“Thank you, Clara. I love you.” And this time, she looked a little more like herself.
“I love you too.” She gave her sister a tight hug then faced the guests again. Thinking of their family who wasn’t here today, and loving them instead of sadly missing them, Clara made her way down the aisle. Her gaze skipped past everyone to Sullivan sitting in the front row with Mason on his lap. His smile made her heart flutter. Would always make her heart flutter.
The violinist, who was stationed off to the side of the groomsmen, switched to a different song when Clara settled in next to Maisie. When Amelia began walking down the aisle and the guests rose to greet her, Clara spotted the moment when Amelia’s gaze drifted to Beckett, who stood next to Hayes, before she snapped her eyes back on her future husband.
Amelia had gone back and forth about inviting Beckett to the wedding, but in the end, it seemed wrong not to have him there. Even if they had a lot of history between them, they were still friends. Good friends. And, of course, Beckett still loved her madly, only Amelia failed to acknowledge that. But their time had passed, even Clara knew that.
Time slowed a little as Amelia settled into her spot in front of Luka. Clara got a good look at him then, finding Luka a little pale, she had to withhold her snort. Of course he’d be the type to faint. She didn’t like Luka and still thought Amelia deserved better, but this choice wasn’t hers.
The officiant began, “Today, we’re here to celebrate—”
“Wait.”
All eyes went to Luka.
He sputtered something incoherent then said to Amelia, “I can’t…I’m sorry, Amelia. I can’t do this.”
Gasps echoed in the barn. Loud voices filled the silence. The crowd slowly beginning to rise from their chairs.
The officiant looked on in horror as Amelia threw up her veil. “What?” she snapped.
Luka glanced back at his parents and his grandmother, who all looked like they’d seen the same ghost. “I’m sorry,” he told them, his skin ashen. “I got wrapped up in it all. I—” His gaze fell to Amelia’s. “I’m sorry. I can’t go through with this. I don’t love you anymore.”
Luka stumbled and turned to run away, only he didn’t get far.
Beckett leapt up from his seat and punched Luka dead center in the face, sending him soaring backward to land hard on the ground.
Maisie sighed, leaning over to Clara, and said, “Now this, this I expected.”
Clara’s heart broke for Amelia, who began crying. Her dream wedding, her perfect life, crashing around her as she took off running out the side door.
Sullivan was there a second later. “Go. I’ve got Mason. Go.”
He did have Mason, and they had each other. “I know you have us both,” she said, and his warm smile hit her right in the heart. She gave him a quick kiss then ran after Amelia, with Maisie in tow. With each and every click of her heels against the cement floor, she knew the exact advice she was going to give Amelia—life can be messy. It can be scary. It never goes how you want it to. But somehow, in all of it, there is love. All you need to do is look in the right place to find it.
Coming June 22, 2021. . .
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