Chapter 26
Summer
The thick pink and gold envelope sat on my desk, covered by a stack of papers. But regardless of trying to hide it, the stupid thing kept managing to hold my mind hostage.
He had invited me to his wedding with another woman.
No matter how hard I tried, he managed to touch my heart each day with simple acts of kindness that could have been mistaken as treating his boss’s daughter as a friend, but I knew better.
I knew every time he walked past me in the hall and his hand brushed my arm that he wanted to touch me.
When he left a single rose on my desk with a note to have a good day, he cared more than a normal co-worker.
When a chocolate bar ended up on my desk after a hard day, he wanted me to smile.
But most of all, I knew when his heated gaze met mine each night as we walked to our cars that he wanted to be going home with me. I knew he wanted to kiss me when those piercing eyes latched onto my lips.
Yet, he never made a move to give me any other indication.
So, when the envelope showed up on my desk one morning, I put as many papers as I could on top of it. I didn’t even need to break the seal to know that written in an elegant script would be his name and hers, proclaiming their undying love and need to be together forever.
Each morning, I glared at the thick envelope that despite being hidden, wouldn’t disappear.
He couldn’t actually expect me to go, to sit in the audience and smile like it shouldn’t be me walking down the aisle, like I shouldn’t be the woman he was marrying.
News of the big wedding had taken over many of the conversations at work, making it completely impossible to avoid it. Even Maddi had heard about it and constantly asked me if I would go, what I would wear, and who would be my plus one.
Picking up my ringing phone, I didn’t bother checking the caller ID. I immediately regretted it when my cousin’s cheery voice screamed through the speaker.
“Guess what, bitch?”
I sighed. “What, Mads?”
“I’m coming home for the weekend, so while the parentals attend the wedding, I’ll keep you company, and we can hit up some tailgate at the local college.”
I rolled my eyes. Her entire life revolved around going to the next party.
“That’s a long way to come for a party, Mads. Are you sure you want to drive all that way?” I busied myself with checking my empty inbox for the third time. I hated slow days.
“Am I sure that I want to spend the weekend with my best friend while her lover gets married to another woman? Yup, definitely.” I cringed, my heart clenching in my chest. “I’m actually already driving back with Mason. He’s coming to be our bodyguard so we can get shitfaced drunk,” she giggled while he muttered something in the background that I couldn’t hear.
“I’m not a college student anymore, you know. I work full time. I’m a professional now, not a beer slugging teenage girl.”
She gasped. “How dare you call me a beer slugger? You know I only drink tequila, silly.”
There was no stopping her even if I tried.
Grabbing the thick envelope from under the stack of papers, I tossed it into the trash can under my desk. It hit the bottom with a thud, solidifying my decision.
I would not give Colton Michaels the pleasure of seeing me fall apart at his wedding.
---
“This was such a great idea!” I slurred after a few too many drinks Saturday night. I slung my arm around Maddi’s shoulders, and the two of us stumbled to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the football field where the local college was throwing one of the biggest tailgate parties I had ever been to.
“I have all the good ideas.” Mads hung onto me for support, and I squinted over her head in search of her stupid twin who was supposed to be watching us tonight. But instead, he had gotten wrapped up in a half-dressed cheerleader.
I hated carrying my cousin around. She was a total dead weight.
We clung to each other, throwing back the rest of our drinks before throwing the cups in the air and belting out the lyrics to the popular song blaring through the too-loud speakers.
My head vibrated with each beat. My heart pounded hard in my chest, and my eyelids grew heavier with each passing minute.
“I need to sit for a minute,” she mumbled a song later, her face paling as she clutched her stomach. “I don’t feel too good, Summy.” The childhood nickname fell from her lips right before she lurched forward and spewed her guts all over the grass.
She groaned before staggering forward right into my chest, pushing me back a few steps until I bumped into a firm body. Two hot hands gripped my waist, stopping me from falling right onto my ass. I turned, ready to thank whoever it was when my breath hitched in my throat.
I must have been really drunk for the guy in front of me to look hot. “You okay, sugar?” A thick, southern twang clung to his simple words as my eyes trailed up and down his thick, toned body. Good Lord, he was beautiful.
