We both stare at each other as I swallow hard. My heart is about jump from my chest, and my palms feel so damp that I quickly wipe them on my dress, which I regret because I really don’t want to wrinkle it before we even leave my apartment. I inhale a deep breath and open the door.
My mouth drops open as my heart swoons completely. I’ve only ever seen Luke in jeans and T-shirts, and realize I’ve never even pictured him in a suit. He’s always been a good-looking guy, but holy hell—in a suit he takes my breath away.
“Whoa!” I hear Ava exclaim behind me. “Dayum, boy. You clean up really nice.”
I’m still too stunned to speak, and try to find something to say as my eyes drift down to what he’s holding: a beautiful bouquet of stargazer lilies—my absolute favorite flowers.
“These are for you,” he says as he smiles bright and holds them out.
I finally find my voice and say thank you in barely a whisper as I accept the flowers and quickly turn to the kitchen. I dare to glance over at Ava, whose eyes are as wide as her smile.
“So you’re going to sweep Chloe off her feet for a day?” Ava asks as she pops a bubble from her chewing gum.
“I am. I am going to be everything she’s ever wanted in a date,” Luke says as I pull down the vase from the cupboard. His words bounce through my mind, and before I realize it the glass vase comes crashing onto the countertop. Shards of glass scatter all over the counter and kitchen floor.
“Shit!” I step back, thankful that I already put my heels on, and survey the damage.
“Are you okay?” Luke asks as he comes around the corner to the galley kitchen.
“Yes. I mean…yeah. I’m fine. I’ll have to find something else to put your flowers in though.” I start to pick up the glass pieces as Luke asks where the dustpan is and pulls open the door to under the sink. I almost giggle to myself that before, Luke had appeared to be some mega-billionaire, and now the image of a domesticated househusband pops into my thoughts. Either way—he looks amazing.
“Ow!” I curse as I glance down at the searing pain in my hand. Blood starts to run down my palm as I quickly pull the sliver out.
“Let’s get that under water and cleaned,” Luke says as he grabs my hand and starts to run the faucet.
“What, are you a paramedic now?” I tease as he gently takes my hand and surveys it.
“Actually, I went to school for that.”
“You did?” I’m completely taken aback by this. How did I not know this?
“Yeah. I just never finished.” Luke shrugs as he washes my cut and then grabs a paper towel, holding it firmly in place. “I’ll clean this up really quick and we can get going. Do you have a Band-Aid you can put on it? It’s going to bleed for a little longer.”
I’m still staring at Luke as he continues to clean up the glass pieces, and then I realize what he told me.
A paramedic? As I search for a Band-Aid, I wonder what else I don’t really know about him.
Five
Luke
As we drive to the wedding venue, I realize there’s so much about each other we really don’t know. I knew her parents were divorced, but hearing that she had really similar experiences to mine was an eye-opener.
“So, when your dad first introduced you to his first girlfriend, what did you do?” Chloe asks as she turns her body toward me. She pulls up her leg and flits her skirt to cover up her thigh. The small glimpse of her creamy skin makes my mind immediately think of all the times I’ve fantasied about running my tongue over the insides of her thighs.
I shake my head as I realize what she just asked me. “I…ugh. Why are we talking about our parents’ divorces again?” I give a fake laugh and look back at her.
Chloe glances to her hands and flicks her fingernail. “I thought we were sharing.” She lets her head fall back against the headrest and blows out a deep breath. “I mean, when my dad first introduced me to his first girlfriend—” She stares at me and then rolls her eyes. “The one who he wound up marrying a month later—I wanted to gouge her eyes out. I kept wondering why he was doing this to me. To Mom. To our whole family. And then, what seemed like the next day, Mom introduced me to her new boyfriend.” She lets out a sigh. “I knew then things would never go back to the way they were.”
“And that’s when you realized relationships aren’t worth shit?” I ask, and then realize I shouldn’t have said that. I’m trying to make the perfect date here, and how we even got on this subject is beyond me.
