Startled, Adam looked up from the sink, where he’d taken a break in loading the dishwasher to check Nat’s page on his phone. He clicked it off and shoved it into his pocket. “Why not?”
“Because you broke up with her, genius.” She threw a significant look at him and walked out.
Now, as he and Natalie reached the end of the aisle, Adam squeezed her hand and released her to go to her spot. He took his place by the groom.
I did the breaking up. He was hardly able to keep his eyes off Natalie, although she seemed pretty adept at avoiding eye contact with him. Worst mistake of my life. Even though he’d done it to be selfless, to let her be free to have a life in New York. To be fair to her.
Sierra got a chair for Natalie, who sat on it and seemed to be keeping an almost unnatural focus on the rehearsal—on Sierra and Jason in particular. Not the best man. Adam kept trying to catch her eye, but it never worked.
She probably hates me. Seeing her again—touching her hand even for that brief walk—had brought back a shower of memories and feelings. He’d wanted to hold her close, smell her perfume. Somehow reverse time so they were at senior prom again, swaying to the music, before he’d been stupid enough to cut her from his life.
It wouldn’t have lasted, and you know it.
Yet again, he reminded himself of the reasons he’d broken up with her: high-school romances almost never made it. He couldn’t ask Natalie to put herself in cold storage for four years on the off chance she’d still want him later.
And even if she did, then what? What about her career? She’d be playing with some world-famous symphony and traveling the world, while he’d be programming somewhere on the west coast for a big technology company.
Natalie had always wanted to be a professional flutist. Had he asked her to give it up to marry him and settle down in suburbia with a picket fence and 2.5 kids, she probably would have.
But he’d never have forgiven himself for it.
That didn’t meant he hadn’t wished for that very thing every day since walking away from his soul mate.
Today, for the first time in years, he let the past wash over him. Adam remembered the time she’d taught him to crochet so he could help make hair clips for a charity project at school. At the time, he’d worried about losing his man card, but Natalie had said there was something incredibly hot about a guy willing to wield a crochet hook.
Or the time they got lost in a Halloween corn maze and used the unexpected privacy of a dead end for an impromptu make out.
The notes he’d push through the vents in her locker—silly stuff, sometimes nothing more than a smiley face or a couple of words. She’d done the same for him. He still had every single note.
Sierra’s mother clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. She wore a purple blazer with a matching skirt, which contrasted with her obviously dyed red hair. “Thank you all,” she said, clasping her hands at her chest and smiling across the room. “The wedding will be marvelous; I just know it.” She checked her watch. “We have about forty-five minutes until the rehearsal dinner, so you’re free to do whatever you need to—check in to your rooms, whatever.”
She glanced at Natalie with the last part. Adam detected a hint of another blush creeping up her cheeks. She’d never liked sticking out, or having a room’s attention just on her.
Back in high school, he’d suggested she try out for the school musical. “I love theater,” she’d told him. “But I’d much rather be in the orchestra pit than on stage.” Apparently she still didn’t like being the center of attention.
“Dinner will be in the other wing of the hotel in the SW Steak House restaurant. We have an entire section reserved. Bring your appetites!”
Everyone started gathering their things, milling around and heading for the door. Adam wanted to be sure to talk to Natalie before she could escape; she looked ready to bolt for the door. But first she approached Sierra. Of course.
Natalie waited a minute as Sierra finished talking to her aunt then held out her arms to Sierra. “I need a decent hello from my bestie.”
“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Sierra said as they hugged.
When Natalie pulled back, she said, “I am so sorry I’m late. You were right; I should have taken the earlier flight.”
Sierra waved the worry away. “Don’t sweat it. The rehearsal went fine, and tomorrow will be great. I’m just glad you could make it.”
“Anything for you.”
“Let me help you with your stuff,” Sierra said, turning to head back up the aisle.
No way. If they left the room, Adam would miss his chance for his own “decent hello.” He stepped forward, ready to block their way.
