Page 92 of The One I Stood Beside

“I’ll take an Uber. You guys stay here.” I walk through the now-quiet crowd, everyone’s eyes on me as I stop and pick up the notecard.

You’re all wrong. I saw Jude and Sadie at the grocery store, and he stopped and kissed her in the frozen food section. They’re in love. Everyone who thinks their marriage is a sham is dead wrong. Jude Noughton is off the market. Sorry, ladies.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jude

I had to get out of The Hidden Cave last night after Sadie told everyone our wedding was fake. Couldn’t stand to see all their judgmental looks. She never came home last night, and I assume she’s at the cottage. So I knock on her door.

It opens, and I thank God she’s not so mad that she’s not going to open the door. Until I see Lottie standing in the doorway, looking as though she’s sporting a pretty bad hangover. She slips through the opening.

“Lottie,” I say with a nod.

She puts her hand on my chest, pushing me back. “You need to give her some space.”

I scowl at my cousin. “No.”

She looks back at the cottage, then at me. “She isn’t ready to talk to you.”

I stuff my hands in my pockets. “I don’t understand. I only want what’s best for her.”

She tugs on my arm and pulls me off the stoop and away from the cottage. “Listen, from what I gather, she really wants you to figure yourself out. She loves you, but you have to trust her when she tells you something.”

My forehead wrinkles. “What do you mean?”

Lottie sighs. “She’s where she wants to be. You think she doesn’t want to be here no matter how many times she tells you differently.”

“Because—”

“Just give her some time. Think about what I said and maybe in a few days…” She cringes and rubs my arm. “I’ll try to do some convincing, okay? But maybe just think about why you think you know better than her what makes her happy.”

“Lottie,” I plead, not wanting to go. My chest feels as if it’s cracking open. Sadie’s never iced me out like this.

She nods. “I know, but she’s not going to see you today.”

My throat burns as I say, “Tell her I love her, and I’m sorry.”

“She knows.”

I huff and wait a second as if Sadie’s going to come to the door, but Lottie just gives me that pitiful smile of hers. So I walk back around her mom’s house and climb into my truck, then drive away from the woman who is my entire life.

“I probably fucked this up,” I say to Titan, running a brush over his mane.

“You did fuck it up,” Dad says, coming into the stall and leaning his body against the wooden frame. “Get him ready to ride. Family meeting.”

I groan. “You have to be kidding me.”

“Yay, a family meeting.” Ben raises his fist in the air in sarcasm, going to get Magnum.

Emmett’s already got Brutus by the reins, all saddled up. When did they all get here?

“Fake marriage? What a disappointment.” Emmett shakes his head, walking Brutus out of the barn.

I saddle Titan and lead him outside. Dad’s already out there on Legend. Ben follows me.

“Again, you cockblock me,” Ben grumbles.

“Stop it, you two.”

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