Epilogue
Carson
I should’ve put vodka in this water bottle.
Maybe if I was drunk, I could make it through this day without breaking down.
I sound pathetic. I’m aware. And normally, I don’t resort to alcohol to numb my pain, but today isn’t a normal day.
Today, I have to watch my best friend and the love of my life marry another man.
Like I said, fucking pathetic.
I’m also a coward. Before Ginny left to become a major country music star, we drove to the lookout, just the two of us, to watch the stars.
We were lying on a blanket with our pinkies intertwined like we’ve done since we were five, and I almost kissed her.
I was pretty sure she wanted me to, but I chickened out.
She was about to leave our hometown on this huge adventure.
Maintaining a relationship with me while doing her thing would’ve been disastrous.
We both knew I wasn’t cut out for the big, wide world.
I like my small-town life. I love being close to my family and friends.
Living in Hollywood—or fuck, even Nashville—isn’t my scene .
I knew that if I’d kissed Ginny that day, I’d have only held her back from her dreams.
Now I’m standing in the hallway of some fancy-ass building with a gothic vibe that’s creepy as hell, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Our whole family flew out to LA for Ginny’s big day.
They’re all ecstatic to be here, even if we’re a bit overwhelmed by the opulence.
Not a single one of us fits the mold of the high society attendants who surround us.
It’s one of the reasons I’ve kept my distance.
My big brother, Noah, has made it clear that my face is expressing every disdainful thought I’ve been having.
This whole thing is opulence to the extreme.
I don’t know how Ginny has survived this life for as long as she has.
She’s pure sunshine. It radiates from her when she’s around the people she loves.
We’ve all noticed her light dimming over the last few months.
None of the family is sure if it’s been the wedding planning stressing her out or something worse.
We’re hoping once this circus is over, she’ll be able to settle into her new life and be happy.
It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.
Her happiness means more to me than my own.
If Weasel—sorry, Wesley—is the guy she wants to spend the rest of her life with, I’ll support her, even if I don’t see the appeal.
The guy’s about as slimy as a snail. He makes these snide remarks about Ginny I’ve never understood.
Most have something to do with her “little singing career.” Except she’s more famous than he is, and the only reason he gets recognized is because he’s been dating Ginny.
He’s the worst kind of user.
But maybe things are different behind closed doors. I try not to think about it. Jealousy doesn’t suit me. Especially when all I want to do is support my best friend.
“You okay?” Michael comes to stand by my side. His wavy dark hair has been styled off his forehead, and his dark brown eyes are intense. He’s not asking me to respond with some one-off comment.
“Not really.” I shrug. “But I’m hanging in there.
” At this point, my best friends know how I feel about Ginny.
It was easy to keep it from them for a long time.
Ginny wasn’t around as much since she was touring all the time, so it wasn’t difficult to hide how I felt.
When Ginny announced her engagement, the walls around my emotions crumbled into dust. I couldn’t hide it anymore.
They rallied around me like good friends do, but there was nothing they could say to make it better.
Ginny was marrying someone else. Who was I to get in the way of that?
“How about you and I skip the reception to get drunk at one of these hoity-toity bars?”
I snort. “I’m not spending a fortune on fancy cocktails.”
“Fair. I’ll figure something out.” He nods as if it’s a done deal.
“Thanks, man.”
He shrugs. “What are best friends for?”
Gia’s frantic face comes around the corner. Her shoulders drop when she sees me. “Carson. Ginny needs you.”
I straighten. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. She texted me a second ago and asked me to find you. She said it was an emergency.”
I frown. “An emergency? And she won’t talk to you?”
She shakes her head. “I tried to call her, but she sent me to voicemail every time. She also locked the door to her suite.”
“Fuck.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Okay. Take me to her.”
Gia takes off down the hallway. I follow in her footsteps, trying to figure out what Ginny could possibly need from me that she couldn’t get from Gia. She’s her twin sister, for fuck’s sake. You’d think she’d be better qualified for an emergency than me.
“Ginny, please open the door. You’re going to be late for the ceremony.” A severe woman is rapidly knocking on the door. Her grey hair is pulled back into a tight hairdo. I have a fleeting thought that she looks like the strict headmaster of a private school.
“Excuse me.” While the words are polite, my tone isn’t. I need to get in there.
The woman huffs. “Good luck.” She turns and stomps down the hallway.
I lay my forehead on the wood. “Goose? It’s me. Will you open the door?” My childhood nickname for Ginny rolls off my tongue with ease.
“It’s just you?” Her small voice comes from the other side.
I raise an eyebrow at Gia. She nods and squeezes my arm before going back toward the ceremony hall. “Yeah, it’s just me.”
When Ginny opens the door, I stifle a gasp. Her face is ravaged by tears. Her cheeks are pink, and her eyes are red from crying. I step into the room, closing the door behind me. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”
She pulls me into the tightest hug I’ve ever gotten from her.
Then her words stop me short.
“Get me out of here, Carson.”
THE END
Carson and Ginny’s story is only just beginning. Grab your copy of Until the End here !
Lottie’s parents have their own story! You can read about Cooper and Quinn’s happily ever after in Guarding Her Love !