Page 13 of Kiss the Bride

“What do you want to do?” I slow down in case she wants to go back to the city.

“I need to talk to my parents, but I just can’t. They’ll be so disappointed in me—the video and all—I can’t face them.”

“Leave it to me.” I accelerate, again. We need to get to the marina before people start calling Livia instead of texting. “I’ll call them and let them know you’re with me and I’ll look after you.” I look at her, wishing I could do more than hold her hand. “I’m here for you. If you want to call, call. If you want me to do it, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.”

Within half an hour, we park back at the marina, grab our food and Livia helps me getLife Boatout of dock. I’d wanted to name herLiv Life Love, after Livia, but she’d talked me intoLife Boatbecause being on the water had saved our mental health back in high school. While Livia takes control of the wheel, I use her phone to check in with her mother. Putting it on speaker, Livia listens while I assure both parents that she’ll call as soon as she feels strong enough to talk. I don’t know why, but they still trust me with their daughter and I promise to look after her until she is strong enough to come to them.

By the time I check my texts, I wish I hadn’t. Message after message from our friends, either wanting the sordid details, or to let me know lines are being drawn and sides taken. I put it on silent and stand with Liv while she finds the perfect spot in the middle of the Harbour.

As long as she needs me, I’ll be beside her or behind her. I’ll catch her if she falls, or walk ahead and slay her dragons. Whatever she needs, I refuse to let her down.

Once we drop anchor, I confiscate Livia’s phone, and we unwrap our custom-made burgers. Without asking, I ordered hers with avocado, pineapple, double cheese, potato scallop, and no dressing. It had been her end-of-semester treat all through high school. The greasiest, most unhealthy but completely delicious burger.

Mine has double meat, bacon, no tomato or beetroot but just for good measure, I asked for the potato scallop as well.

“You never used to have potato on your burger.” Livia teases as soon as she spies the battered and deep fried potato scallop. “Are you finally willing to admit I’ve always been right?”

“Things change.” I take a large bite, stuffing as much as I can into my mouth, all to make her laugh. It works for a moment, before she looks up to the sun, blinking away tears. Damn it.

“But some things stay the same.” She sets aside her mostly uneaten burger.

“Livia, love, it’ll be okay,” I say after quickly swallowing my mouthful. “I know that’s not what you want to hear right now, but I promise you, it’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know how.” She shrugs forlornly and my heart breaks for her. “Because I was stupid enough to post the video, everyone knows what he did to me. I’m such an idiot.”

“No, he’s the fool.” Without thinking, I dampen a napkin with my water bottle, and wipe a black streak from her cheek. Her face doesn’t deserve to be marked by his betrayal. “Every singleperson who was invited to your wedding loves you. Adores you. Respects you.”

“They won’t now.”

“Livia, listen to me.” I grasp her hand, lace our fingers together, and feel the tension coursing through her arms. She’s barely holding on and I have to somehow get through to her.This is not her fault.“Anyone who thinks less of you because of what he did, isn’t worth it. His family will side with him, out of genetic responsibility.”

“When we broke up, we didn’t make our friends choose.” Liv sniffs, and I offer her a fresh napkin to blow her nose into.

“Yeah, they kind of chose you.” I laugh, even though back then it had hurt like a bitch.

“No, they didn’t.”

“If you remember, for about six months I was MIA.”

“Because within months you met someone else. I am so completely forgettable and unlovable …” She almost tosses my hand away in her haste to get to the side and clutch the handrail. “You stopped loving me and he didn’t love me enough.”

She’s not listening because broken wings need to mend before they can fly. I stand behind her, giving her a moment to push me away before turning her around and hoisting her into my chest. Her knees give way, she immediately slags, and the weight of her body becomes mine to carry. “Liv, oh, Liv. You are perfectly lovable. Mitch is a dumb ass and you deserve better. I was a dumber ass and you deserve better. I promise you, you are lovable in a thousand different ways.”

And the next guy who breaks your heart will die.

“Liv, your friends hated on me for breaking your heart and more than one of my friends threatened to teach me a lesson unless I stayed away from you. At least until you were over me.”

“But, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did. At least for a while. Your friends chose you once, and they will again. It’ll be Lina and Mitch that will be missing out on weekends away and parties in the city.”

“I don’t want parties,” she sobs into my arms. Liv doesn’t need to finish the sentence. She wants her life to be back to where it was yesterday—in blissful ignorance of what her lying, cheating, husband-to-be is doing. At least, she thinks that’s what she wants. I know my girl. When she looks back on today, she’ll be glad not to have married a lying, cheating asshole. I just need to be strong for her until she can be strong for herself.

“I know, baby, I know,” I soothe, stroking her hair, errant strands now escaping from the mass of bobby pins and fasteners. I have an overwhelming desire to kiss her, to physically make her believe that she is loved, adored, and worth more than a thousand Linas. But all I can do is hold her, try my best to absorb her pain, and make her believe the sun will come out tomorrow and it will be all for her.

“You called meLiv?“ she looks up at me, her eyes bright with tears. “You haven’t called meLivin years.”

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