Page 81 of Walkoff Wedding

Oh god.

I lift a trembling hand to cover my mouth as a pained, heartbroken cry tumbles from me, and hot, stinging tears well in my eyes.

Someone’s… destroyed Ever After.

It’s completely trashed. Pieces of wood and glass are strewn on nearly every inch of the floor from the shattered front windows, one of my mother’s most favorite parts of the bakery, leaving nothing but a gaping hole.

The bistro tables in the front have been flipped, the wooden chairs lying in broken pieces next to them. The display cases are smashed, along with all of the plates that were on the counter.

With each new thing I discover, my stomach twists, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. Seeing my favorite place in the world this way does something irreparable to my heart.

I just… I just don’t understand… Why would anyone do this? What could they possibly gain from destroying a bakery? Kids who thought vandalizing a business would be fun? But this just seems way more intense than a random case of vandalism. A hundred different scenarios play out in my head, and I just can’t seem to make sense of the nightmare in front of me.

Everything’s been thrown from the counters, bags and boxes strewn across the floor behind the counter, yet… the only thing that seems to have not been touched is the cash register.

Why would someone break into the bakery and not take anything? This seems so hostile and targeted an?—

Realization hits me with a force so powerful that I have to reach out and grip the wall to remain upright. Dixon? Brent?

Oh my god.

Did they… do this? Did my stepdad do this? Did Dixon?

Would they really stoop this low? To damage the bakery this way?

I honestly don’t know anymore. I thought that I knew who Brent was, and then I found out that it was all a lie. That he spent the majority of my life lying to me and manipulating me. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to think that he could do something like this.

And that night at home… he threatened me.

The only difference between Brent and Dixon is that Dixon physically hurt me. He could have done this.

I’m spiraling, my thoughts moving in a hundred different directions, furthering the anxiety that’s taken root inside of me. No matter who did it, there’s nothing I can do right now besides call the police.

The damage is done.

My vision blurs as my tears fall in earnest, and a choked sob erupts from my chest. My heart hurts for my mother’s beloved bakery. A beat passes before I’m able to suck in a shaky breath and wipe the salty wetness coating my cheeks.

It suddenly hits me that this is a crime scene, it’s still dark outside, and I’m alone. I’m barely able to hold it together as I turn and flee to the safety of my locked car. I can hardly get my phone out of my purse because I’m shaking so badly, but I finally am able to pull it free. My fingers hover over the screen, and I can barely make out the numbers as tears cloud my vision.

Hold it together, Addie. You have to hold it together.

I know I need to call the police, but there’s one person I need to call first. The only person that I want when the world is falling apart around me… the only person who makes me feel safe.

My husband.

I’m still shaking as I sit on the curb outside of the bakery, a blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders courtesy of the police officer who responded to the 911 call. My teeth were chattering because I was shaking so badly, a combination of adrenaline and shock, as I attempted to give my statement about what I walked into.

My gaze lingers on Grant, who’s standing near the bakery entrance, his arms crossed over his chest, talking with the officers. Every few seconds, he glances over at me as if he needs to reassure himself that I’m okay. His face is an uncontrolled mask of worry mixed with frustration as he speaks, his jaw clenching with each shake of his head.

I’ve never seen him look scared before. But he did when he pulled up, flinging his truck door open and leaving the truck still running while he ran to me, hauling my nearly lifeless body against him protectively. The moment his strong arms closed around me and I breathed him in, I just… broke. He let me sob into his chest, seemingly needing to hold me as much as I needed to be held.

Being in his arms was the safety I needed to let go, to purge all of the heartache and fear that had been building inside of me, not just this morning but over the last few months. He held on so tightly I thought I’d stop breathing, but I only pulled him closer.

Because Grant is my safe place to land, and I know without a doubt that I’m falling in love with him.

I’m scared to admit that, even to myself, but I think I’ve loved him since before I even saw him for the first time. I fell for the guy through a computer screen who saw me more clearly than the people I saw face-to-face every day.

The guy whose quiet, unwavering strength has gotten me through one of the hardest times of my life.

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