“Sort of. I mean. I still think there’s good ones out there. Look at Sandy and Max or Z and Izzy. Tyler and Daria. All of them, really. It seems like things are going great for them.”
“And you think we’re just cursed because of our families?” It slips out before I can catch it. I got lost in the moment of just being with Chloe, and talking to her is so easy.
Chloe lifts her head. Her eyebrows are knitted as she nods her head. “Yeah. Something like that.” She presses her lips together as I make a turn off the highway. “It seems like every time I start thinking I’ve found the one, something goes completely wrong to remind me I don’t get to have that same happiness.”
I know exactly what she means. I cover her hand with mine and give a light squeeze. “Well, let’s just pretend today that we both have the most perfect loving relationship that anyone has ever seen.”
Chloe’s smile is genuine. It’s thankful and at the sametime as sweet, and seeing her happiness reach her eyes makes my stomach flip. Chloe makes me want a relationship. And today we’ll both have it. For a day, at least.
Six
Chloe
Walking up to the banquet hall with Luke’s hand in mine makes me wonder again why I’m doing this. Why did I accept the invite? And then I remember how it felt to walk in on the two of them. The anger I felt—and for some reason at the same time I knew Evan wasn’t the man for me. It was a weird feeling to know he wasn’t the one for me along with the anger I had, but now I want to prove it to myself that I am better off without him. That I’m not meant to be standing up at the alter with him.
A squeeze of my hand from Luke and the nervousness eases up a little. He lets go for a moment to open the door for me, and then his arm encircles my waist as we walk inside.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispers in my ear.
I realize I must not be smiling. Not that I should be when I’m walking into a wedding that I probably shouldn’t even be attending. I flash a quick smile at Luke and try to hold it as we walk into the room. Seats are set up on each side of an aisle with a pink runner up the middle.
“Are you with the bride or groom?” a young man asks us, and the anger wells up again.
“Groom,” I say quickly. As much as I’m upset at Evan for cheating, it’s my best friend that I’m more upset with. She betrayed a friendship—something that I can’t ever forgive her for. And yet…here I am at her wedding. I shake my head as Luke leads me up the aisle to take our seats. I pause for a moment and chose a row further back.
We take our seats in an empty row.
“How’re you doing?” Luke asks as he tilts his head slightly and gives me a warm smile.
“I’m okay,” I say, but know it doesn’t sound convincing.
Luke rests his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. My heart is racing and I don’t think it’s really because I’m at a wedding I never wanted to be at. Luke’s lips tickle the lobe of my ear before he whispers, “He should have never left you.”
It’s sweet of him to say, and maybe it’s just being here that’s flooding back the memories of how I left it with both Evan and Bethany. It wasn’t on good terms—especially with Bethany. It was even worse when she moved out of our apartment to move in with him.
As the seats fill up and the time finally comes, the music starts and I’m ready to get this over with. I almost wish we had just come for the reception, but maybe this is for the best. Maybe I can have some closure.
Until I see Evan walk in and sta
nd in his spot, smiling hugely, and I wonder if he and Bethany really are happy together. Maybe it was more than what I thought —which was just that they wanted to have sex. Maybe they are meant for each other.
As Bethany walks down the aisle with her father, it hits me hard how much her betrayal hurt. We went to high school together, roomed together when we went through community college. We were close. And that’s what hurts the most.
“Hey, shh,” Luke whispers as he brushes a tear off my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was tearing up.
“I’m okay,” I whisper back, and rest my head on his shoulder. If anything it feels good to have someone be here with me.
Closure. It’s a good thing. And as Luke and I stand up after the service is finished and wait for everyone to start filing out of the room, I know in my heart it was meant to be that I’m not with Evan. But for my friend, my best friend, I’m not so sure I can really move on from the hurt Bethany caused.
