Page 43

AMELIA

Look, I don’t know what you think Maya but it’s all fake, Amelia knows that too.

This is all for show, once it’s over, we’ll go back to what we’ve always been.

That’s what I overheard when I went up to the bar to grab a few extra napkins last night. I’ve been so conflicted about my feelings, believing Jared when he said Caleb always loved me, but now my questions are finally answered.

He’s my best friend, and that’s all there is to it. I shouldn’t be upset. This is what we agreed on and he’s not doing anything wrong. He’s simply playing his part in this whole thing. Guess I fooled myself into thinking something had shifted for him, but it was only me all along. My mistake.

I groan, putting my emotions on the back burner and slip on my silk pink dress and heels for the night.

Caleb and I walk into the banquet hall for the rehearsal, and most of the guests are already here.

We take our seats at the end of the long white table, decorated with vases holding single roses and candles neatly arranged all around.

Everything looks beautiful in the dim lighting.

A few minutes into the rehearsal, once everyone has arrived, Maya and I exchange a glance, silently preparing to make our toast.

“We’d like to make a toast to the lovely couple.” Maya and I stand up, both clinking our glasses.

“Yes!” Tia squeals, clapping as she leans against Amir. “My girls!”

“It’s been an absolute honor for us to be your best friends, let alone being your maids of honor. It’s been truly a blessing to witness a love like yours.” I beam softly.

“You two have been through so much together, with eight years on your belt and many more ahead. I wish I met you guys back in high school, but I’m forever grateful for the present.” Maya adds, a gentle smile pulling at her lips.

“We love you both. Cheers!” Maya and I say simultaneously.

Tia and Amir echo together. “We love you too!”

“Oh my god, we love you all!” my mom shouts across the table, making everyone burst out laughing as glasses clink together.

“We love you, Mrs. Taylor!” Tia and Amir laugh, their hands intertwining.

We all chat and talk around the table, enjoying our pastas, per Tia’s request and everyone starts spilling about love and how they knew it was real for them. I’m grateful no one’s glanced at Caleb and me.

“So…” Barbara prods gently. “When did you first realize you loved her Caleb?”

Of course we weren’t going to get out of this conversation that easily.

Jared’s eyes find mine instantly and I choke on my pasta, hurriedly washing it down with a small sip of chardonnay.

Caleb leans forward, placing his hand on my thigh beneath the table, and warmth spreads across my cheeks. “Well, as a teenager, I was always anxious about certain things. Still am, if I’m being honest.” He chuckles under his breath.

I glance at him, wondering where he’s going with this.

“She’s just always had this way of grounding me with a simple look. It’s like she knew what I needed before I could even process it myself. She’d pull me into hugs, hold my hand, look at me like I matter.”

My heart pounds against my chest.

“She makes me see things in a different light. She listens without judgment, makes me laugh on days I forget how, and reminds me that I’m more than enough…that I’ve done something right in my life.”

His eyes find his dad, a flicker of emotion sailing through them before he looks away.

“And I have done something right, because loving her is the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Jared nods at me with a knowing look, like he was right about what he said on the beach. Kim dabs at her eyes with a napkin, and the whole table falls into a hush, wrapped in quiet awe.

Until Marcus pipes up, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

“No, we don’t have to,” I say, shooting him a glare until he bursts out laughing.

“Kiss. I won’t live forever to witness this love,” Barbara adds dramatically, clutching her heart.

Oh god. Could she be any more dramatic?

Caleb and I lock eyes, and my stomach flutters.

“Cover your eyes,” my mom laughs, throwing her hands over my dad’s face.

This is so awkward.

Then Caleb cradles my face, his thumb brushing along my cheekbone. He leans in and kisses me in a way that makes my head spin.

The room erupts in cheers and glasses clink all around, but my mind is consumed by how he tastes and how he always holds me like I'm the most important person to him.

We pull back, breathless, and he rests his forehead against mine. The room fades into the background, and for a moment, I let myself forget this is all just an act because I know it won’t last forever.

I open my eyes and find his gaze already holding mine, soft and full of something I can’t quite place. How I desperately wish this were real. To believe we might be more than just a fleeting moment that will all end tomorrow night.

His thumbs sweep over my cheek before he leaves me with one final, lingering kiss.

As the night goes on, Caleb and his dad head outside to grab a few karaoke machines for us. They’ve been gone for quite a while now…I step out into the hallway, faint arguing drifting near the elevators. Curious, I move closer to the noise and recognize Caleb’s dad’s voice.

“You’re being pathetic right now. This puppy love shit won’t benefit you in the long run. You need to make it into the Super Bowl and your head is all over the damn place,” Thomas says, his voice cold.

Caleb’s snaps. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and all you care about is football! I love it too but Jesus, can’t you relax and get off my fucking back!? If anything, Amelia’s the one motivates me to do better. At least she believes in me. What the hell have you ever done for me?”

