Chapter 36
Asher
Ford took Harper out of the ballroom a while ago, and they still haven’t returned. It’s been nearly thirty minutes, and I know she wouldn’t just abandon her sister’s wedding. That’s not something she would do.
I get up and head toward the exit they took, but neither is in sight. Where could they have gone? A soft giggle catches my attention, and I slip into the shadows as they emerge from the coatroom. Ford is attempting to fix her hair, and it’s clear they’ve just had sex.
She never allowed me to touch her in public, let alone engage in something so intimate at her sister’s wedding reception.
The way Harper looks up at Ford, laughing and entwining her fingers with his, is unfamiliar.
She never gazed at me like that. Jealousy simmers beneath the surface, and I nearly shout at them in disgust. Has she no sense of propriety?
It’s her sister’s wedding, for crying out loud.
And here she is, sneaking off with Ford while Gina dances with Lance to the Macarena.
“There you are,” Kenzie says, wrapping her arms around my waist. “What are you doing?” I jump and step away from her embrace. “Look at them,” I hiss.
She leans over to see what I see: Harper and Ford, laughing together, then he dips his head to kiss her. She presses her body against his, and it’s clear to anyone watching that they’ve just been intimate.
“He’s just a rebound,” she shrugs.
“I don’t think so. I believe they’re together.”
Kenzie turns to glare at me, her eyebrows knitting together. “So what if they are?”
“It’s disgraceful!”
She crosses her arms under her chest, leaning back. “Why is that so disgraceful?”
“Because she’s sleeping with my best friend!” I exclaim, pulling us into a corner and lowering my voice. “She’s sleeping with my best friend.”
“I was her best friend when you slept with me,” she counters.
“That’s not the same thing.”
“You’re right. It’s not the same because she’s not with you anymore. I am.”
I shake my head. “That’s not it.”
“Is it because she’s moved on?”
“Yes!”
She gapes at me, her mouth agape as she blinks in disbelief. I loathe when she does this; I have to wait until she’s ready to respond. If I speak too soon, it’ll spark a fight I can’t win.
“You still want to be with her.”
“Baby, don’t go there.”
Because I don’t want to admit the truth: I’m pretty sure I made a monumental mistake, and I yearn to go back and fix it.
“If you want her, go get her, Asher. Call off the wedding and marry her like you originally intended. Why did you even propose if you still love her?”
I close my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts. There are only a few moves in this game that won’t end with her kicking me in the nuts with her high heel.
“I don’t want to marry her.”
“Then why does it matter so much if she’s with Ford?”
“Because I don’t like it. He doesn’t deserve her.”
“And who does?”
Me. Only I deserve her, and I want her back. “Anyone but him. It’s strange that he’s gone after my ex. How desperate must he be to be me?”
This seems to appease her. “Obviously very desperate.”
“I proposed to you because I love you. It just… feels like a calculated attack right before our wedding—something to ruin our big day.”
It’s crushing to realize she doesn’t seem to miss me anymore. Hearing her say he doesn’t care about what I do stings more than I expected.
“I didn’t want to tell you this, but I’m pretty sure Harper’s been trying to sabotage our wedding.”
My head snaps to her. If she’s trying to sabotage the wedding, it means she still cares. And if she still cares, there’s still hope. “What do you mean?”
“The flower order was canceled, and we had to settle for replacement flowers instead of the beautiful ones I chose. The bridesmaid dresses were switched to pea green. The DJ was told our date changed, and all of our centerpieces are broken or missing pieces.”
“And you think Harper did this?”
This doesn’t sound like her. Even if she was furious with me, she wouldn’t go this far. She barely said a harsh word to me, even when I deserved it.
“I think she believes this will bring you back to her. If the wedding is a disaster, you’ll back out because it’ll make you think the marriage is a disaster too,” Kenzie says.
That logic makes no sense, but I can’t say that. “Maybe.”
“And look at the situation with Ford. She’s not sleeping with him because she has feelings for him. She’s doing it to get your attention.”
That idea resonates. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“And you’re falling for it. She’s using poor Ford because she knows he’s been in love with her forever. We used to laugh about it in high school. He’s basically a puppy dog around her.”
“He always has been, trailing behind just waiting for her to notice him.”
“She used that to ruin your friendship with Ford. He’s become a weapon for her to hurt you. What a bitch.”
I don’t like her calling Harper that, but I learned my lesson a couple of months ago when I said something similar. “I can’t believe she’s doing something so devious.”
“No wonder you left her for someone else.”
“No kidding,” I lie.
I kiss Kenzie, but it feels off. Maybe Harper is using Ford to feel better about herself, but sabotaging the wedding? If Kenzie could prove it, she would have already exposed Harper.
We head back inside to find Ford and Harper dancing to a slow song, completely lost in each other. I know I’ve truly lost her. But what did I expect? I’m marrying Kenzie in less than a week.
I made my bed, but that doesn’t mean I want to lie in it anymore.