Page 45 of The Problem with Players

He slipped his hands into the pockets of his expensive suit. “This is what I thought would happen. You’d be cold and dismissive.”

“What do you want me to do, Wesley? You want me to fall to your feet and beg for you to stay? You want me to plead my case for why you should marry me five minutes before ‘I do’? Because that will never happen.”

“I know,” he agreed. “Which is why I know I’m making the right choice.”

“You could’ve chosen earlier, you know. Before I put on this stupid fucking dress,” I hissed. “Your timing blows.”

“Yeah, well, this all just unfolded. Drew just told me the news.”

“Of course she did,” I breathed out. “I’m sure that wasn’t calculated at all. For a rocket scientist, you sure are naive.”

“This whole jealousy thing is wild, Avery. Drew has been a great friend to me. She knew how much I’d dreamed of this opportunity.”

“Why would she know and I not?”

“Because we don’t talk about things like this. We don’t talkabout stuff the way me and Drew do. You don’t get me on that level.”

“Then why the hell would you ask me to marry you?”

He shook his head. “I don’t mean it like?—”

“No,” I cut in. “Keep that energy. I don’t get you like she does. I’m not all sweet and bubbly and charming like little Miss Drew. I don’t like rocky road. I actually know how to play charades. And I don’t make inappropriate advances on another person’s partner.”

“See, this is how she said you’d react.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, it is. And I know why you’re reacting this way.”

“Do tell.”

“Because you’re hard to love!” he blurted out. “You make it so damn impossible to even have heart-to-heart moments, and here I was, stupidly waiting years for the day that you’d open up to me. I love you, Avery. I do. But you don’t make it easy. Which is why it’s easier for me to go now.”

Hard to love.

Those last few pieces of my fragile heart?

Eviscerated.

I shut my eyes.

I took a deep inhalation.

Then I released it slowly.

“Please go,” I requested as I opened my eyes.

“What…” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What am I supposed to tell everyone? People are waiting for us in the church. Maybe we can go tell them together.”

“No way in hell am I going to do that.”

“Avery…”

“Tell them exactly what you told me.” I sighed, grabbing my purse and cell phone. I slipped out of my heels and put on my blue Chucks. “Tell them that you left me. Tell them that you got a new job with your ex-girlfriend. Or tell them a complete lie. Idon’t care, Wesley. Just…” I tried to hold back the tears brewing in the back of my eyes. “Leave me alone.”

I left the room and went through the back of the church, avoiding making eye contact with anyone. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to anyone. The last thing I wanted to do was see people look at me with pity in their eyes. I hated pity. There is no worse feeling in the world than people feeling bad for you.

I knew I’d have to face the looks of others for a long time. I knew I’d be the gossip of Honey Creek for a good second. But before I could focus on that, I had to somehow find the courage to keep breathing.

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