by Eden Finley
I couldn’t help laughing with her until Danny glared at me.
“You’re encouraging her?”
My hand found his upper arm and gave it a squeeze. “It’s a rough day for her. If I was in her position, I would’ve been drunk standing at the altar.”
Ryan approached then, standing over Paige with a smile as he watched her down two of her drinks. When she went for a third, he asked, “Are you sure you should have another drink?”
She turned to him, glassy eyed. “Been counting my drinks, Hunter? That’s a bad habit you have. Even when Cole’s not around, you can’t help yourself?”
“Yup. Just as I thought.” Ryan grabbed her drink off her, drank it, and then offered her his hand. “You’re drunk, and I want to dance. Therefore, you’re my perfect lady.”
“Shocker,” I mumbled under my breath. Danny and Ryan both heard me. Paige did not.
When they disappeared to the dancefloor, Danny leaned back and placed his long arm along the back of my chair. “Okay. I think I’m going to need the story.”
“What story?”
“You and Hunter.”
I waved him off. “It was a long time ago.”
“How long were you together?”
A loud “Ha!” escaped me. “It was a one-night stand. It was nothing.”
He pursed his lips while I gulped down the remainder of my wine.
“I’m wasting my time here, aren’t I?” His question was quiet.
“Hmm?” I pretended not to hear him.
“It doesn’t take a genius to work out you two are still into each other.”
Deny it, say something, do anything. My mouth dropped open but nothing came out.
“Okay … I told myself I wasn’t going to do this, but I feel you should know why I really came back.”
I swallowed hard.
He let out a loud breath and looked up at the ceiling. “You’re totally going to hate me for this, and I probably deserve it, but I hope we can remain friends …”
“Wait, you’re ending this?” Not that it mattered, because it was my plan to put a stop to it after the wedding anyway, but still—ouch.
“There’s someone back home I didn’t tell you about. It’s been a long and confusing on-off type relationship for years.”
“Years?”
“She drives me crazy. We constantly argue over the small things, she’s a pain in the ass most days, but … I can’t beat the pull I have towards her.”
A headache started to kick in. “I don’t get it. Paige never said anything about you having a girlfriend.”
“P doesn’t know. I mean … last she heard, we were broken up again so she assumes Ellie is out of my life. Which, right now, is true. I think.” He grunted. “It’s complicated. I had so many what-ifs floating around about us, that when she told me I had to come home and sort my shit out before we could get serious, my first thought was of you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve never felt the calm or easiness with anyone else like I feel with you. It’s easy to be around you, which is so different than being with her. I thought that by testing the waters with you, I’d know for certain one way or another whether I truly wanted to marry her.”
“Marry?” I squeaked. “So, you were using me?” Kettle, meet pot.
He huffed a laugh. “Well, it’s not like you actually gave me a chance to do that, right? You’ve made me work hard just to spend time with you. And now, seeing how you look at him, I know why. You don’t want me. You weren’t even willing to give me a shot.”
“I-I … umm …”
“I’m not angry. If anything, this has made me see how much of an ass I’ve been to Ellie. I’m always on her about needing to calm down. Whenever we fight, I think of you and how we never fought.”
“We had a two-week fling,” I remind him. “That’s not really long enough to judge whether or not we’d fight.”
“True. But even now, after I just told you that I was using you, I’m seeing someone else, and I basically lied to you, you’re not blowing up at me.”
True. But … “Don’t take this the wrong way … I mean, you’re great and everything, and I know exactly what you mean about it being easy between us, but do you think that could be because we don’t actually care that much?”
He smiled. “Why are we torturing ourselves being hung up on people who drive us crazy? It could be so easy for us to be together.”
I thought about it for a moment, and I wanted to feel something more towards Danny because he was right—it would be easier, but it also wouldn’t be fair to either of us. “Maybe we do it because nothing beats that feeling of when we’re near them.”
He wrapped his arm around me. “Want me to beat him up for whatever he did? I could take down the pretty boy in less than a minute.”
I laughed. “And then get sued for loss of wages. You know he’s a model, right? He has to remain pretty at all times.”
“I’ll leave the face alone.” He grinned.
“Umm … he mostly does underwear stuff.”
“Holy hell. Well, I never thought I’d offer to hit a guy in the dick, but I’d do it. For you.”
“You’re really hoping I tell you no right now, aren’t you?”
“So much, I think I’m sweating.” He wiped his forehead and then loosened his tie, and I laughed even harder at him. “Why don’t you go ask him to dance?”
His question threw me and my laughter died. “Just because I’m into him, doesn’t mean I should act on it. He’s still an asshole. Besides, he seems to be having plenty of fun with my best friend right now.”
“From what I know, he’s a pretty decent guy. He wouldn’t really be hitting on P—she’s his roommate’s ex, and that would break bro code. He’s probably trying to make you jealous.”
“That sounds like the level of maturity I’d expect from him.” And from me, apparently.
“Well, there’s only one way to get back at him.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “We need to stoop to his level. Taking the high road is overrated.” Standing, he held out his hand so I could follow him onto the dancefloor.
