Page 141 of The Bad Wedding Date

“Matteo didn’t have to lay a finger on your mum for it to be wrong. Not everything that’s wrong is physical. The mental trauma can be worse, and you didn’t think about any of that. All you thought about was your need for revenge.”

His chin dropped to his chest, his shoulders sagging, leaving him barely hanging onto the doorframe as he held the door open with his other hand.

“I never expected to fall for you,” he whispered, almost to himself, as if the words hadn’t meant to slip free.

“I never expected to fall for you, either.”

Looking up, he caught my eyes, and I thought I saw a pool of tears resting in his.

This strong man I thought couldn’t be broken stood before me, more broken than ever.

All because of me.

All because of his own actions.

“You should go,” I said quietly. “Nothing’s going to change my mind. No good can come from us now.”

He held my gaze for far too long before he finally nodded and stepped back, straightening himself to standing as he held the door open. His struggle to let it go was clear to see. He knew that once it came between us this time, it would stay that way.

We were over.

“Just so you know,” he said as I fought back the tears that were desperate to fall free. “I think I loved you the moment I saw you.”

“That’s just the rejection talking. Love doesn’t happen that fast. Not in real life.”

“It did for me, and Charlotte…” He held my gaze. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over you now.”

“Don’t,” I whispered as a tear fell down my cheek and over my lip.

“I’m sorry… for everything.”

With a parting look that slayed me, he guided the door closed until all I could see was the smallest sliver of his body. I closed my eyes, not able to watch him disappear a final time.

“Take care, baby.”

Then he was gone, and I crumpled to the floor where I stood, with more than just my heart breaking now.

Everything about me fell apart as the man I thought had been a blessing in disguise turned out to be the worst wedding date imaginable.

One who stole any hope of happiness I’d ever dared to have. No one would ever live up to what I thought he’d once been.

47

Charlotte

Time moved on without him in my life, and soon enough, the end of summer drew closer, bringing the promise of a crisp autumn into the city of London.

One minute it had been the middle of July, the next, we were in September, waiting for the leaves around us to change any time soon.

Change…

So much of that had happened that year.

Two whole months without Fraser shouldn’t have been as hard as it was, considering I’d only known him for a matter of weeks. But, oh, how I’d felt during those weeks… even if it had been for nothing. It didn’t stop life after Fraser proving more difficult than I could have thought. His presence lingered in every walk of life. He’d shown me a new side of London I’d never seen before, and now that side was the only side I could see.

I hated it.

How could you forget something if it turned out to be all around you?

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