Page 16 of Wild Ever After
My hesitation only lasts a second. I slip my palm into his, enjoying the rough feel against mine. He doesn’t let go until we’re in the middle of our friends. The guys are pumped to see him out there. They crowd around and joke about his moves, but he takes it all in stride. He’s actually not a bad dancer, and when he grins at me under the terrible bar lighting, I can’t help but smile back.
When the music turns to something slower, we decide to leave and go to the bar next door. Jack is still missing, but Ash says not to worry, so we go on without him.
“Wait, wait,” Scarlett says before I walk in behind her. “It’s your last chance to be carried into a bar.”
I glance around at the empty sidewalk. The only guy out here, a security guard, cuts me a look that says,don’t even ask, sweetheart.
But before I know it, Declan is back outside, sweeping my legs out from underneath me and cradling me to his chest. Gosh, he’s strong. He walks in and takes a couple extra steps before setting me on my feet.
“Thanks.” I pull at the hem of my dress and adjust my veil. “I’m sorry you keep getting roped into being my random guy.”
“I thought we already established I don’t mind in the least.”
We settle into a couple of pushed-together tables. I find myself next to Declan again. Scarlett makes us all squeeze in for photos. The reminder of work and that I’m going to have to write an article all about this night makes a knot form in my stomach. I excuse myself under the guise of getting drinks. I order a round of rum and Cokes and then pull out my phone.
I can’t take the silent treatment any longer. I call Sam for what has to be the hundredth time. I’m reaching stalker status and I don’t feel great about it.
“Hello?” Sam’s voice is nearly drowned out by the noise of the bar, but it slams into me as if he’d screamed.
“Oh my god, you answered.” I hold up a finger to the bartender to let him know I’ll be right back and hurry outside. “I have called you like a million times. Is reception crappy at the lake house?”
Before he can answer, I hit the FaceTime button. I want to see him. Ineedto see him.
When his face fills the screen, I breathe a little easier.
“Hi,” I say again.
“Hey, Jade.”
It’s when he says my name that I notice the background and then more closely scrutinize his put-together appearance. He’s clean-shaven and wearing his preppy clothes that he usually reserves for special nights out. There’s no trace of the guy that walked away from his fiancée earlier this week, and he definitely doesn’t look like he’s in a fishing cabin with his buddies.
I’m not sure what I expected; it isn’t like I’ve been wearing sweats and eating ice cream out of the tub, but it still hurts to see him look so unaffected.
“Where are you?”
“North Dakota.”
I fight back irritation. He left the freaking state without telling me? Has it really gotten to this point?
“North Dakota?! I thought you were fishing with your friends. I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I know. I needed some time.”
All things considered, I guess that’s fair, but this isn’t just about us. There are a lot of things to figure out in a short amount of time.
“The wedding is Saturday.”
“I know. That’s why I answered. I was going to call tomorrow after your bachelorette party, but I figured if you were calling, then maybe you hadn’t gone.”
“Of course, I went. Scarlett spent a lot of time putting it together.”
He nods but says nothing.
“What are we doing, Sam?”
“I thought about it a lot. I care about you, I do. And I know how much it means to you, but I can’t go through with this.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. I think I knew this was the outcome the second he answered the phone, but his words still shred my insides.
