26. Chapter 26 Jinxed Winter Wonderland #2
I hesitate, then let out a jagged breath.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Look at my track record.
My father abandoned me. Ryan destroyed me.
Jacob keeps shutting me out.” My voice falters and I’m unable to say how I feel about Dylan.
How he’s taken parts of me I’ll never get back.
How he’ll never truly be mine, and I’ll never be enough to make him stay.
Izzy straightens up, picking up on my mood change.
“Oh, babe, we’ve all had messed-up relationships. That doesn’t mean you’re cursed,” she says with a smile, but I can tell she means it.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But the men in my life sure know how to screw with my heart,” I mutter.
At least one of them can’t hurt me anymore.
“My dad was the first. He tore through my life like a tornado and wrecked every damn thing in his path. And I’ve spent every moment since chasing love in all the wrong places with all the wrong men.”
Izzy leans forward, frowning. “You’ve got to stop letting men take from you. Give yourself what you need instead. I give myself one hell of an orgasm almost every night,” she teases, breaking the tension in the way only she can.
I smile, but it’s hollow. It sounds simple. But how do you love yourself when your life’s a mosaic of shattered pieces? Broken bones. Broken hearts. And every time, I’m the one left to pick them up. They take, and I let them. Until there’s nothing left of me to give.
Maybe that’s what it means to be jinxed. Not the clumsiness or the bruises, but the way my heart keeps falling for men who can’t love me back or won’t let me in. And if my heart is cursed, why do I keep opening it? Maybe it’s time to stop. To lock those doors and finally focus on myself.
I glance around the room, taking in the beauty of what I created.
Maybe Jenna’s Dream Events is the first thing that’s all for me.
I snap a photo of the setup and, against my better judgment, send it to Jacob.
We’re not in a good place right now, and this stuff doesn’t seem to matter much to him. Sometimes, I wonder if I still do.
His reply comes almost instantly: Looks cool.
That’s it. No excitement. No real acknowledgement of my first big event. Just two flat words that sting. Hard. He might as well have said, I don’t care.
My mind drifts back to when his love felt like everything.
“Jenna Jinx…”
The memory crashes in, and his words echo as if he’s standing beside me again.
“I still remember the first time I saw you wearing those horrible yellow cat PJs and hiding the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.
I wanted to burn those pajamas and see you wearing only a smile.
But the more I got to know you, I realized Izzy has excellent taste in friends, and I knew I wanted to be your friend too.
” His thumb brushed over my shaky fingers as the crowd watched him confess his love.
“Then I wanted more. I wanted to protect you. To keep you safe. To make sure no one ever hurt you again.”
A soft aww rippled through the guests, but I barely heard it over the sound of my heart pounding.
“And when I told you those four little words, 'Not for long, Jinx,' I didn’t mean your sadness or terrible choice in men.”
Then Izzy, who was my maid of honor, laughed so hard, breaking some of the tension.
“I meant I was going to spend forever trying to make you happy. All I want is to have you as my wife. To love you, even when I don’t get it right. To stand beside you, and stay forever, loving you the best way I can. Always.”
His voice was steady, full of certainty. His words overflowing with love.
And my vows? A total mess. I’d practiced them for weeks, but my fear of public speaking took over, and the second I saw all those eyes on me, I froze.
“Jacob… I love you so much,” I’d blurted, my voice trembling. “But I will not burn my pajamas for you… maybe just our house.” I managed a nervous laugh. “And I’ll tell you how much I love you—tonight, on our honeymoon, and every night after that, without three hundred people staring at me.”
And that’s exactly what I did that night…
“You’re welcome.” Izzy’s voice jolts me back to the present. “You know, for saving the day with the snow globes.” She grabs her coat, already halfway through the door. “Keep your phone on in case I need you to save me from my date tonight with that hot caterer outside.”
Izzy’s energy shifts mine, and I can’t help but smile. “And why do you need saving?”
She groans. “His name is Donald.” She pauses, cringing.
“How the hell am I supposed to get in the mood and scream, ‘Oh, Donald, yes, lick me just like that,’ without picturing Donald fucking Duck between my legs? Donald with rock-hard abs. And yes, he has a lisp too. Just… no. Who names their kid Donald anyway?”
I laugh, my brow furrowing. “Really? Donald Duck?"
She smirks, hugging me as she heads out.
Before I can finish processing the absurd image of Donald Duck having sex with my best friend, while I fix the last few table numbers, the door eases open.
Dylan.
He steps into the room, looking handsome as ever, wearing a sharp tux. His eyes sweep the space until they land on me. My stomach knots, bracing for his response.
