“Get over here!” Katie handed me my shot. “Here’s to Tawnee, Ed, and happily ever after.”
Chapter 17
Che cosa sta accadendo?
I stood in my spot in front of the filled church feeling jumpy. I hadn’t seen her all day, and I replayed my chat with her a thousand times, but each ended with her beautiful face with no expression.
The doors in the back of the church opened as the three-piece orchestra in the corner began to fill the chapel with beautiful music. Katie, Liv, and Pam made their way down to the aisle, each wearing a different shade of purple dresses.
There was a yank in my chest when I saw Fern looking overwhelmingly beautiful in a deep purple gown. It had spaghetti straps over her delicate shoulders and hugged every curve I longed to touch again.
Her amazing black hair was sleek and cascaded over her shoulders, and something about the shade of purple made those sapphire eyes even more stunning. As I watched her begin walking, my ability to bring oxygen into my body was suddenly impaired.
It was like sunshine was shooting through me as I waited for her to look at me. But cloud cover quickly crept in when, halfway down, still no blue eyes on me.
I followed her train of sight, and it led straight to dickhead. I hated his grin and the way she was locked on it. Look at me. No, this wasn’t happening.
She made it to her spot and turned to see Tawnee making her entrance. I wish I could tell you any detail about the bride, but she could’ve been dressed in a trash bag on fire, and I wouldn’t have noticed.
Through the entire ceremony, I searched Fern’s face for the smallest sign that I was incorrect when it came in the direction my destiny was heading. But nothing. What is happening?
I focused enough to hear when the rings were requested and passed them off to Ed. Other than that, it was a silent movie with the leading lady looking everywhere but at me.
My tunnel vision broke enough to see the bride and groom lock lips as muffled applause was around me. I had a dash of hope, realizing we had to exit down the aisle together. Could she just be nervous and possibly not avoiding me? That could be it. This was Tawnee’s wedding, and Fern might just be laser focused on her Maid of Honor duties, right?
Wrong. Tawnee and Ed strolled back up the aisle as I stepped toward her and extended my arm. Without even glancing up, she ignored my arm and instead followed Tawnee. I walked beside her, but she was looking out into the church while her hand held onto her dress, the move equivalent to a bull horn, announcing my demise.
The bridal party formed the reception line, and she weaved through people until she was just about as far away from me as possible.
I looked down the line to see Fern hugging someone, showing a smile that was like an ax nailing my chest. Sure enough, standing behind her was the most hated man in America. Well, the most hated man in the First United Methodist Church, that is: Cockalorum Brandon.
She looked back at him and said something, and he caressed her shoulder. Visions of his body hurling through the glass door in front of me was providing the only relief to the hatred that was simmering. I needed to check myself as me and bubbling fury never ends well.
As soon as the crowd started dwindling, I decided I needed to say something. Sure, she was standing next to douche nozzle, but I didn’t care.
I took a few steps but found myself chest to chest with Dave. No words had to be spoken. The communication was loud and clear. I turned and walked out the door.
I sat in my truck, waiting for her to exit the church. This couldn’t be it. There was no way this was over.
I texted Ed, Dan, and Andrew that I wasn’t going with the bridal party in the limo, but would meet them at the reception because there was no way in hell I wouldn’t end up doing something that would leave me friendless altogether.
No perfect Fern, no friends, and in my next game, I’d likely have a career ending injury. I’d then marry Jack Daniels with Jim Beam as my best man. I’d die alone with not a soul finding my body for six days because nobody cared. (I figure the stench from my dead corpse would probably take that long to make its way down the elevator and into the lobby.)
I arrived at the reception and sat in the hallway on a chair, waiting at the back door for the wedding gang. I’d promised Fern and Dave I would walk away and never look back if she didn’t choose me. But how? I should’ve said I’d give her time to think, and then I’d fight like hell to change her mind. But no, I had to try to sound cool like I was a grown ass man who could take rejection. But rejection was torturing me from the inside out.
The door swung open, and I stood. Every last one of them was all smiles and laughter except for Fern. She entered last, and of course, ass hat had her hand in his, but she wore no smile until she noticed me watching her.
Those perfectly pink lips curved up as she looked at jerkweed. My esophagus pinched shut as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. My hand balled into a fist so I turned and faced the other direction. How in the hell was I going to be in the same room as them? Because clearly they was a them now.
The wedding planner appeared, and her hands shot in the air. “I need all couples to line up to enter the reception. The DJ will announce each of your names, and then you make your entrance.”
Her eyes landed on me. “This one looks miserable. Can somebody get him a drink?”
Nothing like being called out by the lady I now loathed as all eyes ran to me, and I forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just a headache. Anyone have any tranquilizers to help a guy out?” My laughter was solo as Ed slapped my back.
So this is what hell looked like.
The DJ’s voice rang out in the reception room in front of us.
