Chapter 9 Koren #3
“So you were checking up on me?” His smile widens.
“Again, those were distractions. Not one of them meant anything. Half of those women I didn’t even know.
They posed for a photo. I honestly couldn’t tell you any of their names.
” He puts his palms on the counter, invading even more of my space by sliding his hand near mine.
“But I never forgot yours or everything we promised each other.”
I’m surprised how unmoved I am by this speech, considering I used to dream of him crawling back.
My heart’s slamming in my chest, but that’s more from the task at hand than his confession.
I cut my gaze sharply at him, shears pointing a little too perfectly at his head.
“In case you forgot, it’s my sister’s wedding day.
I have an hour to finish this, find my dress, and get ready. This is not the time.”
“I wasted too much time already.” His voice cracks, and I hate that it sounds so hot. “I can’t stand seeing you and not being able to call you mine. We have to talk about this.”
What are those alarm buttons people have in office buildings called?
Panic buttons.
Yeah, I could use one right now.
Or better yet, a trap door.
Or both.
A panic button that opens a trap door for him to fall into.
Something, anything to make him disappear.
I mean, I wouldn’t keep him down there forever. Just until after the wedding would be nice.
“Look, Elijah—again—it’s my sister’s wedding.
My whole family is in town. I’m struggling hard to be nice to you only because I don’t want to ruin this for her.
If it were any other time and place, we wouldn’t be talking.
And just because I haven’t slapped you for kissing me doesn’t mean I want to get back together. ”
“I know.” His cocky smile softens into the one I love the most. It’s a secret smile. I used to think he saved it just for me. “But you let me get the flowers with you. Your family wasn’t around for that. It was just us. That has to mean something.”
“It means I didn’t have time for an argument, and you were the one with Garrison’s contact info in your phone. He doesn’t know me, and he probably wouldn’t have opened early for me.”
“Wow, you always did know how to make me feel special.” He chuckles, then dares to inch closer, brushing a petal off the counter right in front of me.
“Come on. You don’t have to be so tough.
Just admit it. You were crying last night before you called out to me.
I know you. You are not a crier for no reason. You missed me a little.”
Exasperation seeps into my chest.
Of course I missed him, but I can’t admit that.
Not now.
I grab a spool of ribbon without looking up and shove it toward him. He startles back a step, which gives me a little extra space. “Here,” I say with force. “I missed having a tall person around to put this on the top shelf.”
“I’ll take it.” He snatches the ribbon, holding it close to his chest. “So you missed me a little, right?”
I grin despite myself. “I’m sorry, what were you expecting me to say? That I cry every day and wear your old hockey jersey to bed?”
“No.” His voice is so tender, it causes me to look up. “I don’t expect anything. But I was hoping you'd remember what it felt like when we were dreaming together.”
I hesitate. I don’t want to get into this now.
I can’t.
I’m literally out of time.
But he’s the one pushing this.
I gave him plenty of chances to back out. “You mean like when we promised to get married, and then you told the whole world that your only plan for 2025 was to play hockey. When the reporter asked if you were single, you conveniently forgot you were engaged?”
His eyes widen, lips parting. “Maybe I was just foretelling the future, because again, you’re the one who left.”
I don’t answer. He doesn’t understand that what I did was a reaction to what he did. I never would have left if I’d thought he wanted me to stay. “These are done.” I tie the last ribbon and huff, “I’m leaving.”
“Don’t you have to take them to the resort?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you need to tag along.”
He flicks his wrist, checking his watch. “I mean, you’ve got less than an hour. And even though I think you’re beautiful, I know you’ll want time to change and get ready. I can take the flowers in while you get ready. I’d hate for you to be the reason your sister’s wedding starts late.”
“Ah! Why are you so infuriating?” I spin on my heel to retrieve the box from the cooler. “Fine. You have a point. Plus, if you drive, I can pluck my eyebrows on the way over.”
“Park right here,” I demand as we screech to a stop in front of the church doors, not caring that it’s not a proper parking spot.
“I’m fine with that,” Elijah says with an irritatingly hot grin. “If I get a ticket, it goes on your record since the van is in your name.” He hops out of the door with urgency and runs around to the back.
“Well, technically, it’s in my mom’s name.” I meet him in the back, yank open the door, and grab the box closest to me. “But I can live with a ticket. I’ve done worse things than get a parking ticket.”
He grabs the remaining boxes in one arm load.
I do a double take. Yup. He’s stacked the boxes like he’s some kind of human dolly.
I accidentally take two tiny seconds to marvel at his strength, especially since my back is already hunched from the strain of my single box.
I cut my focus to the front door before I unintentionally compliment him.
We bust through the sliding doors and head to the women’s room. I knock twice before peeking my head in and start speaking without waiting for acknowledgment. “Kaci, here’s your bouquet.”
Elijah—still apparently committed to driving me insane—hands boutonnieres to the groomsmen waiting in the church foyer. When he returns the empty box, I whisper, “Okay, this is where you can leave me alone now. Go join your hockey friends.”
“You’re welcome,” he says, leaning over one of the other boxes to adjust the lilacs in the altar arrangement. “These are pretty, but not as pretty as ours would have been. Remember you wanted lavender in our centerpieces?”
I clear my throat harshly, hoping he takes the hint that his presence is unwelcome. “That was before you forget publicly that you had a fiancée.”
He smirks at me, cockiness oozing from every pore. “I always did love how your banter feels more like a competitive sport.”
Before I can fire back, Sophie appears behind me with a garment bag.
