dreamed of hearing a partner say one day.
But as I moved my gaze from him to meet the hardened one directly in front of me, I nearly lost my balance, teetering on the edge of losing my mind. Despite every molecule in my brain screaming at me not to go, I took a step forward, away from the altar.
Because even with all the many redeeming qualities that Tripp possessed, he’d never have one thing.
He’d never be Danny.