Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
When Saanvi pulls back, she cocks her head to the side and smiles at me. “Don’t get in your own way, okay?”
“I’m afraid it might be too late for that,” I whisper, and to my dismay, a tear slips free.
She squeezes my wrist. “We’ll talk. As soon as all the formal stuff is done, we’ll sneak away in the limo and talk it out.”
“No. Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “Saanvi, it’s your wedding day. I’m fine.”
She sweeps away my hot tears. “You’re my sister, and I want to be there when you need me.”
I kiss her cheek. “You always have been. I’ll see you at the reception.”
Liam and Saanvi follow the photographer for more pictures, and I head outside with the rest of the bridal party. I’m the last to pile into the limo and have to take the only open seat—beside Sabrina. She pulls away from me and sneers.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “Nothing. I’m just having a shit day.”
When Rich climbs in after me, I balk. This limo is for the bridal party. “What are you doing here?”
“I asked him to stick around,” Sabrina says, flashing me a look that dares me to defy his right to be here. “For me.”
Rich winks at me from the seat opposite us. The groomsmen dig into the mini fridge and pull out bottles of champagne. Rich grabs one. “Here we go,” he says, popping the cork. The champagne bubbles over the side, and he hands the bottle to me. “Your favorite champagne, if I recall.”
I take it and look around. “Where are the glasses?”
“Come on, Teagan,” Rich says. “What happened to the girl who could chug half a bottle of wine in one go?”
She grew up? But I smile and drink from the bottle before passing it on to Sabrina. She tilts it upright, and the guys chant, “Chug, chug, chug!”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Rich says, grinning at her.
The ride to the reception is blissfully short, but somehow the bridal party has drained four bottles of champagne by the time we pull up to the Jackson Brews Banquet Center. I’m worried how much of that Sabrina’s responsible for.
She’s a grown woman. She makes her own decisions.
The group is considerably louder and less coordinated than before as we file into the reception. While the rest of them make a beeline for the bar, I search for Molly to give her the update on the bride and groom’s arrival. I find her on the dance floor, chatting with the band.
“Hey there!” she says when she sees me. “You look gorgeous. The henna is so detailed!”
I smile. “Thank you. You should see the bride.”
“Oh, I can’t wait.” Molly’s smile is genuine, and something tugs in my chest—an opportunity lost. A different life, down a different path, where Molly my friend would have become Molly my sister-in-law.
“How’s everything going here?” I ask.
“Smoothly. The waitstaff will circulate with hors d’oeuvres in”—she checks her watch—“two minutes. And the bar is open.” She grins when she spots the rest of the bridal party already gathered there. “As your friends have already discovered.”
“Thank you for everything, Molly. Today means so much to Saanvi, and I’m so proud to have you lead the charge in giving her the magical celebration she deserves.”
“You’re welcome.” She frowns and studies me. “But why . . .?”
“What?”
“Why do you seem so sad?”
I swallow, and again my eyes fill with hot tears. When this day is over, I’m going to let myself have the longest cry ever. And then I’m going to beg Carter to forgive me and explain that I’m insecure and jealous, and so scared to be hurt again. I’m going to tell him that I want us to try to be together. For real.
“Is this about Carter?”
“What did my brother do now?” Brayden asks from behind me.
I spin around to face the eldest Jackson brother. He’s in a dress shirt and tie, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Knowing Brayden, he’s probably been working most of the day. “Nothing.” I force a smile, even knowing my friends can see right through it. “Carter’s a prince.”
Brayden snorts. “Now I really don’t believe you.”
“Are you talking about me again?” Carter asks.
I’m so relieved to see him walking toward me that I almost melt into a puddle. “I was telling Brayden that you’re a prince.”
“Of course I am.” He wraps one arm around my waist—for show or because he wants to touch me? “Do you need anything?” he asks softly, studying my face in that way of his that makes me feel like I’m precious.
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
He brushes his knuckles down the side of my face and gives a shaky smile. “You look amazing. Just . . . stunning.”
Even as my heart swells, I try to tamp it down. I can’t let myself want him too badly. We have so much to figure out.