“Kaci might be freaking out about the fact that you’re still in your pajamas with coffee stains on your shirt.
She’d feel slightly better if you could get ready now.
” She thrusts the bag into my arms. “We have fifteen minutes before photos.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Heat floods my cheeks as it feels like every eye is on me and my failure. “There was a floral emergency, and I had to, just, never mind. I still need to get all the arrangements on the altar before photos and people start coming.”
Elijah steps between me and the box of arrangements. “Just go with her. I can do this. I’ve done it before. I know exactly how you like them.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he’s right. He does know, and he might be the only one who can help. “Don’t you need to get dressed too?”
“It takes me two minutes to slip on a tux.” He bends over, lifting the largest arrangement out of the box as Sophie snatches my wrists and pulls me toward the bathroom. “You can supervise flowers later. Right now you need to strip.”
The chuckle that comes from Elijah causes me to snap around and hold up my finger. “Don’t even think about commenting.” I spin on my heel, and Sophie and I push through the bathroom door together.
She squares up in front of me. “Remove your hideous cloud pajamas.” I lift my shirt before realizing I’m wearing the wrong bra for formal wear.
It’s too late now. She unzips the garment bag and pulls out a dark lilac silk bridesmaid dress.
It’s the same color as the lilacs in the arrangements.
Aiming it at my head, she commands, “Arms up.”
I suppress a grunt as she tugs the dress over my shoulders and smooths it into place. “You’re lucky I’m an expert at getting glam in record time. I’ve been almost late to so many concerts.”
I look at myself in the mirror and see my lackluster hair desperately needs a fresh wash and blowout. “I should’ve gotten here earlier.”
Sophie spins me by the shoulders and zips me without warning, causing me to inhale sharply. “We all told you to be here at nine. Instead, you were gallivanting around town with your ex.”
“I wasn’t gallivanting. As I said before, there was an emergency with the flowers. And I didn’t ask him to help. He sort of inserted himself, and I didn’t have time to deal with it.”
Her eyebrows rise as she produces a curling iron and comes at my head with precision. “He’s sure trying to flirt his way back into your life.”
I sit on the nearest stool, careful not to wince as she tugs my hair into a twist. “You know how he is. He’s unrelenting. The only reason I haven’t slapped him is because I don’t want to add drama to Kaci’s wedding day.”
She hands me the curling iron to hold with my hair still in it while she dusts blush across my cheeks.
I’m getting dizzy watching her hands fly all around me.
She takes the curling iron back, releases my hair, and hands me a tube of bright red lipstick.
“So why’d you let him kiss you? You know that only fueled his ego. ”
That’s the million-dollar question.
That kiss lasted several seconds longer than it needed to. I should have pulled away the second he leaned in. I can blame him all I want, but the truth is that I kissed him back. “Insanity.”
Sophie gives me a I’m-not-buying-that-excuse look. “Well, whatever happens, try not to cry until after the photos and ceremony. I’m already going to struggle concealing these dark circles.” On cue, she produces a concealer stick and dabs it under my eyes. “Did you even sleep last night?”
“Not really.”
I finish applying my lipstick, and she swaps the tube in my hands for mascara.
“That’s all we have time for,” she says, crossing the room and pulling my heels from a duffle bag.
“Good thing your mom had your clothes sent over this morning. She had a hunch when Kaci told her you went off on a flower hunt with him.”
I kick off my flip-flops, and Sophie guides my foot into my heel while I coat my lashes. I probably still look like a hot mess. Somehow, we stumble out of the bathroom just as the wedding planner yells, “Bridal party, let’s go! The photographer is at the altar waiting for you.”
I race to the front of the church and step into the bridesmaids’ line, tugging at my dress strap.
One side is tight; the other side hangs loose.
I’m completely lopsided and unsupported.
“Something’s wrong with my dress,” I call out to whoever will hear me as I’m about to panic.
“It doesn’t sit right. It’s way to loose on one side, and this neckline isn’t straight. ”
“It’s fine.” Sophie reaches over to adjust my straps. “Maybe you need something to distract from this neckline. It’s too bad you didn’t try this on earlier when you would have time to grab a necklace.”
Elijah walks down the aisle to join the groomsmen, looking ridiculously good in a tailored black suit and that smirk I used to lose sleep over. “Here, you can try this.” He pulls a delicate gold necklace with a tiny pearl pendant from his wallet.
My breath catches. I immediately recognize the necklace he’d given me for my birthday. “How do you have that?”
“You left it on my nightstand along with the note saying you left,” he says quietly, brushing his thumb over the pendant. “I wanted to chuck it into the lake so many times, but I just couldn’t.”
My heart stutters. “You kept it in your wallet?”
His usually cocky smile softens into a rare, sweet slant as he leans in, handing me the chain. “Felt closer to me that way.”
Sophie makes a strangled noise like a dying crow, but whispers, “Put it on. Now.”
I fumble with the clasp, fingers trembling. As soon as the charm lays against my collarbone, the sag in my dress’s neckline makes more sense. It’s like the necklace had always belonged there. Elijah moves into line with the rest of the guys right as the photographer calls, “Everyone, places!”
I can’t help looking at Elijah, who is so handsome as he quietly takes his spot. As much as I hate to admit it, this morning would have been a disaster without him. The photographer kneels in front of the bridal party, holding up the camera while plastering on a fake smile. “Everyone, smile.”
Oddly, I do.
After the morning I’ve had, I shouldn’t feel happy, but I find a smile inside me. When no one is looking, my gaze floats to Elijah, and I find myself smiling at him.
Good thing he isn’t looking!