“I can get my things just fine,” Natalie said, waving away Sierra’s help. “I’m sure Jason wants a little time with you. Besides, I need to freshen up before dinner.”
Jason laughed. He walked over and put an arm around his bride-to-be, effectively cutting off Adam by forming a semicircle. “Can’t deny I’ll take any second I can with her, but I also know the importance of girl time.”
Natalie stepped forward and gave Jason a hug and a peck on the cheek. “As long as I get her sometimes for girl talk, I’ll be happy. That, and as long as you’re always good to her.” She poked a finger into his shoulder in a mock threat.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jason said with a nod and kissed Sierra.
The room was nearly empty, and Adam still hadn’t really spoken to Natalie. Standing behind Jason, he got desperate. He cleared their throat, hoping to enter the circle.
Jason and Sierra stepped to the side, providing a space. “Hey, sorry, dude.”
Adam smiled and held out his arm like Sierra had. “Do I get a proper hello too?”
Natalie seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second before putting on a smile. “Of course.” Her voice sounded unnaturally high. He met her halfway and held her longer than he meant to. There was the scent of her perfume—feminine but not too floral or sweet. Perfectly Natalie. He breathed it in, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious. When she pulled back, she didn’t give him a peck like she had Jason—clearly intentional.
Message received: She sees me as a platonic buddy. After all these years, what did I expect?
“It’s really good to see you, Nat,” he said, holding her hand for a second and hoping she could sense his sincerity and wishing she could sense his regret.
She cleared her throat and reclaimed her hand, awkwardly tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
Adam looked around the small circle of the original Quartet as silence descended over them. Sierra and Jason were perfectly comfortable—and nuzzling each other—but Natalie looked uneasy. Adam broke the silence for her sake. “I’m looking forward to dinner. I’m so hungry, I could eat cold popcorn.”
Wrapping her arms around Jason, Sierra laughed. “I can’t believe you still remember that.”
Natalie’s eyes had widened, and her head tilted, as if she, too, was surprised he’d remembered. Of course he did. He was willing to bet he remembered more about their relationship than she did; he’d replayed it in his head more times than he could count.
How much did she still care—if at all? Judging by the hug and no peck on the cheek, he was clearly in the friend zone. She didn’t wear a ring—he’d noticed that right away as he took her suitcase. But that didn’t mean she was available. She could easily have a boyfriend. Social media was too much like the stage instead of the orchestra pit.
He’d never dared ask Sierra about Natalie’s life, not even after she’d dropped that vague comment in his kitchen. But maybe he could change that. Find Sierra alone, even briefly, and ask if Natalie was available. The next twenty-four hours could be his only chance to win her back.
So what if she has a boyfriend in New York? We belong together.
Chapter Three
Natalie somehow made her excuses, got her key, and found her room. Inside, she threw the suitcase
onto the bed and rummaged through it for the dress she’d planned to wear to the rehearsal—a sassy chiffon, navy-blue number that didn’t wrinkle. She hung it in the closet then pulled out her makeup bag and flat iron. She couldn’t change her first impression on the wedding party, but she’d look fantastic for the rehearsal dinner if it killed her.
She set an alarm on her phone so she’d know when dinner was five minutes away—just enough time to blot lipstick, spritz perfume, and put on earrings before heading downstairs. As the flat iron heated up, she worked on her makeup: lots of concealer under her eyes, foundation, eye shadow—the works. She pulled out a brand new tube of mascara. But no matter how carefully she tried to apply it, she got smudges around her eyes. Stupid to try a new brand on a trip like this. The wand was so thick it felt like applying mascara with a hairbrush. She would not go down to dinner with Adam looking like she had two black eyes. With her makeup finally done, she spent twenty minutes wrestling with her hair, because her usual trick for making soft curls with the flat iron wasn’t working. It was probably the dry air; she was used to some humidity.
