Page 72 of Between the Stars

Come on.Give me some credit. You knew I’d do something, or maybe you didn’t. But waiting until the last moment wasn’t entirely the plan.

All I know is she’s the only thing I can’t live without. My heart pounds in my chest as I step forward, unable to stop myself. “I object.”

Mr. Lockett stands. “Son, what are you doing?”

“Keith.” Mrs. Lockett takes one look into Abbi’s eyes and grasps her husband’s forearm. “Let him speak.”

I flash a tender, thankful smile Mrs. Locket’s way and turn my attention to Abbi. She’s beautiful in her ballroom gown, her red hair and freckles shocking against the white, but it’s a lie. She doesn’t love him, and he’s not the one who should be standing next to her.

Her eyes fill with tears waiting on my words, and my chin shakes despite the talk I had with my heart before coming in here. I thought I’d be strong, but the truth is, will she stand up for herself? Will she let her heart have what it deserves?

Voices begin to fill the silence around us and Griff shaking his head. “Are you shitting me right now?”

“I… uh—” Abbi looks to me, then back to the man who doesn’t deserve her eyes, let alone her hand in marriage.

“I thought you got it out of your system,” Griff says to her, his words vindictive.

Surprisingly, I don’t say anything.

Abbi starts crying, her eyes darting from mine to his. “I don’t… I uh… I’m not—”

“Get rid of him!” Griff snaps, motioning to his brother and then me with a flick of his wrist. Like I’m trash and not good enough to be here. I’m not. I don’t belong in this church, but that girl he’s holding, she doesn’t belong with him. But I’ll set this entire world on fire before I let her marry him.

I step closer to her, reaching for her hand. She takes it and stares at me. Her cheeks flush when I lean in and whisper, “He’s not the one, darlin’. He never was.” She sucks in rapid breaths, and I begin to wonder if she’s about to pass out. “Abigale,” I breathe, saying her full name, because I’m the only one who can make her blush this way. “He’s not the one.”

“I have… I have…” Her eyes shoot to mine, then Griff again.

Please, baby, don’t do this.

“Abbi,” Griff snaps. “You can’t seriously be considering him.”

“Oh God.” She sucks in another breath. Then another, her hand on her stomach. Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head furiously. “I’m going to throw up.”

Josie and Lillian scramble toward her as her knees bend and I think she’s going to drop to them in front of everyone. I step forward but Josie shakes her hand. “I got it,” she mouths, and I back up.

I watch Abbi walk out the door I came in, and I don’t know if she’s running away, or to me.

I don’t know what to do so I step toward the exit, ready to go after her, but Rhett stops me. “Give her a minute, man.

I nod and he stares at me smiling, handing me his flask he has in his suit jacket.

“Took you long enough.”

“Traffic was a bitch.” I take the flask, squinting at the burn, and hand him the bottle back, my eyes on the parking lot where I notice a car pulling out. She’s leaving.

Swaying, I adjust my splint.

He searches my eyes, still smiling. “Are you drunk?”

I act like I didn’t hear him and lean into the pew for support. “What?”

“Are you drunk? Did you drive here like this?”

I shrug one shoulder and lift my eyes to Griff, who looks like the two of us are going to have a conversation soon. “What do you think? I certainly wasn’t showing up sober.”

“I think you’re wasting time.” His eyes raise to the commotion around us as Griff’s dad stands at the front of the church, a microphone in hand. “Thank you for coming today, but the wedding is off.”

“You’re the one who’s still talking to me,” I whisper to Rhett as I keep an eye on the crowd. More importantly, Griff.

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