by Nicole Casey
“I like you. I’ve been falling for you for ages. You’re the only person in the world that makes me feel safe and needed. You’ve brought me out of my shell and made me the best version of me that I can be. I hope I’ve done the same for you too...”
“Yeah... you have...” Jamie’s expression wasn’t unfurling at all; he genuinely didn’t know what was going on here. “You know that.”
I grabbed the small box out of my pocket, and I fell to one knee, finally making my feelings very clear. Jamie clapped his hands onto his mouth and opened his eyes wider in shock.
“So despite the fact that it hasn’t been very long, I know that I want to be with you forever. I want to make you mine officially. I want you to be my husband. So, I guess what I’m asking is if you’ll marry me?”
The silence clung thickly to the air, for a split second I felt sick to my stomach. What if he turned me down? What if he said no? What if I wrecked everything...?
“Of course I will!” He finally exclaimed, falling to the ground to hug me tightly. “I’m shocked, I’ll admit that but yes. I was actually going to wait until the end of the day to ask if you wanted to move in with me.”
“Oh yeah, that’s probably a more sensible next move,” I laughed through the tears. “But you know me, always going to the extreme.”
“And that’s what I love about you.”
We balanced each other out in a lot of ways, which shocked me massively. I never thought that we would work so well, even if we did fancy each other, but it had. I pulled his face to me and kissed him hard, whilst slipping the ring onto his finger. It wasn’t the most expensive item in the world, but despite the fact that Jamie had a lot going for him, he wasn’t materialistic. It was all about the love.
“I love you too,” I gasped into his mouth. “So much.”
I could hear people filtering in. The staff were starting their first day at the brand new office, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from the man that I loved. His dark hair, his stunning eyes, the freckles across his nose... I hadn’t yet found anything that I didn’t totally adore about him. Even now, after all this time. Every day I fell deeper and deeper for him.
“What’s going on?” Tara yelled, breaking through our little barrier. “What the hell is happening here?” She sounded bemused and happy for me, sensing something huge coming her way.
I turned to face her and grinned brightly, showing her Jamie’s hand. “We’re getting married,” I shouted back, causing cheers to burst out from all around the room.
This was a family now. We really were coming together in every single way, and that settled me. I’d always been looking for my place in the world, and now I’d found it.
It was right here, with Jamie. My very own happy ever after.
The End
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Author’s Note
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you have enjoyed reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Your support REALLY means a lot and keeps me going. Also, don’t miss out on the sneak peaks of book 1 & 2 of the series below!
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Read an Excerpt from The Wedding Date
Bryant hates that he can’t get over Tony. The way that their relationship has ended was brutal and he doesn’t know what to do to help himself recover… especially when he learns that he’s going to have to face him and his new lover (the man that destroyed them) at his sister’s wedding this weekend.
Luckily his friend Hayley has a plan. All he needs is a hot date to make his ex jealous, and she knows the perfect man for the job. He’s sexy, fun loving, and far more exciting than his ex ever was.
Max only agrees to go to the wedding because he needs to inject some spice into his life. Things haven’t really been going well recently, but as he starts to notice a little spark growing between him and Bryant, he can’t help but wonder if he’s falling in too deep… this might be a little bit too much excitement.
And then secrets and lies coming spilling out, which threatens to tear both of their lives to shreds. Will they survive the eventful wedding weekend, or will they both regret faking it?
Bryant
"Yeah, of course, Sally," I forced my lips to curl up into a smile as my sister told me the most horrendous news ever - over the phone, making it cut even deeper.
"That'll be fine." My heart had sunk. My mood dipped lower than ever, and I had no idea how I was going to get through this now.
"I'll see you on Saturday, looking forward to it already."
"Love you!" Either my sister was too consumed by wedding fever to notice, or she was totally ignoring my inner turmoil because it really didn't suit her right now. "See you then."
As I clicked the phone shut, my work colleague and closest friend, Hayley, gave me a sympathetic look from her tiny booth.
"More bridezilla stuff?"
To be fair, she wasn't far off in her assumption. Sally had been a bit of a nightmare with the wedding at times, but this time I could shake my head and be totally honest.
"No, it's worse," I sighed deeply. My mind was spinning with ideas, trying to find anything to get me out of this, but of course there wasn't any way I could avoid the long awaited wedding day of my only sibling.
"I guess I knew it'd happen, but hearing it has really freaked me out. Tony will be there this weekend, and I'm going to have to face him and Desi."
Urgh, I wasn't sure that I could manage it.
It was going to be awful.
I couldn't imagine it was ever good to see your ex with someone new, but this was even worse because Tony had found love with the person he'd cheated on me with. I'd been left with my heart broken and my life in tatters, and he'd gone on to find pure happiness.
That killed me.