Her phone beeped, startling her. She narrowly missed burning herself. She put down the flat iron, turned off the timer, and studied herself. Her makeup was passable, but her hair was only half curled—with dinner in five minutes. In a panic, she swooped it up, twisted it, and lucked out with a nice French roll on her first try. She jabbed several bobby pins in, covered it all with a cloud of hair spray, stood back, and nodded. Much better. She tugged out a bit of hair in front of each ear and curled it. Even better.
She quickly put on her perfume and jewelry then shoved her feet into a killer pair of red heels she’d bought last week. At the last second, she remembered her phone and key card. Flustered but ready, she headed out the door, pausing before she went out to take a cleansing breath.
Tonight will be fun. A chance to catch up with old friends and bask in her best friend’s happiness.
On the elevator ride down, Natalie couldn’t help but vacillate between two emotions. On the one hand, ever since she’d laid eyes on Adam in the rehearsal hall, the same hope she’d felt as a young woman kept bobbing to the surface—that she and Adam could have a glorious future, something romantic, passionate, and straight out of a movie. But the grown woman she was now countered that with the reality that Adam hadn’t tried to cross the divide since breaking up with her. He hadn’t had the decency to even friend her on Facebook.
First the breakup. Then years of silence. In spite of his charm and good looks—possibly even more because of those things—she needed to keep her inner teenager on a leash until she arrived safely back home in New York.
Natalie found her table in the steakhouse. She and Adam sat across from each other at the same table as the bride and groom. The room’s square tables were draped with white linens and had elegant, gray-backed chairs. Above each table hung a gold light fixture.
The bride and groom arrived at the same time Adam did, thankfully, so Natalie didn’t have to be alone with him.
Jason stood by their table and looked at the light fixture. “Looks like one of those collars dogs wear after surgery.”
Sierra batted his arm and laughed.
During the first part of dinner, Natalie managed to keep her emotions level and her gaze away from Adam. She prided herself on chatting with Sierra and Jason, as well as getting up to introduce herself to guests she didn’t know. When she returned to her seat, she managed to make small talk with Adam, all while remaining totally unflustered. The French roll made her feel classy and confident. She worked the feelings for all they were worth.
During a lull in conversation, Adam stood, lifted his fluted glass of white wine, and tapped it with his spoon. “A toast,” he said, and conversation gradually subsided, with everyone’s attention on him. Adam looked at the happy couple. Jason had his arm around Sierra, and their heads were nearly touching. “When we were pimply sophomores, Jason told me that Sierra was the girl for him. They were fifteen. I thought he wanted to date her. I didn’t realize at first that even back then, he meant he planned to marry her. When I did clue in, I laughed. Didn’t I?” He looked at Jason, who chuckled at the memory.
“You totally laughed at me.” Jason held Sierra close and kissed her cheek. As he did, she closed her eyes blissfully and smiled.
“And who could blame me?” Adam said. “We were young, with hormones and acne but no common sense. The chance of high-school sweethearts making it was almost zero.”
He’d said almost the exact thing the morning he broke up with her. Natalie’s throat was suddenly dry. She reached for her glass and sipped some champagne. The glass rattled against the edge of the china; her hands were shaking.
The chance of them making it hadn’t been zero. Jason and Sierra were proof of that. Except that the two of them had attended the same state university. They hadn’t faced a long-distance relationship. Natalie couldn’t stand to look at Adam right now—she couldn’t bear to see the smile she remembered all too well, couldn’t bear thinking of what might have been. What if she’d gone to the USC Thornton music program? What if Adam had attended MIT instead of Cal Tech?
His voice broke through her emotions, almost echoing her thoughts. “But almost no chance isn’t zero. These two right here beat the odds.”
You didn’t even let us try.
“Here they are at twenty-five instead of fifteen, about to marry, and, I believe, become the stuff of fairy tales. May we all be so lucky. A toast to Jason and Sierra.” He nodded at first the groom and then the bride and lifted his glass.