“So, we’re cool, right?” I asked him as he started twirling me around.
His lips turned up at one side, showing off a dimple in his right cheek. “We’re cool. Although, we probably could’ve come to this conclusion at lunch a few weeks ago if you were honest.”
I scowled. “Me? If I—”
He laughed. “Okay, if we were both honest.”
We danced awhile, but my eyes kept gravitating towards Ryan and Paige. He dragged her from the dancefloor to the bar where they were drinking bottles of water, not more alcohol. My brow scrunched in confusion, but Danny put his fingers under my chin and forced me to look at him.
“You’re the worst date ever. Just so you know.”
I laughed and put my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him.”
So I didn’t. As much as I could anyway. I told myself he was just helping Paige through a difficult time and he was consoling her. Danny was right; I didn’t think Ryan would do anything to hurt Cole. I also told myself that I shouldn’t and didn’t care, even if he was hitting on Paige, but my conscience laughed at that.
It wasn’t until we avoided each other for nearly the entire reception and it was almost coming to a close that I realised what Ryan was truly doing.
Danny and I were sitting back at our table when Cole turned up and a whole lot of drama ensued. He kissed Paige in the middle of the dancefloor to a round of gasps and surprised whispers.
While this happened, Ryan sneaked out with Reece and Cole’s son, and I knew something huge was about to go down.
But I was not expecting Paige’s dad to stand up and say “It has come to my attention that my daughter may have been right when she told me not to marry the woman sitting next to me.”
“Holy shit,” Danny said next to me.
I couldn’t tear my gaze
away from Paul and Reece.
“This party’s over folks. Everyone go home,” Paul said.
“What’s going on? Do you know anything?” Danny asked.
“Why would I know anything?” I asked.
“I dunno. Cole is here with P, Dad is calling off the wedding … what the hell happened? Paige hasn’t said anything to you?”
I shook my head.
Paul approached Paige and Cole and spoke to them for a brief moment. Danny got out of his chair to join them, but before he reached them, their dad took off. He grabbed someone from another table and left the room.
“Bitch has been cheating on him!” Paige yelled.
“Oooh, shit,” I muttered under my breath.
Paul wasn’t the father of Reece’s baby.
Everything that happened next went fast, and before I knew it, Cole and Paige had disappeared from the floor, and Danny had chased after his dad.
Reece and her baby daddy—some guy named Spence, according to the hushed whispers between the other people at my table—were arguing until she stormed off, and her friend Pip stood from our table and ran after her.
The room filled with murmurs, and it took about ten minutes for the shock to start to calm down. Everyone was looking at each other, unsure of what to do.
The two guys who were sitting at our table with us—I think their names were Gage and Blair—started ushering people to leave, but people weren’t listening. I wondered if they were sticking around for more of a show.
The bride and groom hadn’t even cut the cake yet, and they were already heading for an annulment.
I needed to go find Paige to check on her, but as soon as I left the ballroom and walked past the bathrooms in the hall, I heard moaning.
Although I’d never heard Paige have sex before, I knew her voice. I figured it probably wasn’t the best time to interrupt and ask if she was okay. Clearly, I already had my answer.
At that moment, Ryan and Cody came in from the main entrance. My eyes went wide and I trudged after them, meeting them halfway down the hall.
“Maybe we should take Cody back outside,” I suggested.
“Why—”
Ryan was cut off by a loud moan from Paige and a curse coming from Cole.
“Ahh. Great. Those sounds are back in my life,” Ryan said sarcastically.
I couldn’t hold my laugh in. When his eyes found mine, he smiled and it knocked the wind out of me, making my laugh die with it.
“Where’s Mum?” Cody asked.
“Umm …” I bent down to his level. “I’m not sure, sweetie. It’s pretty crazy in there at the moment. You might have to hang out with Uncle Hunter until we can locate your parents. Maybe you could take a walk outside? I heard the gardens are lovely.”
“Uncle Hunter already took me for a walk.”
“Oh. Well, I haven’t seen the beautiful grounds yet. Will you show me?” I asked, standing to my full height again and holding out my hand.
Cody took it in his and led me to the entrance of the banquet hall. Ryan followed and when our eyes locked, he mouthed “Thank you.”
Paige’s dad was a super successful corporate lawyer, so the banquet hall they rented for the reception was on an acre of perfectly manicured grounds. The chapel they married in was at one end and the reception hall at the other. A paved path led from one to the other, allowing guests to enjoy the picturesque pond with overhanging trees among faux marble statues and columns in the gardens.
We walked halfway around the pond when Cody finally let go of my hand and went sprinting to a clearing on our right where one single giant elm tree sat with a delicate swing hanging from a branch. I guessed it was there as a photo prop for wedding photos.
“Can I swing on it?” Cody asked.
“Go for it, bud,” Ryan said.
We stood back and watched as Cody backed up, preparing to let his feet fall from underneath him and take off.
After a few moments of silence, where I assumed neither of us knew what to say, I broke the quiet but didn’t look at him.
“You knew what was going to happen today.”