“Wow, Jenna,” he murmurs. “This is… so damn incredible. I came early hoping to see you in action.”
There’s something in his voice, sincere and unexpected, that cuts through all my insecurities. And for a second, I wonder if maybe there’s hope for something real between us.
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Gabriella’s going to kiss you. A lot.” His teasing hangs in the air, the low hum of the snow machine amplifying the tension.
Guests will be here soon, but right now, it’s just us. And all I can think about is kissing him.
“Thank you. If she kisses anything like you do, I—” I stop short as the lighting technician steps in.
“Hey, Jenna. Are the spotlights working now? Jimmy said there were some issues.”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, with a nervous smile. “Just needed to be plugged in. All good now.” I wave my hand dismissively, hoping he gets the hint.
He nods and walks off.
I take in a breath, my heart rate slowing down. “I kind of went overboard with the frost. Is it too much?”
Dylan shakes his head, grinning. “Too much? No way. It’s like stepping into a winter wonderland—with your twist. It’s magic.”
His awe catches me off guard. He’s not just admiring the room. He’s admiring me. And I feel proud of what I’ve created.
“That means so much,” I murmur. “I’ve been fighting this for so long. Telling myself I’m too old to start. That this is nothing but a silly dream.”
His hands land on my shoulders. “It’s not silly. You brought an empty, lifeless room and turned it into something alive. Something breathtaking.”
I glance around us, hoping no one walks in. Wanting more time with him alone.
“This is exactly where you’re supposed to be.” He lifts my chin, his eyes on mine. “Doing what you love… with me.” A chill runs through my body, and tears build in my eyes.
I’m lost in him. In this moment. In wanting something I can’t have. No one’s ever made me feel this seen. Not my mother. Not Jacob. No one.
Without thinking, I step forward and kiss him. I pour every desire, every unspoken word, every piece of me into it, and he kisses me back just as fiercely, his hands gripping me like he’s afraid to let go.
Until I smack him playfully on the arm. “How the hell do you do that?” I murmur. “Flirt with my head, my heart, and my lady parts all at once?”
He smirks. “Maybe it’s because I love being inside all three.”
I choke. “Oh really?!”
He cocks an eyebrow. “Really. Your head, heart… and soul. Isn’t that what you meant?”
I roll my eyes. “Sure. Real smooth. Didn’t your sisters warn you that women hate guys this charming?”
“Guess I missed that memo.”
My smile fades a little. “Speaking of your sisters… what happened between you and Amelia?”
His face twists. “First, how’d it go with your mom?”
I pause, debating how much to share. I’m still hurt she lied to me. But are all lies unforgivable even when they are meant to protect someone? Or is that just the story we tell ourselves to justify hurting the people we love?
“It was… a lot. Total torture at first. But once the shock and anger wore off, we talked. I think we’re okay now,” I shrug. “Giving her space to process. Back to your sister.”
He nods, his expression darkening. “Okay. Short version? Amelia and I were never close. She was much older, always busy with her friends. I was the annoying brother still playing with Tonka trucks. Then our brother died and everything collapsed. My parents’ divorce had already done enough damage, but that?
” His voice cracks. “That destroyed us. My dad and Amelia both blamed me. Said I should’ve been there.
It got ugly. And after that… ten years of silence. ”
“Wow,” I say under my breath. “That's a really long time. But I’m glad you two are finally speaking again.”
“Me too. I can’t get my brother back, but I don’t have to lose what’s left of my family,” he murmurs. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
He hesitates, his voice raw when he continues. “But I can’t ask you to tear apart your family for this. I know what happens when families fall apart. I’ve lived it.” He sighs softly. “Even if you won’t say this out loud, I know you’re hoping for more than I can give.”
Distant voices pull us out of the moment. Dylan steps away, the space between us suddenly unbearable. He looks like he might say something, but he doesn’t. He turns and walks off, leaving me standing in my winter wonderland, feeling colder than the ice sculptures around me.
Before I can collect myself, Gabriella walks in. She stops, her eyes darting from me to the spot where Dylan just stood. My gut twists, panic building inside me.
Did she hear us?
Then she smiles. “Dylan was right. You’re worth every penny.”
Her heels click as she rushes toward me, her white mermaid gown flowing. “This is… better than I ever could have imagined. I can’t wait to celebrate my marriage in this gorgeous space.” She kisses my cheek again and again, just like Dylan warned. “Thank you, thank you!”
I want to tell her to run. To be sure. To guard her heart. But the words lodge in my throat. So I smile and offer the only thing I can.
“You're welcome. I wish you all the happiness—and great sex—in the world.”