His dad’s face falters for a second, then hardens. “You’re not being the son I raised right now. I thought you’d be better than this?—”

“Oh, fuck you!” Caleb’s voice echoes down the hall.

What the? I finally step forward, anger and frustration boiling to the surface, and I snap, letting all hell break loose.

“Sorry if I’m disrespecting you, Mr. Hayes,” I snarl, unable to hold back. “But I don’t care anymore. You’re using Caleb as your crutch, and treating him like he’s your personal punching bag. You retired from the NFL already, stop projecting your insecurities onto him!”

Thomas’s jaw tightens, and just as he opens his mouth to speak, I cut him off again.

“And for the record, Caleb got here all on his own. He’s worked so damn hard to be where he is today, and you’re a terrible father for never loving him like a son.

All he’s ever wanted was to feel loved by you, to hear that you’re proud of him.

” My chest rises and falls rapidly. “I’ve had enough of hearing you shit on him. He doesn’t need you. He never has.”

Caleb steps in front of me, blocking his dad’s view. He cups my face. “Amelia, it’s fine. Just go back inside.”

“No.”

Thomas exhales sharply, dragging a hand down his face. “I’ll go,” he mutters, his voice edged with frustration. He presses his lips together, and if I’m not mistaken, a flicker of guilt slashes across his face as he grabs the two karaoke machines and heads back toward the wedding rehearsal room.

Caleb sighs as he caresses my jaw. “You didn’t have to do that. It’s not your problem.”

“I know.” I chew the inside of my lip. “I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“Never apologize,” he says, low and firm, threading with something raw. “You mean everything to me. I hope you know that.”

I do. But not in the way I wish he did…

Tia’s wedding rehearsal ended and Caleb and I take a late-night stroll. The music fades from the lobby behind us as he swings the doors open, and the cool night breeze brushes against our skin. The sun is setting fast, turning it into a deep purple hue, casting a soft glow over the resort.

He guides me down the steps toward the empty pool area, which was closed off for the night, and with a gentle pull, he leads me behind the palm trees and into an empty cabana, drawing the curtains shut behind him.

Leaving us alone, with only the dim lights peering through the thick fabric covering us.

“This resort is truly beautiful,” I say.

“Not the only thing,” Caleb murmurs, tucking hair behind my ear.

“You don’t have to do that anymore.” I say, inching backward.

“Do what?” His brows knit together, confused.

“Pretend.”

His eyes darken as he echoes, “Pretend.”

“Yeah, the wedding’s tomorrow. We’ve pulled it off and can stop now.” I swallow hard, holding his gaze. “Just like I heard you say last night, we can go back to what we’ve always been. Friends.”

“You really think I’ve been faking it all this time?” His voice cracks with a mix of anger and desperation that cuts right through me like a blade. “Is that what you believe?”

“That’s exactly what I believe.” I sigh, my heart sinking at how final this sounds. “And I’m telling you now, we can stop. It’s over.”

I take another reluctant step back. Every instinct screams to close the distance, to feel him near me again, but I can’t. As much as every part of me aches to tell him how badly I want him, I won’t let myself fall deeper. Not when I know he doesn’t feel the same.

The silence is thick and suffocating, broken only by the rustling of palm trees and the steady thud of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

“And what if I don’t want to stop, huh?”

My breath catches in my throat and I freeze. His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

“What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since high school?” His gaze pierces mine as his hands grip my hips, pulling me flush against him. “And not a single fucking day goes by that I don’t wish I was yours?”

My knees nearly buckle, the heat between us so undeniable I can barely keep myself steady.

His lips graze my cheek, planting a delicate kiss. “Does this feel fake to you?”

I can’t think. His body pressed against mine feels solid and warm. My breathing growing heavier by the second.

“Because I promise you, it never was for me.” His lips drag lower, brushing the side of my neck, and my core pulses in response.

“And the things I want to do to you are far from friendly,” he breathes, each word trailing fire as he presses a final kiss to the hollow of my throat. “Tell me,” he murmurs against my skin with a wicked grin, “do friends kiss like we do?”

No. Definitely not. My brain scrambles to keep up, everything’s happening so fast, so intense. I can barely think straight.

“Answer the question,” he commands. “I need to hear you say it.”

I bite my bottom lip, the word slipping out in a shaky whisper. “No.”

“Well now you know,” he exhales, barely holding himself together. “I’m in love with you.”

I suck in a sharp breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I always believed I’d never love again, that diving too deep with someone wasn’t worth it because I didn’t have the strength to try. For so long, I kept my heart locked away, hidden in a box I didn’t dare to open. I never realized Caleb held the spare key.

“Please say that again,” I plead, desperate to hear him repeat it.

He hovers over my mouth. “I’ve always been in love with you.”

Before fear can make me pull away, like it always does, I finally whisper the four words lodged in my throat.

The words that will change the course of our friendship forever.

“I love you too.”

His lips crash into mine.

It’s far from gentle, it’s raw and hungry. Heat floods through my body as his blunt nails dig into my hips.

God, I never want this to stop.