“I, uh, thanks for stopping my fall.” A smile tugged at his stubble-covered jaw, and he tipped his head in my direction.
“Name’s Brook, short for Brookshire.” I couldn’t help but giggle like a schoolgirl.
“That’s a very girly name for such a big man.” I wanted to facepalm. Did I really just say that?
From the growing grin on his face, I did. “And your name, sugar?” What the hell was my name again?
“Summer, what the hell happened to my sister?” Mason’s panicked voice met my ears as he barreled past me. I turned to follow his racing body to where his sister had crumbled to the ground.
Oh, fuck!
Smiling apologetically at the handsome man with a girl”s name, I turned and followed Mason who was already bending down to pick his very drunk sister off the ground. I slowly made my way to him, struggling to walk in a straight line until eventually, I latched onto his thick bicep.
“Too much tequila, Mace,” Mads mumbled, letting her head fall to his shoulder as he held her. I nodded in agreement, holding onto him tightly, knowing that he would keep us both safe. Always had, always would.
“You girls drive me insane.” He shook his head before guiding me away from the crowded party to the parking lot where he helped us both into his pick-up truck. Then, he took us home where the two of us crawled into bed, not even bothering to change.
---
Monday morning came quicker than I anticipated it would, and somehow, I still felt hungover. Holding my head, I made the short walk from the parking lot to my office, stumbling slightly on my heels that I instantly regretted slipping on the moment I got into my car. I had to get to my office before Colton saw me.
“Morning, Summer.” His voice washed over me, and I paused, ice chilling my bones. No.
Turning to him, I found every ounce of control I had to smile. “Good morning, Colton. Congratulations on your wedding. I didn’t expect you in this early.”
I remained pleasant, my eyes drifting down from his gorgeous face down his thick arm until they landed on his hand, on the silver band glinting in the light.
“Thanks. I didn’t see you at the wedding. Did you make it?” I hated small talk.
“No; I had other prior arrangements. I heard it was a beautiful affair.”
My mother hadn’t stopped talking about how beautiful and romantic the wedding was. I heard about it the entire day yesterday while fighting the worst headache of my life. I would never let Maddi be in charge of drinks again.
I was pretty sure she tried to poison us both Saturday.
“Yes; it was rather pleasant. I’m glad the whole thing is over.” Did he just call his wedding pleasant? What a wonderful husband.
“Right. Well, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment in a few minutes and need to prepare,” I lied, needing any excuse to get the hell away from him.
“No problem. I wanted you to be the first to know though. We’re pregnant.” His words washed over me, and I took a step back as though he had physically hit me. He might as well have.
I forced a smile. “Congratulations!” I faked enthusiasm and nodded before walking away with the last shred of dignity I had left.
Today couldn’t get any worse.
We’re pregnant!His excited words echoed in my head over and over for the entire day like a never-ending mantra I didn’t want to believe.
The man I had fallen in love with was not only taken by another woman, but now, she was having his child.
He really had played me this entire time.
I was the pathetic little girl fawning over a man who only saw me as a toy.
I stayed away from him the entire day, scared his charming smile would make me forget my anger and hurt like it always did.
It was time to guard my broken heart, time to treat him like everyone else because I didn’t deserve this, and he most certainly didn’t deserve me.
Seven monthslater
Being a cold bitch was harder than I thought, especially when he started to take notice. Eventually, his daily visits to my office dwindled. Now, he no longer came unless it was an urgent matter.
I had to convince myself that this was how it was supposed to be. But I missed his smile and the twinkle in his green eyes whenever he looked at me. I struggled with going from being a reason he smiled to being absolutely nothing.
I hadn’t seen him in nearly a month – no warm smiles, no emerald eyes.
She’d had the baby a few weeks ago, and he had finally come back to work after taking two weeks off. I wanted desperately to see him, to see if love shined in his eyes for his wife and his baby.
He was officially the dad of a little girl, and I would never be able to replace his wife now, the mother of the one thing he had told me he wanted most in this world…
A child.