Chapter 8
eight
. . .
Meghan
The Columbus Zoo was awash in a golden glow as the sun began its languid descent. Spring was in full bloom, the air heavy with the scent of blossoming flowers and the gentle hum of excited chatter. It was the perfect evening for a wedding. I stood in the groom’s suite, surrounded by a flurry of activity.
Emmett looked handsome as hell in his tailored tuxedo, his face creased with nervous anticipation. He fiddled with his cufflinks, his fingers trembling as he tried to fasten them. I stepped forward and gently took his wrist in my hand. “Here, let me.”
He flashed me a grateful smile. “Thank you, dearest sister. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d be just fine, Em. But I’m glad I get to be here with you today.”
My gaze drifted to the mirror behind him and I caught sight of my own reflection. The emerald green silk of my bridesmaid’s dress caressed my curves, the deep v-neckline revealing a tantalizing hint of cleavage. My chin-length hair was curled and pinned back, with soft tendrils framing my face. But beneath the manicured surface, my heart was a tumultuous sea of emotions.
Today, the man I’d been in love with for longer than I cared to admit would be walking me down the aisle. Not as my groom, but as my brother’s groomsmen.
Wick.
The thought of his name sent prickles down my spine. Standing here, on the cusp of watching my brother pledge his heart to the woman he loved, I couldn’t escape the painful truth.
I was still hopelessly, irrevocably in love with Wick Friedman. Despite the feelings that had grown for Marco over the last year.
A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. It was like I’d unconsciously summoned him. Wick stood in the doorway. His broad shoulders filled out the tuxedo jacket perfectly, the white shirt beneath straining slightly against his muscular chest. His dark hair was artfully tousled, with a few strands falling rakishly over his brow. But it was the look in his eyes that made my breath catch in my throat. There was an intensity there, a heat. For a moment, I was transported back to that Price Industries Memorial Day picnic, words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.
The sun beat down on the lush green lawn of the park. The air was thick with the mouthwatering aroma of grilling burgers and the laughter of children playing in the distance. My duties as emcee were over, and I lounged on a checkered blanket, watching Wick toss a football with Emmett and some of the other guys.
He looked so carefree, unburdened by the weight of responsibility that usually rested on his shoulders. His t-shirt clung to his sweat-dampened skin, highlighting the lean muscles of his torso. I couldn’t stop admiring the way his shorts hung low on his hips. Every time he threw the ball, I glimpsed a tantalizing strip of tanned skin above his waistband.
God, he was beautiful. And not just in a physical sense. No, it was his heart, his unwavering loyalty and quiet strength, that drew me to him.
I’d tried to write off my feelings as nothing more than a silly crush. But as the years had passed and our friendship had deepened, I’d come to realize the truth.
I was in love with Wick.
But after he’d kissed me at Sister’s, then proceeded to avoid me for months, I couldn’t take it anymore. And today, emboldened by a combination of too much hard cider and the warmth of the summer sun, I was going to tell him.
I watched as he jogged over to the cooler, grabbing a bottle of water and downing it in a few long gulps. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, and I found myself transfixed by the sight.
I rose to my feet and made my way over to him, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. “Hey,” I said, coming to stand beside him. “Can we talk for a sec?”
He turned toward me, his eyes searching mine with a hint of wariness. “Sure, Meg. What’s up?”
I took a deep breath. My palms were damp with sweat. “I... I need to tell you something. And I need you to just listen, okay? No interrupting.”
He nodded slowly, and a line appeared between his brows.
“Wick, I...” I struggled to force the words past the lump in my throat. “I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time now. And I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I just...I couldn’t keep it inside anymore.”
His eyes widened, and something I couldn’t decipher flashed across his chiseled features. He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him.
“Please, just let me finish. This probably seems like it’s coming out of nowhere. But that kiss at Sister’s, it meant something to me, Wick. More than you could possibly realize. And then you just shut me out, avoided me for months. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?” I blinked back the hot sting of tears. I hadn’t meant to let my emotions get the better of me, but now the floodgates had opened.
Silence stretched between us, taut and suffocating.
“Jesus, Meg,” he finally said, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t...I don’t know what to say.”
Anger erupted inside me. How dare he stand there looking so damn confused when I’d just laid my heart bare at his feet? “You don’t know what to say? Well, that’s just great. Fan-fucking-tastic. For a man who prides himself on always having the right words, you’re doing a piss-poor job of it right now.”
His brows lowered and the empty bottle crumpled in his grip. “What do you want from me, Meghan? You drop this bombshell on me out of nowhere and expect me to, what? Sweep you into my arms and declare my undying love?”
I flinched, my heart plummeting into my stomach. “No, of course not. But I thought...I hoped...”
