Page 4 of Big Daddy to Go

I blink numbly a few times, trying to process this information.

“He hascold feet?”

Stephen nods. “We tried to tell him it will pass, but…”

I shake my head and cover my face with my hands.

“This isn’t happening,” I mutter before looking at Stephen again.

It isn’t until now that I can hear the chatter of my bridal party standing next to us.

“Jason stood her up?” I hear Briana whisper with excitement.

“I knew they weren’t meant to be,” Heather murmurs.

“Of course, because Jason could have anyone. Why would he want Lexi?” Briana snickers.

I’m too numb to tear my bitchy little cousin’s hair out. Another time, another place, maybe. But after just being stood up by my groom, I want to disappear and die from the humiliation.

“Sorry,” Stephen pats my shoulder awkwardly before walking off, his shoulders slumped.

A million thoughts run through my mind. All Jason had to do was show up. That was his one job, and he failed! Even though I have second thoughts, I’m here.I’mthe one who has to face a church full of our family and friends.

Three-hundred people are waiting for me to the walk down the aisle! That spoiled asshole doesn’t even have the decency to show up to explain it to them? He doesn’t show up to explain to me how he could do this? I might vomit on the spot.

“The church is full of people still!” Heather gasps, peeking inside. “What should we do?”

“What are we going to say?” Mom sighs, rubbing her forehead. “What will everyone think? Oh my god, I’m sure my friends are already whispering. I’m going to be the laughingstock of our social set.”

Trust my mom to think only of herself. Meanwhile, Melanie storms into the church; I know she’ll take care of breaking the news that there won’t be a wedding today.

My bouquet slips from my fingers and tumbles to the ground as I stand there, watching my bridal party panic.

“What do we do now?” Heather whines. “Oh my god oh my god!”

“Ugh, we’re all dressed up for nothing. Do you think we can still go to the party? That’s not going to be called off, is it?” Jennifer whines.

“This is so humiliating for our family,” Heather grumbles.

Not one of them cares about me. They don’t even bother to quiet their complaints so that I don’t hear them. That’s how self-centered the girls are. Meanwhile, Mom’s already on the phone with the caterer, trying to get some of our deposit back.

I can’t deal with any of this nonsense. I have to get out of here now. Soon, wedding guests will be exiting the church to see me standing here wearing the wedding dress that I picked out with my groom in mind.

I look down at my gaudy engagement ring. It’s big and gaudy, with sharp facets that look deadly enough to draw blood. God, it’s even uglier than usual today, now that it’s a reminder of the commitment Jason broke.

Gathering my gown in my hands, I dart back to the limo. My heels clatter on the sidewalk, and I probably look crazy, but I don’t care. I fling open the door of the limo and burrow myself into the dark safety.

“Please, take me home,” I beg the driver, feeling tears fill my eyes.

He nods and revs the engine before pulling away from the curb. The entire ride to my apartment in Morningside Heights, I replay my relationship with Jason. What a lousy boyfriend he was, and an even worse fiancé. I can’t imagine how awful of a husband he would have been. And God bless our children if we’d had any!

I draw a shaky breath. I dodged a bullet, that’s for sure. But why do I feel so unsteady? My hands tremble a bit, and adrenalin is racing through my body at sixty miles an hour.

A beep goes off on my phone, and I pick it up from the limo seat to stare at the screen. I assume it’s from Jason with an explanation, but instead, it’s from Melanie. What a spineless coward I have for a fiancé!

Are you okay? Where are you?

I text her back just as the limo stops outside my apartment building.

I’m home.

I don’t bother telling her anything else. There are so many feelings twisting me up inside—pain, embarrassment, regret. But at the same time, I don’t feel anything at all. A numbing emptiness is all that fills me as I step out of the limo.

As soon as I get into my apartment, I yank the engagement ring off and slam it on the table. I kick off my shoes and shimmy the dress off, kicking all of it into a corner in my bedroom. All I want to do is go back to sleep and pretend this nightmare isn’t happening. That asshole. He deserves what he gets.