The other members of the wedding party did the same, with the chorus of, “Hear, hear!”
Natalie lifted her glass along with everyone else, and she supposed she cheered along, but she couldn’t be sure; her movements seemed mechanical, and her eyes burned. Seeing Adam again had sent her world spinning off its axis, leaving her with questions and feelings she didn’t know what to do with.
Maybe I should change my flight to an earlier one. Leave right after the wedding.
Adam sat down, shooting Natalie a smile—not the one he’d given the rest of the party, but the one that was the real him, the one only close friends saw. She hadn’t seen it in ages, but now as it flashed across the table, it made her feel like she’d stepped into a time machine. As if she and Adam were still going together, as if they’d barely ordered their caps and gowns.
We’re just friends, she told herself.
She smiled back and took a sip of water. The years that had turned his faced from boy to man hadn’t changed that smile. It used to make her knees weak. With the way her mind was spinning, it was a good thing she was sitting.
Remember, he probably has a girlfriend back in—wherever he lives. Natalie returned to her salad, stabbing it with her fork. She hated his girlfriend, whoever she was. Yet feeling that way made no sense; it’s not as if she had a claim on Adam. And of course he’d moved on. So had she.
Yes, I have. I have. But it’s crazy how seeing him again brings back old thoughts and feelings. I’ll be fine after this is over.
As soon as the wedding was over, she’d pack up and fly home. She’d return to her life as a professional musician, and this surreal fantasy world of feeling like she was back in high school would be over. Adam and his smile would go on the shelf once and for all.
A few tables over, Lindsey, one of Sierra’s college roommates, got up from her seat, apparently finished with her salad. She’d been hired as the official wedding photographer, and she began snapping pictures of the guests. She shot all the guests, plus the food and centerpieces then gestured toward one of the ivory-colored draped columns in the room. “Hey, let’s get one over there of the couple with the maid of honor and best man. The four of you stand over there and scoot together.”
Natalie walked to the column and put her arm around Sierra at the same moment Adam put his arm around Jason. Their hands touched, which shouldn’t have meant a
thing, but she still caught her breath.
Stop it. She smiled broadly as Lindsey snapped at least half a dozen pictures. She took a few of just the bride and groom. “Oh, these look great,” she said, scrolling through the images on the camera screen. “Okay, let me take some of the maid of honor and best man. Weren’t you guys an item in high school?”
“Sure were,” Adam said as Natalie’s stomach twisted and her face turned warm. Her cheeks would be bright red for this picture.
“We definitely need a shot of the two of you, for old time’s sake.”
Adam’s right eyebrow went up in its quirk, which made Natalie’s stomach twist deliciously. “Absolutely.” His voice seemed eager, and his eyes actually twinkled.
Natalie’s stomach continued to turn and twist in spite of herself. She stepped beside Adam, who was already waiting by the ivory column. He put his arm around her waist, and for a moment, Natalie felt like they were at a school dance getting their picture taken. Only then did she remember that she’d worn her hair in a French twist for senior prom, complete with a ringlet on each side. This whole thing was too much like reliving the past.
“I know!” Sierra said suddenly. “Pretend it’s senior prom again. Remember your picture? Stand like that.”
Natalie gave her best friend a flat look. Of course she remembered. “Here? Now?”
Adam chuckled. “Anything for the bride.” He turned to Natalie. “For old time’s sake?” He wrapped his arms around her waist and turned his cheek to her, waiting for her to kiss it as she had in their prom picture. The feel of his hands around her waist, the smell of his cologne this close, were all too much.
Sierra is so going to pay for this.
Everyone was waiting, so Natalie laughed awkwardly and went onto her toes. Even though she wore four-inch heels, Adam was significantly taller than she was. He pulled her close with one arm and leaned in to help her reach his cheek. She had to balance herself with a hand on his shoulder, which was firm and muscular. She meant to give him a quick peck and call it good, but Lindsey had other ideas.
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection Page 17