“You hoped what? That I’d been secretly pining for you all these years? That kiss was a mistake, Meg. A drunken impulse that never should have happened.”
Each word was a dagger, sharp and brutal. I blinked rapidly, trying to stem the tide of tears. “I see,” I said tightly. “Well, I guess I have my answer then.”
I turned to go, desperate to escape this excruciating conversation. Wick’s hand shot out, his fingers curling around my wrist in a vice grip. “Meghan, wait. I didn’t mean...” He sighed heavily. “It’s not that I don’t care about you. I do. More than you know. But I can’t...we can’t ? —”
I couldn’t let him finish. I couldn’t stand there while he listed all the reasons why we could never be together. It was too painful. I wrenched my arm free, hot tears now streaming down my face. “Don’t,” I choked out. “Just don’t. I get it, okay? Message received, loud and clear.”
Wick looked stricken. He reached for me again. “Meg, please.”
“Meghan? You okay?”
Wick’s concerned voice reached my ears. I realized I’d been staring at him, lost in the painful memory of that day. I smiled, hoping it didn’t look as brittle as it felt. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous, I guess.”
He nodded. “It’s a big day. But you look beautiful, Meggy. Truly.”
My heart stuttered, a flutter of hope sparking to life. I tamped it down, reminding myself that he was just being kind. That he didn’t see me the way I saw him. “Thank you,” I said, running my hands over the silk of my dress. “You clean up pretty well yourself, Mr. Friedman.”
His chuckle tickled the base of my spine. “I do my best.”
We lapsed into silence. I wondered what he was thinking, if he ever thought about that kiss we’d shared all those months ago. If he ever wondered what might have been if things had been different.
But it was pointless to dwell on it. He’d made his feelings clear—twice. I had to respect that. No matter how much it hurt .
A soft knock at the door broke the moment, and we turned to see one of the wedding coordinators poking her head into the room.
“It’s time.”
My stomach lurched, but I stood up straight and took a deep breath. This was Emmett’s day. I wouldn’t let my personal drama interfere with that.
Wick offered me his arm. “Ready?”
I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow, feeling his solid strength beneath my fingertips. “Yep.”
We made our way out of the bridal suite and into the lush gardens of the zoo. The setting sun bathed everything in a soft, amber light.
As we took our places at the altar, Wick by Emmett’s side and me across from them, I couldn’t help stealing glances at him from beneath my lashes. He looked so strong and steady, a pillar of unwavering support for my brother on this perfect day.
My gaze shifted then to Marco, standing behind Wick, his eyes fixed on the ceremony unfolding before us. He looked dashing in his tailored tuxedo, the sleek black lines accentuating his tall, athletic frame. There was an enigmatic quality about him that drew me in, even as it left me off balance and unsure.
Marco and Wick. The two men who had come to define so much of my life in recent years. Each represented a different path, a different future.
With Wick, it was the comfort of familiarity. He’d seen me at my best and my worst and still chose to stand by my side. There was a steadiness to him, a reliability that promised security and unwavering support.
Marco represented something else entirely. He was excitement and passion, the thrill of the unknown. With him, I felt alive in a way I never had before. He challenged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and made me long for things I hadn’t even known I wanted.
And yet, for all the intensity of my feelings for Marco, I couldn’t shake the hold Wick had on my heart. It was as if he had woven himself so deeply into the fabric of my life that the thought of untangling him made my stomach lurch.
As the music swelled and Callie began her walk down the aisle, I felt a bittersweet pang in my chest. As much as I loved Wick with everything that I was, it was time to let him go. He wasn’t mine, and he never would be. Painful as that was, I had to find a way to move on.
The ceremony began and the officiant’s words washed over me. I couldn’t stop the tears that gathered at the corners of my eyes. Letting go of Wick, of the dream of a future with him, was like carving out a piece of my own heart.
I tried to lose myself in the beauty of the moment, in the love and joy that surrounded us. Today was for celebrating two people who had found their forever. And maybe it was for believing I could find mine, too.
When Emmett and Callie were pronounced husband and wife, I clapped and cheered along with the rest, painting on a smile that threatened to crack my face in two. When they made their way back down the aisle hand-in-hand, I fell into step beside Wick, our arms linked as we followed behind them.
His familiar scent of sandalwood and citrus wrapped around me in a comforting embrace. For a moment, I let myself pretend it was real. That we were the ones who had just pledged our lives to each other .
But then we reached the end of the aisle, and Wick released my arm, shattering the illusion. He looked at me, his eyes shining with emotion, and for one heart-stopping second, I thought he might kiss me. Right there, in front of everyone.
But he merely leaned in, brushing a chaste kiss against my cheek. Then he squeezed my hand before turning away to congratulate Emmett and Callie. I watched him go, my heart aching with loss.