Please show up at 6.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
Subject: Girls’ Night
Hey Harlow,
Chelsea told me that you’ve come down with something super severe and won’t be able to make it to this weekend’s event.
I know you planned this out a while ago, so please know your fellow bridesmaids will miss you.
(Please let this be the last wedding. LOL)
Brittney
Subject: Group Chat.
I’ve removed you from the bridesmaid group chat. If anything comes up before the wedding rehearsal, I’ll have someone email you.
Chelsea
Missed Connections
Tyler
The withdrawal symptoms from losing Harlow were far worse than anything I’d ever felt in my life. In a matter of weeks, I’d gone from being on the verge of telling her that I wanted us to become official to crying like a bitch.
I stood outside the doors of her gallery Monday morning, knowing damn well that she was inside. I’d driven to Seattle early in the morning, just to watch her walk inside before making my move.
She was still mine.
I hit the buzzer and waited.
The door swung open within seconds, but it wasn’t my Harlow. It was her assistant, Ashley.
“Miss McGuire isn’t here right now, Mr. Hemsworth. I’m happy to let her know that you stopped by.”
“Stop fucking with me, Ashley,” I said. “Let me inside now. What I have to say will only take five minutes.”
“I wish I could, but I can’t.” She shook her head. “I can’t afford to lose this job.”
“I doubt Harlow would fire you over this.”
“She’d do anything at this point to get her friendship back on track with Chelsea…” Her voice trailed off. “Please don’t put me in the middle of this … Sir.”
I stepped back, and she started to shut the door.
“Wait,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“Can you give her a message for me?”
She nodded.
“Tell her she’s beautiful as hell. Then tell her that I drove from Portland just to get a glimpse of her. Because I miss her that fucking much.” I paused. “You can also tell her that I’ll be outside for another hour, if she wants to let me eat her for lunch.”
Her cheeks tinged bright red. “You don’t really want me to say that.”
“Trust me, I do.”
The Wedding Rehearsal
Harlow
“If this one doesn’t work out, and she even thinks about having another wedding …” Chelsea’s mother paused as she puffed a cigar outside the chapel. “She’ll have to host it on a Zoom call if she wants me to come. I can only take so much.”
I smiled. “I’ll be sure to let her know that.”
“If she ever talks to you again, right?”
I didn’t answer that.
“Look, I’ll never admit to saying this, so don’t you dare repeat it.” She flicked the bud onto the sidewalk. “I’ve never seen Tyler as happy as he’s looked lately. Of course, I’ve also never seen him this much in general, and I’m sure that I have you to thank for that.”
“I’m not sure what Chelsea told you, but Tyler and I…” I shrugged. “We broke up.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
I raised my eyebrow. “What?”
“Tyler has had a crush on you for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I’m shocked you two didn’t date sooner.”
“Chelsea said it’s like incest.”
“Chelsea says ‘til death do us part’ to a new guy every other year, hon.” She snorted. “I wouldn’t use her definitions on shit, if I were you.”
My heart hurt too much to laugh.
“Live your life for you,” she said. “You and Tyler might be worth a chance.”
As if on cue, Tyler stepped out of his car across the street. He locked the doors with his key fob, then he looked up.
My entire world stopped as his eyes met mine, as he slowly looked me up and down.
Still looking sexy as hell, he sent my heart into overdrive.
“Okay, okay, okay.” The wedding coordinator suddenly stepped behind me, clapping her hands. “Can I get the best man and the Maid of Honor to join me inside, please? We need to get this show on the road!”
Chelsea’s mom patted my shoulder. “You don’t look over to me.” She walked inside, and I tried to follow, but Tyler’s gaze was pinning me to the spot.
When he made it to the steps, I turned away and grabbed the door handle.
“I don’t think so.” He grabbed my elbow from behind and spun me around. “I need to talk to you.”
“Right now probably isn’t the best time.”
“This won’t take long.” He looked deep into my eyes. “I like you. A lot. And I really don’t give a fuck what my sister thinks about it. I also don’t think it’s fair that you’re taking her thoughts about relationships into consideration, when she’s been divorced three fucking times.”
“Tyler …”
“If there’s anyone who doesn’t know anything about the rules of relationships, it’s her. Not me, not you. I’ll give you tonight to think about it, but the moment her fourth wedding is over tomorrow and the last guest has left the reception, I’ll need an honest answer.”