Page 1 of Broken Valentine
1
Jamie
“Only two more days andwe walk down that aisle. I hope you're ready to be permanently taken off the market,” I say, leaning in to kiss Rhys on the cheek and wrapping my arms around him from behind. He leans back into my touch but doesn't say anything. He's been a bit distant these last few days and I’ve chalked it up to stress from the wedding and his parents being in town. They always drive him insane when they’re here with their nit picking and bad habit of telling him how to live his life. They aren't the easiest people to be around, but at least he has parents who care. I try not to remember mine, and I doubt my mother ever thinks about me.
Rhys picks up another plate from the sink, running the suds-covered sponge over it. “Speaking of which, did you confirm the hotel booking for the honeymoon?”
I nod, resting my chin on his shoulder, and he continues to scrub the same dish. “I did, and I'm pretty sure that dish is clean.”
He sighs, placing it in the drying rack and turning off the faucet. “I just want to make sure we aren't forgetting anything. Something just feels...I don't know.” He spins to face me, peering into my eyes with a look of hesitance. “Off.”
“This something isn't me, is it? Because I just paid the caterer, so a little notice beforehand would have been nice,” I say jokingly, trying to break the tension in the air.
I know I’ve failed when he stays quiet for too long and doesn't meet my eyes. “No, of course not, J. How could you even say something like that?”
“It was a joke.”
“Well, it's not funny,” he responds, pushing past me. “I'm going to go make sure my parents are settling in at the hotel okay. Don't drink too much tonight. I don't want you to have issues walking down the aisle tomorrow or for you to slide the ring on the wrong finger.”
I chuckle, wanting to tell him he has nothing to worry about, but that will be a difficult thing to promise because my older brother, Johnathan, will be there. He has always been big on celebrations. He sent me a message this morning telling me to be ready to get stupid drunk and do all kinds of things I may regret in the morning.
Rhys never had gotten along very well with Johnathan. Their personalities always seemed to clash, and Rhys says Johnathan is never serious and makes inappropriate jokes. Still, he’s always tried to get along with him for my sake since he knows my brother is all I have. Johnathan is the one who raised me when my mother decided to run off with her boyfriend and never come back.
Rhys hurries up the stairs without glancing back or saying another word.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I know who it is without having to look. Johnathan is counting down the hours until my bachelor party. Meanwhile, the only thing I'm looking forward to is the moment I get to stand in front of a judge and make Rhys mine forever.
Jonathan: I hope you're ready for tonight baby brother. Make sure you get a nap in before your last night as a single man.
I took the week off work to get ready for the big day; I’d still needed to get my tux from the tailor and pick up the rings from the jeweler. Johnathan is my best man, so he met me at the store a few days ago to collect the wedding bands.
I sigh heavily, not sure If I should even respond to my brother or just wait to deal with him later. Rhys comes back down the stairs in a tight pair of jeans, black button-down shirt, and a white sports coat. His gaze remains on his phone and he’s smiling. His eyes light up more from something on the screen than they have for me all week. “I’m going to leave a few hours early. Molly wants us to do some last-minute shopping for a new pair of heels. She doesn’t like the ones she has. We figure we can kill some time before meeting the others at the restaurant.”
Molly is Rhys’s best friend, and they do everything together. She’s continuously been loyal to Rhys and he can usually count on her when it’s important, but Molly frequently changes her mind at the last minute when it comes to less vital matters. I guess that’s how it is when you’ve always had things handed to you your whole life. “Sounds like Molly. Maybe while you're out there shopping, you can pick up that ‘something blue.”
Chuckling, he inches closer to me, sliding his phone in his pocket. He reaches for my wrist and slides off my Rolex. “Maybe this can be my ‘something borrowed’ then.”
I press my lips to his before trailing kisses down his face. “It looks much better on you than me anyway.”
“I can’t argue with you there.” He kisses me one more time, but it’s nothing in comparison to the way he usually does. It’s almost as if he’s gone somewhere else inside his head. When his eyes meet mine, they are distant and unrecognizable. He stares for too long, almost as if he is searching for something that once was there, but no longer is. “Be good tonight and, if you are, I just may marry you tomorrow.”
He walks out the door, appearing more relaxed outside than he did when he was in the house with me. I watch him through the window as he gets into his car and drives off, wondering if tomorrow I'll marry the man I fell in love with three years ago or the stranger who just left my house.
2
Taylor
I’m standingat the bar, trying to secure a ride for after work with my friend, Turner, when I feel a man grope my ass. Grunting in annoyance, I shove his hand away. I've already told the man repeatedly to keep his hands to himself. Eyeballing the doorman, I give Ethan the signal that the Stranger is bothering me. He walks my way with a serious expression, flexing his hands. “Do we have a problem here?”
The drunk creep takes a step back, lifting his hands in the air. “Nah man, I was just messing around. I didn't mean any harm.”
“I suggest you mess around somewhere else because you are now done here.”
The man's face grows red with fury. “I'm a paying customer. You can't throw me out for not doing anything.”
“Touching the dancers is not allowed, and you’ve made one of them uncomfortable enough for him to ask me to step in, so it's time for you to go.”
He sneers, standing up from his stool and shoving it hard to the ground. “Fuck this place and fuck that little tease. He shouldn’t be walking around like that if he doesn't expect to be touched.” He storms toward the door before Ethan can say another word. I bend over and pick up the stool, giving Ethan a grateful smile. “Thanks, E.”
