Page 67 of It's Only Ever Been You

When Sierra and Jace share their first kiss as husband and wife, the crowd erupts into cheers, the moment bright and joyful. They walk down the aisle hand in hand, grinning as petals are tossed in their direction. Emma and I follow a few pairs behind them, our steps perfectly in sync as we make our way down the aisle.

The soft brush of her arm against mine sends a jolt of awareness through me, and I lean closer, lowering my voice. “Emma,” I whisper, keeping my tone gentle. “Can we talk?”

She glances at me, her expression carefully neutral, but before she can respond, we’re ushered into the greeting line behind the bride and groom. The moment slips through my fingers, and I can’t shake the nagging feeling that whatever is bothering her isn’t just in my head.

……………………………………………………………

By the time the reception kicks off, I’m done playing it cool. I’ve spent the entire day replaying every moment with Emma, trying to figure out whereI went wrong. If I don’t get answers soon, I’m going to lose my damn mind.

I spot her near the edge of the dance floor, her hand wrapped around a champagne flute. She’s talking to Sarah, but her smile is tight, her posture stiff.

I cross the room, dodging tipsy relatives and energetic kids until I’m standing in front of her. “Emma,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Can we talk?”

She hesitates, glancing at Sarah before nodding. “Sure.”

I lead her outside to the garden, the cool night air a sharp contrast to the heat of the reception hall. The stars are bright overhead, but I can’t focus on anything but her.

“What’s going on?” I ask, crossing my arms to keep from reaching for her. “You’ve been… off all day. Did I do something?”

Emma’s eyes widen briefly before she shakes her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s…” She takes a deep breath, her gaze darting to the ground. “Ethan, I think… I think we made a mistake.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “A mistake?”

She nods, her arms wrapping around herself like she’s trying to hold herself together. “Last night was… perfect. But it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Why not?” I take a step closer, keeping my voice steady even though my chest feels like it’s caving in. “Emma, talk to me. What’s going on?”

She shakes her head, her voice trembling. “Because this—us—it’s too much. You have your life, Ethan, and I have mine. I can’t risk going through everything again. Not when you’ll just leave.”

Her words hit like a sucker punch, but it’s the look in her eyes that twists the knife. “Leave? Emma, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head again. “That’s what you said before. And we both know how that ended. It’s better this way.”

“Better?” My voice rises, and I force myself to take a breath. “How is this better, Emma? I thought… I thought we were finally on the same page.”

Her gaze flickers to mine, pain etched into every line of her face. “I don’t belong in your life, Ethan. You have your career…we can’t pretend like this is going to work.”

I step closer, my hands gripping her shoulders gently. “Emma, look at me. Whatever’s going on, we can figure it out. But don’t push me away.”

She pulls back, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ethan.I can’t do this.”

Before I can respond, she turns and walks away, leaving me standing alone in the garden with her words ringing in my ears.

I watch her retreating figure, her steps quick and determined, and for a moment, I’m frozen. Her words echo in my mind, each one like a stone sinking deeper into my chest. I try to make sense of what just happened, why she’s pulling away when everything between us felt so right last night.

My hands clench at my sides, frustration building like a pressure cooker. She’s slipping through my fingers, and every instinct screams at me not to let it happen.

“Emma!” I call after her, my voice sharper than I intend, cutting through the quiet of the garden. She doesn’t stop. My chest tightens with every step she takes away from me, and something inside me snaps. I’m not about to let her walk away from me like this.

I storm after her, the gravel crunching beneath my feet, until I catch up just as she reaches the edge of the path leading back inside. My hand wraps gently but firmly around her arm, holding her in place.

She turns to face me, her expression a mix of surprise and frustration, but before she can say anything, I cut her off.

“Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you, Emma?” The words spill out of me, raw and unfiltered. My chest heaves as I struggle tocatch my breath, the intensity of the moment threatening to overwhelm me. “I always have. From the moment we met. And yeah, I’ve screwed up, but don’t you dare stand here and tell me this doesn’t mean anything to you.”

Her lips part, but no words come out. She looks at me, her eyes wide, glistening with unshed tears, and it only fuels the fire in my chest.

“I have waited years for this, for you,” I continue, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. “And I’m not giving up. So if you’re going to walk away, you better have a damn good reason, because I’m not letting you go without a fight.”

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