Seven
Luke
Chloe is smiling again. Okay, so the wedding was pretty much a downer, and in hindsight I should have talked her into skipping that—but maybe it wasn’t too bad. I did manage to talk her out of the reception line. We waited a little longer in the waiting area and I made sure she had a couple of drinks in her. Hell, maybe I should have done that for the wedding itself, but I wasn’t sure if she’d stand up and object when the time came. I was already worried about that part.
After searching through a sea of table cards for the one with Chloe’s name on it, “plus guest,” we make our way to our table. When we get to our seats at a table in the very back, it’s clear that Evan and Bethany didn’t think she’d really come, let alone with a date. I pull out Chloe’s chair for her and gesture for her to sit. By the surprised look on her face and pink cheeks, I’d guess no one has ever done that for her.
“Thank you,” she says as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Would you like another drink?” I ask.
“Yes, please,” she says as I stand and ask if anyone else at our table would like one. Most decline, except for the portly man who says he’ll go with me to the bar.
When we come back with our drinks, I set her glass in front of her and kiss her forehead. Her eyes light up as I sit next to her. Brushing her hair over her shoulders, I whisper in her ear, “Are you doing all right?”
She nods with a grateful smile, but since she’s so quiet I’m not sure how she’s feeling.
“And how do you know the bride and groom?” an older woman asks. The light hits her oversized glasses as she tilts her plump round face, smiling brightly.
I’m just about to answer for Chloe when she pipes up.
“Oh, Evan was my boyfriend, who fucked my best friend and roommate.” She doesn’t even skip a beat and takes a sip from her glass. Maybe I shouldn’t have let her drink so much before the reception or given her another one. The last thing I want is for her to be in a drunken stupor, although I wouldn’t blame her. But for selfish reasons, I want her to remember our date together—regardless if it’s at her ex’s wedding or not.
The woman is speechless. Her mouth pops open to say something else, but she closes it quick. Another woman leans over, this one skinny as a rail with gray hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.
“That had to be difficult.” She smiles at me. “But luckily you found a new love. It’s good that you’ve moved on.”
Chloe turns to me. “It is,” she says as she leans over and pulls me toward her. Her hands fist through my hair, tugging me closer as her mouth meets mine. The taste of Coke, lime, and rum all mix together as she deepens her kiss. We’re both lost in the moment—at least I am when I start hearing various people clearing their throats.
Pulling back, I glance around to see everyone at our table staring at us. Especially the waitress, who is now at our table setting out our plates of food.
“Chicken,” Chloe says making a face.
“Don’t you like it?” I ask, almost laughing.
“Evan always talked about serving filet.” She leans over and whispers, “I guess he didn’t get what he wanted.”
“Well, he didn’t get you, so he didn’t get the best of the best, did he?”
Chloe reaches up and skims her hand over my cheek. “You’re the best, Luke. Thank you. Really, thank you for doing this.”
I pull her hand up to my mouth and kiss the back of it. “Chloe, I’m more than happy to be here with you. I’m really enjoying myself with you.”
Her eyes dart to my lips and she leans forward. I can’t resist another kiss from her. Even if she’s doing it all for show, I’m more than happy to be there for her. Especially the way she tastes, the need in her kiss. We’re lost in our own little world.
The silence is more than I thought it would be, and when we come up for air, I realize our table is staring at us.
Not only that but…most of the room is, as the groom’s best man had stood to make his speech. He’s staring at us. Why we matter I’m not sure, but he’s enjoying the show more than anything else.
Chloe runs her thumb over the corners of her mouth as we turn our attention to the head table and listen to all their speeches. How great they are together, how they met—which was actually an extremely awkward moment. As the matron of honor gave hers, telling everyone how they had met in a coffee shop—Chloe has a sudden burst of laughter. The room stops to stare at her and I lean over.
“Umm, hey.” I try to grab her attention, but before I know what she’s doing, she stands up.
