Page 2 of Falling for Him
As we join the rest of the guys at the end of the aisle I notice the antsy reaction of my brother. His attention is glued to the back of the church while he waits for Sutton to emerge.
I know it has nothing to do with not wanting this, it’s because he wants it so badly. Being away from her for too long he’s jonesing for a fix. It’s a little crazy, like the two of them need the other to breathe.
When the music switches over and Brantley shifts on his feet, he starts to wring his hands before him. A flash of white catches all of our attention as Sutton appears with her father at her side.
One by one, the girls start to walk down the aisle, each wearing the same shade of lavender but each dress a different look. Like they chose the style that best fits their personalities. All of them are various lengths, some tight, some loose and flowing.
I know each of them well, having spent the last two years hanging out with all of them together and at different times.
Adley, Sutton’s cousin, is by far the most forward and sassy. Her dress dips so low in the front, forming a V that descends well below her chest. There’s got to be something holding that shit in place, because come on, it’s barely there. The back is completely non-existent, the dress not starting until right above her ass. Did I mention it is also tight, only flaring out a small fraction right at her knees, swaying as she walks. She knows all too well how risky it is, it’s the perfect description of her.
Sophie, sweet quiet Sophie. Hers is more flowing and sleeveless, but the front goes up the middle and there’s a cuff around her neck like a halter top. The back, a mirror image of the front, leaves only her arms and lower legs showing as the dress stops mid-calf, and has a flowing layer of material after her waist that sways as she walks.
Kendall and Jillian, each added their own little flare, but it is Lexi that I can’t look away from. The lavender strapless dress fit her perfectly. Dragging the ground only slightly in the back, with a slit up her right thigh. Every single time she takes a step her creamy skin pops out of the skirt only teasing enough to make my heart skip a beat.
Her hair is up, long curls hanging down from a high ponytail, a few pieces escape and hang around her face. I’m in awe, lost in her movements, her smile too. Though I hate how she won’t make eye contact with me, no matter how hard I pray for her to. How we got to this point, one where we feel more like strangers than friends, is all my fault. I played dangerously, allowing my ego to lead.
I was a fool.
CHAPTER TWO
Lexi
My heart racesas I focus on everything but him. I can feel him observing me. Feel the way he is watching my every move.
I’ve noticed it for days, weeks even. The way they all watch me. It’s almost like everyone thinks I’m going to break and crumble and they always need to be ready to catch the pieces.
I adore them all, but their hovering, it needs to stop. I feel like a carnival attraction, it makes me uncomfortable.
I’m not going to fall apart, I’m not going to give in and let the hate in my life win. Things happened, I hit bottom, but I’m not that girl, I refuse to be. I deserve more.
Stepping up alongside the girls, I turn my body and make the mistake of looking toward the men. I find Bennett still staring. Our eyes lock, his rake over me from head to toe before meeting my gaze once again. My body shivers, he notices and it makes me angry that I can’t control it.
He didn’t want me.
I was there. I’ve always been right in front of him. But when it came down to it, I wasn’t enough. Call it petty, but that still hangs over me like a dark cloud.
Quickly I look away, doing my best to regain my composure.
When Sutton starts down the aisle I am lost in how breathtakingly beautiful she is. I couldn’t be happier for my best friend, she found a great guy. More like he stumbled into her lap after returning home from the Marines, but pretty much the same thing. When you hear Brantley explain it, all it took was one look and he knew he wanted her.
Brantley is Bennett’s brother.
Sutton is also the girl Bennett had a thing for.
It was a chaotic mess that got extremely hairy for a bit. There were punches thrown, tears shed. Now here we are at Brantley and Sutton’s wedding where Bennett and I are standing at their sides.
Like I said, chaotic.
I’ll admit the first night I met Bennett, when we were out celebrating Sutton’s twenty-first birthday, I was instantly attracted to him. He’s tall, much taller than my five foot four frame. He’s broad, has a strong jawline, dark hair, and those damn eyes. His eyes are the prettiest shade of blue. But even with all of that what drew me in was his mouth. His cocky smirk, tipped up at the side, shatters me every single time. The kind of smile that whenever you are gifted it, it rolls through you like a warm soothing wave.
But it didn’t take me long to realize he had a thing for Sutton. That was a hard kick to endure. Though nothing ever happened between them, it was still a difficult pill to swallow.
But again Bennett, he flirts with everyone. He also never once held back whenever he needed the company of a lady.
I settled for scraps of his attention. I was the cute Lexi girl, tagging along. Whenever we did cross the line, just that once, the look on his face said it all.
He didn’t feel the same as I did. It was a mistake. His words not mine, and it was one I knew I couldn’t ever let happen again.