It absolutely destroyed me and had left me unable to move on. With no closure, what was I supposed to do? I'd tried my best to forget about him, and I'd even vaguely attempted to date someone new, but I couldn't do it because the whole time I couldn't work out what I'd done wrong.
Why wasn't Tony happy with me? Why did he feel unable to communicate with me? Why was I so blind to the signs of him being with someone else behind my back? I had to be the last person in the whole world to notice. It was as humiliating as it was gut-wrenching.
Sure, eight long months had passed and clearly everyone else had moved beyond the upheaval, but not me. My life was stuck in limbo, and I couldn't seem to shake that off however hard I tried.
"Well, I suppose Sally is marrying Tony's cousin," Hayley replied cautiously. "It makes sense that he'll be there."
"I know, but does he have to bring him?" I whined, flopping my head into my hands. "They're still together, everyone will be flocking around them talking about how good they are together, and I'm still by myself. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I had some hot date on my arm, but I don't..."
"That's it!" Hayley exclaimed, grabbing hold of my arm in over the top excitement. "That's what you need to do. Take some hot guy as your plus one."
As much as that idea appealed, it was utterly impossible.
"You are my plus one, remember," I nudged her playfully. "I wouldn't want to deprive you the joy of watching my sister and her beloved get hitched."
She screwed up her face, making her feelings on that plan very clear. Hayley didn't really know my sister, only what she'd heard of since she started working with me, so I already knew she wasn't too keen on the idea of coming. She was only suffering it because I begged her to, and the idea of a free trip and bar probably helped. There was no way she'd be offended if I ditched her, but there still wasn't a chance in hell of me finding anyone to come to the wedding with me at such short notice.
That meant she had an idea, and as past experience had taught us, her ideas often landed me in hot water. Whether I ended up hung-over and late for work, or with a small tattoo on my hip... Hayley was officially a bad influence.
Still, I loved her for it.
She managed to bring me out of my shell when I was at my lowest ebb. She helped me to get over my heartache, and for that I'd always be grateful. If it wasn't for her, I would still probably be sobbing on my couch, unable to even move in my sadness, texting and begging Tony to come back to me every five minutes. At least she'd gotten me out of that pit.
"I know someone," she nodded frantically as she spoke, becoming increasingly animated with each passing second.
“Oh my God, I know the perfect guy. He's so cool, with light brown wavy hair, and a body to die for. And he has that awesome stubble, the sort that makes him rugged and handsome, rather than scruffy. Know what I mean? Oh my God, he'll be perfect." She had her phone out and was tapping away on it before I could even speak.
"Erm... what the hell are you on about?" I finally ventured. "Please tell me you aren't setting me up on a blind date for my sister's wedding! Do you know how awkward that'll be? Are you insane?"
"No, it'll be fine," she shut me down without even bothering to meet my eyes. "Max is awesome, you'll love him. Look." As she held out her phone to me, showing me a picture that literally made my heart skip a beat, I found my mouth unable to speak.
I could just picture jealousy coursing through Tony.
"He's honestly amazing. Totally perfect for this. Trust me." She said.
Trust me. Two simple words that I had no idea what to do with.
I wanted to go along with her plan, however crazy it sounded, but the reality wouldn't work out the way I pictured it in my mind.
Would it?
"Yeah, yeah, okay," my mouth spoke without me even realizing that I'd made my choice. I was lost in my mind, consumed by the awesome fantasy of finally having the upper hand.
Who knew? Maybe Tony would be so sickened by jealousy that he'd beg for me to go back to him. I didn't want to admit it to anyone, but I really wanted him to want me back. I didn't want to take him up on that offer (although maybe I probably would, if I was totally honest with myself), the main point of it would be to reject him. To watch his face crumble the way mine did when I walked in our apartment to find him and Desi sitting there, calmly holding hands, waiting to tell me that they'd found love behind my back.
I wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me, and this actually felt like a great way to do that.
"Yeah, I think you're right after all, Hayley. I think this might be exactly what I need to do."
Hayley grinned that wicked smile at me, approving of my decision.
"You won't regret this," she assured me.
"You'll be kissing my feet once you see the heartbroken look on Tony's face. Finally, the punishment he deserves!"
Max
"What do you want?" I asked Hayley suspiciously as she sidled over to me with a smirk plastered across her face.
I'd been coming to the same gym as her long enough to know when she was up to something... and this was definitely one of those times.
"You're up to something. I just know it."
She didn't answer. Instead, she simply sat in the seat next to me, sucking down her smoothie with an overly innocent expression on her face.
"Oh God. You want something, don't you? What is it this time?"
Her face lit up, and I knew that I was in a lot of trouble.
"This will be something you love, I promise." She said.
But I couldn't trust those words. She was terrible for telling me I'd love things that were bad for me. The number of times that I'd missed out on training because she dragged me into the cafe before I got a chance to even lift a weight... Still, she was a lot of fun, so I'd let her get away with it.
