Page 5

JAY

I t’s the day of my wedding and my mood is fucking miserable. I’m so short-tempered that I’m taking out my irritation on my best man, who’s also my brother. I’ve been snarling at him and picking arguments all morning. Finally, Nick told me to take a walk because even he couldn’t stand my sorry ass. He said that if I didn’t figure out my shit before Charlotte gets here, he’d punch me.

That made me finally stop and take a breath. Charlotte is doing me a big favor. Even if we both know this wedding isn’t real, she deserves a happy day. Every bride should be happy at their wedding.

Maybe the groom too, but that’s not possible for me. Now that I’ve tasted April and know what it’s like to be buried balls-deep inside her, I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive without experiencing that again.

And she left me. Fucking just snuck out the door while I disposed of the condom.

Even worse, she’s been avoiding me. I’ve tried to text and call, but she’s not returning either. I even went by Lola’s, trying to talk to her, but she kept people around her constantly and had an excuse every time I tried to get her alone.

The weather is as miserable as I am, cold and gray. It’s too chilly to be outside, so I’m hiding in the back of a catering van that’s parked outside the wedding venue.

I sit in the back of the van, arms crossed, staring at the neatly stacked trays of food that will be served at someone else’s reception. We’re not having one.

Although, Nick is hosting a dinner at his house—probably catered, knowing his cooking abilities. The trays smell of garlic, herbs, and something sweet—maybe caramelized onions. It should make me hungry, but my stomach is a tangled knot. A tightening noose of dread.

I shouldn't be here. Not in the back of this van, and certainly not getting married in less than an hour. My phone buzzes with an incoming message from Nick. I turn off the display without reading it. I can’t face him right now.

Charlotte is like a sister to both of us, but Nick has an extra sweet spot for her. If he knew I was sitting here, thinking about another woman when I’m about to get married to her, he’d kick my ass so hard I’d never be able to shit again.

Hell, I want to kick my own ass for being so stupid. I should never have touched April, but now that I have, that’s all I want to do. Get my hands on her skin, again. And my lips on her mouth. And my cock deep inside her pussy.

I’m so fucking screwed. Because I’m in love with her.

April.

Her name is a bullet lodged in my chest, a wound that I only just realized was fatal. It had been so easy to push it aside, to pretend I didn’t feel it, until now. Now that I’ve had her in my arms. Now that I know what I’m missing.

Now that I’m about to get married to someone else.

Leaning my head back against the metal side of the van, I let out a slow, unsteady breath. I shouldn’t be thinking about her. I should be thinking about Charlotte. About the huge fucking favor she’s doing me and how much I owe her for that. But all I can think about is how it felt to kiss April. How it felt to be inside her.

I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up in my chest. Why did I let it get this far? Why did I keep telling myself that what I felt for April was just an attraction?

I shake my head. I could get out of this van, find April, tell her?—

The van lurches forward.

“What the—” I barely have time to react before the movement throws me backward. My shoulder slams into a metal shelf, and a tray of hors d’oeuvres crashes onto the floor beside me. Who the hell is driving?

I scramble to my feet, gripping the side of the van for balance, but the driver must have hit a speed bump or swerved because the next thing I know, my feet slip out from under me. My head smacks against something hard—a crate, maybe, or the side of the van—and a burst of pain explodes behind my eyes.

The world goes dark.

I don’t know how long I’m out, but when I come to, my head is throbbing, and I can’t move my arms. They’re tied to something and so are my legs. I try to open my eyes, but the pounding in my skull makes it impossible.

Panic claws at my chest as I try to assess the situation. Where the fuck am I? And more importantly, who the fuck has tied me up?

Think, Jay. Fucking think.

I push through the pain and force my eyes open.

April’s sitting across from me. Her blue eyes wide and filled with tears.

“What the fuck happend?” I croak.

She rushes to my side. “Oh my god. I’m so glad you woke up. I thought you were dead.”