“Not until the reception. I got a message from Cole saying what was going on and to stop the wedding. I told him it was too late, but he and Spence were adamant at turning up anyway.”
Like me, Ryan kept his eyes on Cody, refusing to turn in my direction as he spoke.
“You weren’t dancing with Paige to make me jealous. You wanted her to be sober for when Cole came for her.”
“Ehhh … there might be a half-truth in the jealousy thing.”
Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I knew he was smiling.
Forcing myself to turn and meet his gaze, I finally felt my resolve snap. “I—”
“Can we call a truce? I mean, I get you’re with Danny but … I really want us to be friends. God knows we’re going to be spending a shitload of time with one another now Paige and Cole are back together. I think we need to at least make the effort to not hate each other.”
That was the moment where I was meant to say “No, Ryan, I’m not with Danny. I want you.” The words were on the tip of my tongue. “I—”
“Sara,” I heard from behind us. Danny was rushing over to us.
“What’s up?”
“Dad’s losing it. I have to go. Did you want to come with me, or …” His eyes went over to Ryan. “Hunter, did you drive? Do you think you could give her a ride home?” His eyes sparkled with humour that only I understood.
“Uh … yeah, I did. I can take her home … if that’s not too weird.” Ryan turned his gaze to me. The confident guy from minutes ago who was asking to be friends was gone, and in his place was someone even more socially awkward than I was. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t adorable.
I nodded. “I think that’d be best. I don’t really want to get involved in family drama.”
“Awesome,” Danny said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Take care of her,” he said to Hunter, reaching out to shake his hand.
Ryan narrowed his eyes and silently shook Danny’s hand.
“I don’t know whether to be offended or happy,” Ryan said after Danny was gone.
“What do you mean?”
“If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t be asking your … one of your previous one-night stands to drive you home. So, that either means he trusts you wholly and completely, which would make me happy, or he doesn’t see me as a threat.”
“And not being a threat would offend you?” I asked, amused.
“Of course. It makes me want to drop and do a thousand push-ups and beat on my chest like a caveman. Being in the vicinity of that dude gives me the urge to work out. Wait … that sounded totally gay, didn’t it?”
I laughed. “A little bit, yeah.”
“Maybe I should try that one day.”
“Being gay?”
He shrugged. “I’m over the whole manwhoring thing, and there’s only one girl I’ve ever contemplated having a relationship with. And, well, she’s taken. Maybe I need to try something different.”
I had to stifle my laugh. “I’m pretty sure gay doesn’t work that way.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. The only dick I could ever love is the one attached to me.”
“And the charming gentleman I remember from four years ago makes an appearance.”
“Admit it. You’ve missed him.”
I bit my lip, muttering quietly, “Yeah, I did.”
Ignoring his texts and phone calls was hard enough. Being around him? I was so screwed. I wanted him.
We remained staring at each other, probably for a beat or two longer than normal social conventions would allow without being classed as “a moment,” but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“Hunter,” a feminine voice called out.
“Of course, we get interrupted now,” he muttered, turning towards the voice. “Yeah, Pip?”
“Reece asked me to grab Cody for her. She’s in the car.” Pip cleared he
r throat. “She wants to get out of here as soon as possible and without anyone seeing her.”
“I bet,” I mumbled.
Ryan smiled at my comment, which Pip clearly didn’t hear, but she scowled at me anyway.
“Cody,” Ryan yelled over to him. “Aunt Pip’s going to take you to your mum.”
Ryan and I started making our way back to the reception hall as Cody followed Pip to the parking lot.
“You ready to head out?” Ryan asked.
“I need my purse. I left it inside.”
I wasn’t sure how long we’d been out in the gardens until we entered the ballroom to find it empty. “Where is everyone?”
Ryan laughed. “I think it’s customary that if a wedding falls through, everyone goes home.”
“Oh, right,” I mumbled. “I’ll just get my bag.”
“Wait,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into him. “I’ve been wanting to do this all freaking day.” He grabbed out his phone and hit shuffle on his music app. He laughed when Conrad Sewell’s “Start Again” started up, and he mumbled, “Perfect.”
Placing his phone on the table, he grabbed my hand again and led me to the empty dancefloor. He wrapped his arms around my back and started swaying to the slow beat.
I didn’t protest once, allowing myself to fall into his arms.
Listening to the lyrics, I couldn’t help giggling too. It was perfect. The guy screwed up and all he wanted was another chance to start again. And although he knew she wouldn’t give him that chance, he was still begging for it.
“You know, this is a pretty girly song to have on your playlist.” I couldn’t help myself.
He laughed. “Just shut up and let me have this moment. Please?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. So I obeyed him and kept my mouth shut. Inching closer, I put my head on his chest and let out an involuntary but content sigh.
So many things were running through my head. His hands felt as if they were against my skin, burning a hole through the delicate material of my dress. I was certain the scent of his aftershave was causing my IQ to drop at least twenty points, making me feel drunk. My tongue felt thick in my mouth, and I couldn’t bring words past my lips. Not that I had any on the tip of my tongue anyway. My brain was blank. I was completely and utterly lost in the arms that surrounded my body.