Page 71 of Closer

“Wait. We’re not done here.”

I tug against his grip. “We are. Gem needs us.”

“Lil, please.” His eyes search mine, desperation etched into every line of his face. “Don’t walk away from this. From us.”

“It’s not our time. Maybe it never will be. Not as long as we can’t trust each other.” I wrench my arm free. “Goodbye, Sebastian.”

And with that, I turn and walk away, my heart shattering with every step. But I keep going, because I have to.

For Gemma.

For myself.

For him.

Chapter 21

Sebastian

Seeing all this triggers the memory of when Lil almost married that prick, Jason.

The woman I love was so close to slipping away forever. If Mary and Gemma hadn’t intervened that day, I would have said ‘fuck it’ and taken matters into my own hands.

We stand outside, Connor, Brandon, and me beside Elijah at the wedding arch. All of us are playing the role of dutiful groomsmen, and the guests are already seated, my mother in the front row, waiting for my sister to make her grand entrance.

And with her.

Lil.

So close, yet so fucking far.

I can still feel her skin under my fingertips, still taste her on my tongue. The memories haunt me, taunting me with what I’ve lost. What I threw away.

I tried to talk to her after the gala. Tried to make her see, make her understand. But she shut me out, rightfully so. Lil insisted she’dnever betray me like that. Her plea haunts me now, a bad feeling settling in my gut that I made a terrible mistake. It’s been eating at me.

How do I fix it? How do I make her see that I’m not the same guy I was back then? That I’ve changed, that I want to be better… for her?

So I stand here, my best man smile plastered on my face, while inside, I’m screaming. Screaming for her, for us, for what could have been.

Elijah, stands tall and proud. At least they found their happy ending. They didn’t wait long to tie the knot, Elijah not wanting to risk anything coming between them again.

Today’s about them, not my fucked up love life.

“Hey, you ready for this, big guy?” Brandon gives Elijah a playful punch on the arm. “Last chance to make a run for it.”

“Not a chance in hell, man,” Elijah says. “This is it for me.”

“Right answer.” I adjust my tux.

When you find your person, you know. And Elijah, he’s found his in Gemma. My sister. The thought still takes some getting used to.

“Con Con.” Brandon nudges him. “I bet you’ll be next down the aisle, huh?”

“Don’t jinx it,” Connor says.

“Oh, we’re superstitious now?” Brandon asks.

“When it comes to Mary. Always.”

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