Page 57 of Unbearable

“Stop charming her.” The man next to him shoved Daniel’s shoulder. He pushed back his long blond hair before reaching out his hand for me to shake.

“Nicholas Roberts. Call me Nick.” He took my hand, placing a small kiss to my fingers. “I see Trent wasn’t lying about you after all.” His head tilted with a charming smile and Trent gave him a piercing scowl.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You guys done fawning over her yet?” Trent’s jaw ticked.

“Calm down, cowboy. They were just being nice.” I nudged him. “Nice to meet you both,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah,cowboy,” Nick teased.

“Well, I guess I don’t need to introduce you to these punks, since they did it for me. You’ll meet Mark after the ceremony,” Trent said. I smiled at him and realized our eyes were locked a moment too long when someone cleared their throat.

“Let’s go chat, gentlemen. I want to hear all the embarrassing stories you have about this guy.” I pointed at Trent.

“Oh, we got you covered, Miss James. Let’s go take a seat. The ceremony should be starting soon.” Nick went to usher me to the ceremony area before Trent moved him out of the way, his hand resting on the small of my back instead.

The wedding planner came by and announced the ceremony was about to begin. Everyone took their seats. Daisy walked down the aisle, radiant in her gown, and Mark’s expression as he saw her was priceless. I found myself trying not to tear up, even though I knew neither the bride nor the groom.

Trent leaned over and whispered, “Is tough little ol’ Dotty James crying at a wedding where she doesn’t even know anyone?” He winked, a playful smirk on his face.

“Asshole,” I muttered, shoving his shoulder.

“I didn’t know if you had it in you to cry, you know?” he teased.

I scowled at him. He had seen me cry plenty of times in my life, and while he was right, it wasn’t often I did it in front of people, I wasn’t immune to tears.

“You look cute when you are angry.”

“Trenton!” I scolded him.

“Told you,” he said with a smug grin, as if I had proved his point.

Following the ceremony, we were ushered back into the reception area, where Trent handed me another glass of champagne. I had forgotten how much of a lightweight I was and already felt the effects of the bubbly liquid.

Mark and Daisy made their way over to us after visiting with several other guests. Trent’s smile lit up at the sight of his friend.

“Akers! Man, thanks for coming out,” Mark said, pulling Trent into a manly half-hug, half-handshake before turning to me. “You must be the lovely Dotty James.”

“I am starting to worry about how everyone knows my name.” I chuckled as I shook his hand.

“Don’t be. It’s all good things,” Mark assured me, and I smiled in response.

“Daisy, you look lovely. Congratulations to you both,” Trent said, pulling her into a friendly hug.

“It’s good to see you, Trent. Thanks for coming. You too, Dotty. It’s so nice to meet you,” she said with a warm smile.

“You too. The ceremony was beautiful, and I adore your dress,” I replied.

“Thank you. You’re too sweet,” Daisy said before excusing herself to talk to more guests. Trent and Mark continued to catch up, their conversation becoming a background hum.

As they continued to discuss their lives over the past decade, it struck me that I was never a part of that life. Trent was my best friend throughout my entire childhood, but he left ten years ago, starting a new life with new friends, leaving me behind.

There was a time when I thought we’d never go a day without speaking, yet we did for an entire decade. I grappled with understanding the man before me as anger started to bubble up inside me.

The reception carried on, filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. Despite the happy scene playing out in front of me, my bitterness grew, fueled by memories of the day he left. I took a sip of my champagne, the bubbly liquid doing little to soothe the turmoil within me.

Normally, I was cold, able to spit fire and never take things personally or even be too emotional, but somehow this one stupid, frustrating man was my only weakness.

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