Page 3

My court wedding was in a few hours—nothing fancy, just a simple ceremony. But it felt meaningful, like the start of something new. I felt the anticipation rise in my chest.
“Excuse me,” a less familiar voice called out from behind me.
I turned around and saw those brown eyes again. It was the same man from the café.
For an instant, I felt worried. Had he followed me out here to argue with me? But I noticed he had a smile on his face. A charming smile.
The fact that he’d followed me out onto the sidewalk ought to be mildly startling. Instead, I felt a sense of weakening in my knees as I continued to gaze at him.
“You left something behind at the café,” he said.
I looked at his hands, which I noticed were really broad, before I saw my phone in one of them.
My heartbeat picked up at the thought that I’d almost lost my phone. I couldn’t afford another phone.
Setting the tray of coffee drinks and Bruce’s suit down on a nearby café table, I turned to him. I stared at my phone in his large hand, feeling immediately guilty for the way I’d behaved with him. Hewasnice if he could care enough to return the phone to me after our little fight.
“Isn’t this yours?” he asked, his voice like velvet.
My heart swelled as I nodded and reached for it. “Thank you,” I said, noticing the phone light up. I was getting a call, and it was my brother, Henry. My stomach immediately knotted in worry.
“But first,” the man said with an undeniably triumphant look as he held on to the phone, “I’ll need the cup of coffee.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” I demanded, feeling instantly angry. All thoughts of me feeling guilty for my behavior went out the window.How dare he?
He held the phone out of my reach. “I am if you want this back,” he said, holding it up just as Henry’s phone call ended.
Shit.
Henry would call again, I was sure, and he would only be more agitated the next time.
“Damn. Must have been an important call,” the man teased.
I almost wanted to fling my cup of coffee on him in frustration. The complete jerk. The café would’ve made him another cup. He was really going to make me give up my coffee on my wedding day just to score a point over me?
My phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message, probably from Henry.
I closed my eyes, feeling exhaustion and helplessness wash over me. “Take it,” I said hollowly, shoving the cup into his outstretched hand as I took the phone.
I didn’t miss the jubilant grin on the man’s chiseled face as I gave up.
“I hope you rot in hell,” I said, grabbing my phone from him at last.
When I looked up, he was smiling at me again. Strange. I’d said nothing to warrant a smile.
“I figured you’d probably need it for your elopement,” he said, his voice deep. “I’m Sean, by the way.”
I’d temporarily forgotten that I was planning to run away with someone else. I could still feel the touch of his fingers on mine as he handed the phone over, and his eyes were locked with mine in what felt like a very strong handhold. As though we’d known each other before and we were only just meeting again now.
“Well, Sean, you can fuck right off,” I said, bristling.
“There was a call on your phone just now,” Sean said unnecessarily. He had barely gotten the words out when the phone began to ring again.
I glared at him before I looked at the phone. It was a call from Henry. A knot started to form in my stomach as I answered. I turned away as I did, aware that Sean was still around. Was he going to gloat over my loss by drinking my coffee in front of me?
“Chloe,” Henry said, his voice sounding worried over the phone. “Where are you?”
I inhaled. “Not yet at the courthouse, Henry. Is something wrong?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light, but something felt off.