Page 33 of Redemption

“That’s great.”

She turned back to her mom. And while I was happy and relieved for my best friend, her announcement only served to ratchet up my anxiety. As Greer and her mom talked with excitement about the day ahead, I was filled with nothing but dread.

Get it together!

Belinda turned to me, while the hair stylist touched up one last curl for Greer. Belinda took my hands in her own then stepped back to look at me. “You look so beautiful, Sloan.”

I was grateful that Greer had let us pick our own dresses, provided they were black. I’d opted for a halter neck dress with a low back and a high slit. Anything to feel confident and sexy.

“Thank you, Belinda.” She gave me a hug.

There was a knock at the door, and the butler peeked his head in. “Mrs. Shaw? Your son is here.”

“Give me just a minute, Mom,” Greer called.

“Sure,” she said to Greer before turning back to me. “Try not to break too many hearts out there.” She winked.

I laughed, though it had a nervous edge to it. If she only knew…

Greer came over to me while the others visited. “Hey. You okay?” she asked, her voice low as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Are you kidding?” I smiled, but thanks to the champagne, it didn’t feel as forced as before. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I know, but—” She glanced around as if to confirm no one was listening. “You’ve been going through a lot. A really rough breakup, a move, and…”

I held up a hand to silence her. “I appreciate your concern, and I love you for it. But you don’t need to worry about me. Especially not on your wedding day.”

“Maybe a wedding is just what you need. Maybe you’ll find a hottie to hook up with. One of Logan’s cousins is single.” She waggled her eyebrows.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” I couldn’t imagine hooking up with another man, no matter how hot they were. Jackson had ruined me.

“Sloan,” she chided.

“Greer.” I mimicked her tone. “I’m fine. Promise.”

“Mm-hmm.” I got the distinct impression she didn’t believe me.

Hell, I wouldn’t either. She, of all people, knew how much of a mess I’d been after the breakup.

“Is everyone decent?” Jackson’s low voice called, practically vibrating through me. Fuck. Oh fuck.

“Come in,” Greer called out.

Before he could enter, I turned my back to the door and busied myself with my phone. I took a deep, fortifying breath. This was the moment I’d been dreading for months.

Act normal. Act normal. Act normal.

What the fuck even was normal in this situation?

My best friend’s brother was the love of my life and the man who’d destroyed me.

I went to the mirror, keeping my eyes on my reflection as I reapplied my lip gloss. I refused to look at Jackson. It didn’t matter that I could sense his presence. That my body was still attuned to him like a flower seeking the sun after all this time. That I could feel his eyes on me like a lover’s caress. I knew if I looked at him, it was over. My carefully constructed façade would crumble.

Yet, when I glanced up… Yep. Sure enough. There he was, and damn, he looked good in his dress uniform, medals strapped to his chest. And he was looking right at me, our eyes locked in the reflection.

I sucked in a quiet gasp, feeling the force of his gaze like a bullet through my chest.

I quickly glanced away, my cheeks flaming with heat at the fact that he’d caught me staring. My heart was racing, and all the champagne was catching up to me and not in a good way.

---