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Then I flinched back—but it was too late.

THIRTY

ABIGAIL

I picked up the pace,my heels clacking against the tile floor as I headed to the coat check. As I approached, I noticed Tammy standing in the doorway, filming something.

Ugh. The bridesmaids must be in there, and I was in no mood to see anyone right now. Could I walk home? I looked down at my shoes. No, I needed to get my keys and get out of here fast.

When I got closer I heard low voices. It sounded like Blair and Rex, but it had to be Blair and Donny, right? I made it to Tammy’s side, and she looked up at me, eyes wide and mouth gaping, but she kept filming ahead.

“Abigail,” she whispered.

“What?” I stepped up beside her. And that’s when I saw.

I stopped short, heat creeping up my cheeks and the back of my neck. Blinking my eyes, I tried to convince myself I wasn’t seeing what I thought I was seeing. The bride and the man I was falling for were chest to chest, like lovers about to embrace.

“I love you too,” Blair said, and I blinked. It took me a second to process her words.

Love was what I thought I felt for Rex. Love was the out-of-control, too-big-to-explain feeling that had been growing in my chest.

Rex loved…Blair?

Love was humiliating. Love was vulnerability, exposed and weeping, for someone else to exploit.

All those things he did… All those lines he fed me…were just lies?

Time pushed and pulled around me, like I was stepping through a funhouse full of mirrors. Blair went up on her tiptoes, and they kissed. Shock bolted through my system.

“Rex?” I said. Suddenly, I was back to that moment when I caught Travis in bed with another woman and my whole world came crashing down. I was the idiot who’d tried to change myself, to fit in a box that was never meant to hold me.

How could this happen? How could I have fallen for two lying, cheating jerks? I held my breath as my mind raced.

Rex’s gaze whipped in my direction. “Abigail.”

I wanted to throw up. Actually, I was going to throw up. Right now, all over the beautiful marble floor of this vineyard I’d organized for the wedding. And Tammy would get it all on video.

“Oh, my God.” I turned on my heel and ran. It took me longer than it should to realize that I was running in the wrong direction. The exit was back where I came, but—there! The cocktail bar. The first few guests waited for the ceremony with their drinks, but more importantly, there was a side dooron the far side of the room. I’d hotwire my car and get out of here. It wasn’t a crime if I owned it, right?

“Abigail, wait!” Rex called after me just like Travis had. I hadn’t wanted to hear anything Travis had to say back then, and I didn’t want to hear anything that Rex had to say now. “It’s not what you think.”

“I saw you with my own two eyes, Rex. It’s exactly what I think,” I yelled back as his steps gained on me.

“T! Where are you going?” Blair’s shrill voice echoed behind us.

“Abigail, wait. Please!” Rex reached for my arm, but I shrugged him off.

“Don’t touch me!” I hated this. I hatedhim.

I’d actually believed him. When he told me I was beautiful, when he made me feel like I was the woman he wanted, I’dbelieved him. Like a fool. Like a pathetic, love-starvedfool. I’d thought he was going to parade me around town on his arm like he actually cared about me.

I needed to get out of here. I needed my keys. I needed a car. I needed to not be so close to Rex, and I needed to not hear Blair’s voice ever again.

“Abigail—”

“I said don’t touch me!” My voice was shrill as I ripped my hand out of Rex’s once more. The man whose touch I couldn’t get enough of was suddenly painful for me. When I glanced up, Gabe was rushing toward me, that protective look in his eyes. He rounded the bar, shoving a wide-eyed Mrs. Montgomery out of the way.

“What happened?” Gabe demanded, stopping right in front of me.