Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
marley
“Bite me,” I snap at Bear. We arrived at my wedding venue over thirty minutes ago, and there is still no sign of my Maid of Honor or Blaze’s Best Man. The crowd of our friends and family is growing restless, but I don’t care. This is my wedding, and I won’t do it without my best friend.
“Marley, they are probably on their way and can meet you up there.” Bear tries to reason with me as I pace back and forth in my small waiting room, but I glare at him in response.
Bear huffs and holds up his hands up in surrender and walks out the door, probably to inform Blaze his bride is holding everything up.
I was the one who wanted this wedding so I’m going to get exactly what I want. God, I kind of sound like a brat.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to focus on my breathing. Jenna wouldn’t want me to stress, but it doesn’t feel right doing this without her here.
“Call Jenna again, please.” I say to Mia, and she gives me a sympathetic nod.
She dials her number and puts it on speakerphone.
It rings a handful of times before Jenna’s voice fills the room, “Hi, sorry I missed you, but leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I can! ” I roll my eyes and let out a huff.
“Jenna, so help me… if you are not here in ten minutes, I’m sending a search party!” I say as I walk over and end the call on Mia’s phone. I take a deep breath and try to reign in the bridezilla making her grand appearance today.
This isn’t me, but something about professing my love in front of a room full of people makes me nauseous.
I’m not getting cold feet; I know I love Max more than anything.
But this is a lot to deal with, and without Jenna, I don’t know how I will be able to do it.
I don’t realize I’ve started pacing at a rapid speed until my mom is next to me, guiding me to sit down on the plush golden couches lining the room.
My bridesmaid, Malory, hands me a champagne flute filled to the top with rosy bubbles.
Taking a large gulp, I allow the sweet flavor to relax my nerves.
“She must have got caught up figuring out her car troubles,” Mia coos in a reassuring voice. I nod at her and take a deep breath.
“I know you’re right; I just wish she would text or call to let us know she’s okay.” This whole situation doesn’t sit right with me. Jenna’s car breaks down, but she said the tow truck already picked her up, and she was going to be on her way back soon. That was over an hour ago.
I sigh as the door opens to the most welcome sight. My mom jumps up and rushes over to Blaze, shoving both hands in his face. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!” she screeches at him, standing on her tiptoes, barely covering his face.
His chuckle wraps around me, giving me a moment of reprieve from my all-consuming stress. He gently removes her hands from his face. “Lora, I don’t believe in that. Let me see my girl.”
Our eyes meet, and my breath hitches. I don’t think I will ever be immune to how gorgeous this man is.
His dark brown hair is pushed back and perfectly combed, and his bright crystal blue eyes shine with adoration and love.
Max’s black suit is perfectly pressed, and his watch glistens on his wrist. I can’t help the small amount of drool that may have escaped my mouth.
I can barely keep my hands off him when he’s in his cut, but dressed like this, he is sex on a stick.
He makes the room seem small as he reaches me in only two large steps and drops to his haunches in front of me.
“You are gorgeous, Marley. More beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined,” his minty breath wafts through the air between us.
It adds to his usual delicious cinnamon and man scent, and I have to seriously fight off my current impulse to rip his clothes off here in front of everyone else.
I shake my head and try to bring myself back to reality.
“You look really handsome yourself.” I smile. We fought tooth and nail about the suits because he wanted to wear his cut. I get it’s a tradition for them but it was a big no from me. I lean further into his space. “I think you should dress like this more often.” Ending my sentence with a wink.
“Hmm, that might be able to be arranged.” Blaze pushes a strand of my hair back behind my ear. I decided to have my hair down and curled today. I know it’s his favorite, and it’s mine as well.
“Have you heard anything from Axel?” I question, keeping my voice low and away from prying ears.
“No, I sent a prospect to go search for Jenna. I told him she called you about some car trouble, so he’s going to look at the bakery, her apartment, and the garage.” Blaze is putting on a good front but I can see worry in his eyes.
“What is it?” I push, Max is usually so calm and put together that him being unsure has my worry meter buzzing off the charts.
“It isn’t like Axel to not respond.” He shakes his head and then collects himself.
I watch as he straightens his shoulders and tries to act relaxed for me.
“But if they both aren’t responding, maybe that means he pulled his head out of his ass and they figured their shit out.
” The corner of his mouth raises in a small smirk.
“That would require Jenna to stop running from him and actually face her feelings.” I chuckle.
We’ve been letting them figure everything out on their own, but it’s hard to let the people you love suffer because they are so stubborn.
Axel refuses to go to her, saying he’s letting her, ‘have her time.’ Whatever that means.
And Jenna avoids the conversation altogether.
“I’m going to go talk to the caterers and ask them to go out and hand out champagne or waters to everyone in the crowd for being so patient.
But we should begin soon,” the wedding planner says as she struts out of the room.
Both Blaze and I nod in acknowledgment of her statement, but keep our eyes on each other.
“I’m going to go and make sure everything is taken care of out there. You relax, and we’ll sort this out.” He stands, pulling me up with him. Max slides one hand up to cup my face and the other comes around my waist, pinning me to him. “I know you don’t want to do this without Jenna by your side.”
I place my hand over his, keeping his palm pressed to my face. “It’s not that I don’t want to do this, Max. I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything else. I just….”
“Want her by your side when you do it.” He smiles down at me. “I get it.” He means it, and it makes my stomach fill with butterflies. I love him so much.
“Remember, relax. We will figure this out,” he says as he walks towards the door.
Once he closes the door, I return to my seat and lean back, chugging the rest of my champagne.
Malory comes over and refills it with a large grin on her face and clinks her own glass to mine.
She winks at me and lowers herself so that she is eye level with me.
“Does Blaze have any single friends?” she wiggles her eyebrows, making me giggle.
“Many, but be careful. They are a crazy bunch!” She’s giggling now, already having met a few of his brothers from the club. We both hear a cell phone ping, and the room falls silent as I dash over to my phone.
“Oh, thank god!” I see Jenna’s name light up on my phone. Ready to rip her head off for going M.I.A., I stop immediately, rereading the single word she sent.
This can’t be real.
Jenna
Help