Lottie, in a simple mermaid-style dress, steals the show, but the men in their deep blue suits are showstoppers, too. I’ve attempted to avoid JP’s eye contact as much as I can, but it feels impossible. My eyes are like a magnet to his. When I started walking down the aisle, I looked his way and caught him catch his breath right before he wet his lips. When the ceremony began, I glanced in his direction and saw him smiling at me, his expression so intense that I wanted to walk over to him and bury my head in his chest. And now, as the minister announces to Huxley and Lottie that they’re man and wife, I watch JP rock on his heels and stare me down, open promises in his eyes.
“I’d like to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Huxley Cane.”
Like a robot, I cheer and hand Lottie her bouquet before she and Huxley walk back up the aisle. And because Lottie wanted me to walk with JP, he’s next in line. He meets me at the altar, arm extended.
Here we go.
I step up next to him, loop my arm through his, and expect to walk up the aisle, but then he leans in close to my ear, sending chills up my spine, and whispers, “You look so goddamn beautiful, Kelsey. You take my breath away.”
My battered heart beats wildly as my knees go a little weak.
I love this man. I love him so much, and hearing his voice, feeling his strong body connected to mine, it almost seems like too much.
“Thank you,” I whisper back as we make our way to the reception room, where Huxley is kissing Lottie, his hand possessively on her lower back, holding her tightly.
JP turns toward me and lifts my chin. Before I can say anything, his lips are on mine and his hand gently runs through the curls of my hair. “Fuck,” he whispers when he pulls away. “I missed you today.” He kisses my nose, my forehead, and then my lips one more time just as Breaker steps up next to us with Ellie.
“Hell, everyone is kissing. Should we?”
Ellie chuckles and says, “Only if you want Dave to cut off your balls and serve them as a delicacy for dessert.”
Breaker taps his chin. “Hmm, decisions, decisions.”
The wedding planner comes up to us and says, “The guests are coming, but remember, no conversations, just a quick wave, because we need the bride and groom out by the sunset to take final pictures.”
The crowd walks in, everyone happy, chatting, and heading straight toward the open bar.
“You okay?” JP asks, tugging on my hand.
I smile up at him. “Yeah, just happy for Huxley and Lottie.”
Not sure he buys it, because he continues to study me, but thankfully, Lottie and Huxley head back outside and we follow behind. There are only a few stragglers left on the rooftop taking some pictures.
“Just the bride and the groom right now, if everyone else would step to the side,” the planner says. “And guests should head into the reception space.”
Two girls taking pictures of themselves in front of the sunset offer their apologies, and as they work their way up the aisle, one of them, the one in a skintight lavender dress, makes eye contact with JP and smiles broadly. JP shifts next to me as she presses her hand to his chest and in passing, says, “Compared to this morning, you look amazing. Congrats on the new sister-in-law.” She offers him a wink and then heads into the reception area.
The world around me fades to nothing.
Compared to this morning?
He was with her this morning?
My lip trembles.
My heart thunders in my chest.
And I feel like I’m going to puke.
“Kelsey,” JP whispers, “it’s not what you think.”
Not here.
Not now.
Pictures have to be taken.
I’ll deal with this later.
Push it to the side. Blacken your soul.
Don’t show your emotion.
You can do this, Kelsey.
You have to do this.
Chapter Twenty-Three
JP
Fuck.
That has been the word of choice for the past twenty-four hours. I’ve just been living in a constant state of fuck. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
Things are strained. Kelsey might be putting on a happy face, but I now know when she’s not her normal self. And right now, her smile isn’t even close to reaching her eyes. Her text messages dwindled as the day went on and when I expected her to smile at me while walking down the aisle, she tore her eyes away, over and over again.
And I don’t blame her. Through Huxley, I found out that the girls know about the email. When I started to call Kelsey to explain, Huxley told me that Lottie had backed me up. She’d assured him that everything was okay and that Kelsey didn’t want to talk about it. So, I held back even though I didn’t want to.