"What is it?" there was a warning in my tone now, one that she picked up on because her expression instantly became more serious. "You better tell me now. I'm too sweaty to be dealing with questions right now." I shot her a wink so she knew that I wasn't angry.
"Look, I have this friend, a guy that I work with actually, and he's absolutely awesome."
"Right..." I didn't like where this was going at all. My hackles were well and truly raised.
Was she trying to set me up? Was I giving off desperate vibes? Maybe I hadn't been in a relationship for a while, but that didn't mean I needed help. I actually felt really defensive about it.
"He has his sister's wedding coming up this weekend, and he needs a date." She fluttered her eyelashes at me, but that wasn't going to be enough to coerce me. I needed more information before I'd even begin to entertain this idea. I wasn't keen on the idea of attending such a formal event surrounded only by strangers. I didn't think anyone would want that?
"Why doesn't he have a date already?” I asked incredulously. “Surely the wedding has been organized for a while now?" Why couldn't I work out what was wrong here? I felt like all the clues were all there but I couldn't quite put them together.
"Actually, his date is me, but I can't go now. I know this is a bit sudden, and maybe a little crazy, but I just know for a fact that you'll love him."
I'd gone out with Hayley a couple of times. She knew the sort of guys that I was into, but still I couldn't shake the suspicious feeling snaking through my veins. I just really felt like there was something deeper going on here, and I wanted to know what.
"So, this really nice guy was going to take you to a wedding?" I asked.
"I guess he needed to liven things up," she shrugged and smiled brightly. She knew how naughty she was, and I actually loved that she embraced that. "But I can't go now, and you are the most fun person I know. There isn't anyone else I would've asked."
Admittedly, that was a little flattering, but I wasn't done yet.
"So this isn't a set up then? You aren't sending me on some crazy blind date?"
I'd been dating a bit recently, and it was safe to say that I wasn't having the best time of it. I'd met some very strange people along the way... weird, but not wonderful. It had put me off, and I was putting that side of my life to bed for a while. I didn't need it forced back on my way before I was ready.
"Don't shut down that idea until you've seen him!" she announced happily while pulling her cell phone out of her bag. "He's absolutely gorgeous. Just your type."
As I examined his picture on her screen closely, I had to admit that she was right. This was exactly the sort of guy that I would chase in a bar, if I were still doing that. He had dark, cropped hair, piercing green eyes that stared deep into my soul, and broad-looking shoulders. There was also a very adorable dimple in his cheek. Shit, he actually had my heart fluttering in a way that it hadn't done in a very long time. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all...
"See, I told you that you'd like him," Hayley announced happily, seeing right through me. "So, you'll do it, right? It's a free trip out of the city with a gorgeous, lovely guy. There will be lots of booze, food, fun... weddings are fun, aren't they?"
Oh God. Was I actually about to do this? Was I about to agree to what really still seemed like a blind date, however much Hayley tried to convince me otherwise? Then again, what could I lose? Life wasn't perfect recently; I was getting so frustrated with my boring office job to the point where I wanted to scream. My novel writing ambitions weren't going anywhere. Despite how much time I spent writing and desperately trying to find myself a literary agent, I didn't have strong feelings for anyone... Maybe a time out from real life was exactly what I needed. And if it led to a bit of fun with a seriously hunky guy, then that was just an added bonus, surely?
Maybe Hayley was right.
Maybe I could use a weekend of fun.
"Okay," I finally conceded. "I don't know what it is about you, Hayley, but you always seem to make me do cra
zy things."
"Honestly, you'll love this. It'll be so much fun. Bryant is awesome, and I just know the pair of you will get on. You both love me, so why wouldn't you love each other?"
"Are you a bad influence on him too?" I teased, nudging her playfully.
"Yes, of course," she was totally unashamed by this. "Which just gives you a conversation starter. You can discuss me and how awesome I am."
I laughed loudly and returned back to my drink, this time with a new emotion flowing through me. It had been a long time since I'd felt anything other than disdain for life, and I was actually really enjoying it. Maybe this Bryant would be the one to turn everything upside down. It felt like I'd been bored to death for so long that I'd never be excited again.
Maybe, just maybe, this would be the weekend that changed everything.
"So it might be best for you to tell me a bit more about Bryant," I asked Hayley, trying to keep my tone as innocent as I could manage. "Just so I don't go to this wedding knowing nothing about him?"
But I didn't feel like I was fooling Hayley at all. She looked like a cat that got the cream, like she'd been doing some successful matchmaking.
"Okay, sure, what do you want to know? What he does for a living, how old he is, or what his shoe size is?"
God damn it! I couldn't get away with anything with this girl... then again, I wouldn't be without her either!
Bryant
He said yes, you're going to have a whale of a time... I tried to allow Hayley's words to flow through me as I anxiously waited for my mystery wedding date, Max, to open the door.
Still, I wasn't convinced.