Page 134 of My Fiancé's Brother
I looked back at Matt and shook my head.
Matt whispered. “Sweetheart, come on. Let go of poor Jackson. You’re embarrassing him.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I started to let go of my lifeline, but Jackson’s hand tightened around mine. Our eyes met again.
I swallowed, staring at the man I loved. Unable to look at the man I was supposed to marry.
Matt stepped down beside me, and his grip tightened like a vice around my wrist. “Come.”
“I can’t marry you, Matt.”
Matt gave me a beguiling smile, his tone soothed. “Emily, come on.”
I shook my head.
Matt’s grip on my wrist tightened, and he tugged at me. Like he could physically drag me.
Jackson moved to stand beside me. “She said no.”
Matt stepped up to Jackson’s face and hissed. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“She said no,” Jackson repeated quietly, still holding onto my hand.
People in the audience talked openly. The music continued to play.
“Is there a problem,” the minister crept forward and looked between the three of us.
“Emily has some wedding jitters,” Matt said between clenched teeth. “We just need to get her to let go of Jackson and then we’ll be on our way.”
The minister walked around to my side and spoke quietly, “Are you nervous? Do you need a few minutes?”
I looked up at the minster’s kind face. His warm brown eyes gave me the most sympathetic look imaginable.
Matt leaned in and hissed, “Emily, you’re embarrassing yourself and me. All of our friends and coworkers are watching.”
The minister put his hands up. “Calm, please, let’s remain calm. We want to handle this in a very calm fashion.”
“I don’t want to marry you,” I said in a small voice.
We watched as Matt walked away. He grabbed the edge of the table and did some deep breathing. He turned and then a flower vase sailed towards my head. Jackson’s arm reached in front of me and deflected the vase. It hit the side of the pulpit spraying water, flowers and glass in every direction. The audience gasped.
Matt picked up a silver offering plate, and it moved like a frisbee, but at the last moment, it veered off and hit the minister in the head. The minister looked at me, his eyes wide. He brought his hand up to his forehead and then looked at his hand. There was blood on his fingers. He moaned, and staggered off the side and sat down on the steps. I stood transfixed as someone from the audience ran up to him.
“You’re not doing this to me,” Matt announced, pointing his finger at me.
I stood there. Jackson still held my hand.
“You’re such a frigid little bitch. No one but me is ever going to want to marry you,” he ranted, as he picked up a hymnal and fired it towards me. Jackson reached and deflected that, too.
Jackson’s voice was low. “Matt shut up.”
Matt charged towards us, and he hauled back and punched Jackson in the face. Someone in the audience screamed. Jackson’s head snapped back as Matt’s fist connected with his face, but he didn’t react. His hand still held my own.
Matt wound up to hit Jackson again, and I couldn’t take it anymore. It had to stop.
“I’m pregnant.”
Matt and Jackson looked at me with equally stunned expressions on their faces.