Oh shit.
With a glass in her hand, she awkwardly walks toward the head table. “That’s not really how they met!” She takes another step as all the guests start whispering to each other. “They met because of me!” She points to herself and then gives a half bow, the contents of her glass sloshing out over the rim. When she stands I realize she’s not done.
There’s a part of me that knows she needs to be stopped, but the other half—the one who’s still pissed at the bride and groom for hurting Chloe so much—wants her to continue. Maybe she needs this to be able to move on.
“Funny story…”
The bride stands, her eyes wide as she says, “Chloe…” in an almost begging manner for her to stop.
“No, really, Bethany, I think since Tammy wanted to tell this story, it should be told by the person who really introduced you two.” Chloe points to the room. “You all—it’s a good one.”
She stops for a moment and then points her stare at Evan. “You broke my heart. You fucked my best friend.”
Gasps all around the room as she waves them away.
“But what really hurt the most. What was really the worst part about all this…” She inhales deep and then stares at the bride. “You hurt me the most. You were supposed to be my best friend and you slept with my boyfriend. That was really the ultimate betrayal.”
Chloe stops for a moment and I think she is done. The tears are welled up in the corners of her eyes but she isn’t crying. She sniffles and then takes in a deep breath before continuing.
“So, I didn’t get you guys a gift. I mean after what you guys did, why would I, really? But here’s my gift to you both.” Chloe stands straight and presses a smile. “I forgive you. Both of you. Because I think that’s the ultimate gift, right? To start off your marriage with a clean slate? So, congratulations. To you both. You deserve each other.”
With that she raises her glass in the air and then takes a very long drink from it.
The room is silent for a moment as Chloe turns around and comes back to her seat. She flops down and takes another drink from her glass, ignoring all the stares from around the room.
“How’d I do?” she asks as the speeches start back up again and the guests turn their attention back to the head table.
“Incredible. I couldn’t have said it better myself.” I smile and kiss her on the lips. “Do you want to get out of here?” I’m not sure if she wants to escape—nor would I blame
her. Her little speech seems like a “drop the mic and leave” type of thing.
“Hell no! Free food and drinks. There’s still cake, too!” Chloe’s emerald eyes sparkle as she takes another sip and sits back in her chair. She seems sated, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s what she looks like after a great orgasm. What I wouldn’t give to find out for myself.
The music had started up and the first dance is almost over. Most couples are standing up and heading to the dance floor. I give Chloe a pointed stare and she smiles again. Grabbing my hand, she leads me to the dance floor.
Eight
Chloe
The entire evening is almost magical. Except for the reason we’re actually there. As much as this was supposed to be an extremely stressful day, it’s the most fun I’ve had in quite some time. Well, once I got past the awkward part of the bride and groom coming over to thank us for coming.
“So, that was some speech you gave,” Bethany says the moment she arrives at our table. I had gone to the bathroom as long as I could to avoid this, and what do you know? Came back at the moment they were arriving at our table.
“Yeah. It kind of just came flooding out,” I say matter-of-factly with a nod of my head. It’s the truth, after all.
“I am sorry, for what it’s worth. About how it all went down,” Bethany says as she looks around the room. I’m not sure if the apology is for me or for the room, for others to hear.
“You mean me walking in on you two? Why didn’t you just tell me you had feelings for him?” I glance at Evan. “For each other.”
“It was entirely wrong. How it all went down and …well, you have Luke now, right?” Evan says to me, and my stomach churns.
I nod and briefly glance at Luke, who throws his arms around my shoulder and pulls me close. “That’s right. She does have me. I’ll treat her much better than you ever did.” Luke leans down and whispers in my ear, “It’ll be okay. Just keep with it.” My face must look either shocked or disappointed. Luke and I aren’t together—we’ve just had a fantastic day of making it seem that way.
True Kisses: A Friends to Lovers Romance (Alluring Kisses Book 4) Page 2