Page 13 of I'd Never Date my Best Friend's Brother

“Oh. My. Goodness.” She runs her hands down the front of the dress and looks at me through the mirror. The delighted smile on her face tells me everything that I need to know.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Madelyn sigh in relief. She meets my gaze, and I smile.

“I was running out of options,” she mouths at me, and I chuckle.

“You did great!” I mouth back, unable to contain the smile spreading across my face.

The dress is not only perfectly perfect, but it’s somehow perfectly Jessica and Sean.

Their story is one that people dream of, that people go to Sean’s movies in order to live vicariously through.

My smile slips slightly from my face as I think about the part Jamie and I played in that love story, and my chest gets tight. I was beginning to let myself dream about the same for us until the man broke my heart and flew across the country.

Chapter 8

Jamie

The snow is lightly falling on the street as Sean and I are out for a run. After everything that happened with Evie last night, I need an outlet to let go of some of this pent-up energy. I keep second-guessing whether or not I should’ve actually kissed her. I wanted to. Really, really wanted to. But I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to do.

Plus, I’m not sure kissing her in front of both our families is the wisest thing to do when I don’t know what’s going on. I know how I feel. I was stupid to leave the way I did. I have no clue what I was thinking that made me do that.

No, that’s not true. I knew I was falling for Evie. How do you not fall for someone as amazing as Evie? And it terrified me. Not that I was afraid that anyone would disapprove; I knew that wouldn’t be a problem. But what if I couldn’t be the man Evie deserved? Most of my relationships are short-lived, and I’m honestly not sure why.

What if there is something wrong with me, and I hurt Evie because I’m not capable of being in a long-term relationship?

The contractor position came up at just the right time, and it gave me the reason I needed to stop what was happening between us. I still remember the confusion and hurt in her eyes as she looked at me when she realized that I wasn’t just taking a job but ending things between us.

“That’s great!” I hear Sean say from behind me. I stop jogging and turn around to glance at my best friend, who is looking at his phone about twenty feet behind me. When did he stop? I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t realize I was running solo.

I run in place as I turn to face him. “What’s great?”

“Evie just sent a text letting me know that Jessica found her wedding dress.” The smile on his face has his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I was starting to wonder if I was going to need to find someone to design and make one for her.”

I shake my head and smile at him, thinking about my sister not having her gown until the last minute. It’s so very Jessica.

“Of course, Evie had to torture me by telling me how absolutely stunning my soon-to-be wife looks.” His anticipatory grin is evident as he walks to me while sliding his phone into the pocket of his sweats. “I can’t wait to watch her walk down the aisle.”

He gets next to me, and we start to jog again. We aren’t running full out; this is a nice pace without it being too hard. My thoughts fly back to Evie again but are interrupted by more wedding talk and best man duties.

“Before then, though, I’ll need your help setting up a few things.”

“Anything. Just tell me what you need.” There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do to help this be the wedding of the decade for two of the most important people in my life.

“Well, there is the ice skating rink, with the fire pits and hot chocolate stands. Then there is the—”

“Wait! What?” I interrupt him, my voice rising in surprise. “Ice skating rink? Fire pits? Hot chocolate stands? Are we in one of your movies?”

“Jessica deserves a fairy tale,” he says, his tone so serious I stop in my tracks and look at him. “And I intend to give it to her, but I’m gonna need yours and Evie’s help.”

He turns to me just as my mouth falls open, and I run my hand down my face. “I’m not sure Evie will be okay with that.”

“Jess and I let her know that we needed her help already.” His smirk makes me worried that he forgot to mention that I would be involved.

I don’t say anything as I start jogging again. My heart is racing and not from the exercise. How is Evie going to feel about working side by side with me to make sure our siblings' wedding is the most romantic event of the year in Willow Falls when she can’t seem to be next to me without getting angry?

My stomach flutters as I think about spending time with Evie alone, getting to talk, maybe explain myself, and why I left. Well, once I figure that out, that is. Then I remember her last night at the party and how she’s probably angrier with me now than she was when I left.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you and my sister?” Sean’s voice invades my thoughts again. He stops jogging and moves toward the bench on the sidewalk. He starts to stretch his legs out, but I know he’s just stopping so that he can get a clear view of my face when he grills me.

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