Page 153 of The Bad Wedding Date

It took a few hours for us to be able to leave everybody else. Once I’d come around enough to get checked over by the paramedics, the police sat me in a private booth at the bar and asked me to verify Fraser’s story.

I’d told them everything. The whole truth and nothing but the truth, including the threats Matteo had issued in the corridor before I’d tried to leave to make a phone call.

It turned out he hadn’t been invited to the party after all. He’d turned up of his own accord, gaining access through the back door just to threaten me, before he slinked back out in the night, hoping his plan to kidnap me would work.

He’d almost got away with it, too.

After the police had let me go, my father came over and held me tightly, kissing the top of my head over and over until I’d had to assure him that, despite being a little shaken up, I was fine. Thanks to Fraser and the others who’d saved me, I would be fine in time, too.

Even Mum hugged me once she’d realised what had gone on, swearing she had no idea about anything Matteo had done in the past. I’d wanted to grill her further on it, but my head throbbed, and I knew all too well that the adrenaline would wear off shortly. When it did, I wanted to be as far away from everyone as possible. I’d wasted too much time on the bad people around here. For now, I only wanted to focus on the good.

On Fraser.

He’d come back for me, despite everything.

When we’d finally been able to leave the bar, Fraser guided me outside to a waiting car, where Wade and Ray sat up front, while Dean and Joey rode in a vehicle behind us, making sure we got home safely. Fraser never left more than an inch between us the entire night, and whenever he could, he’d make sure to be touching me, be it with a hand on my thigh, around my shoulders, or in the small of my back.

He needed that connection, and honestly, so did I.

Home, it turned out, was my apartment for the night.

The idea of staying in another foreign hotel almost frightened me. I needed home comforts, blankets that smelt of my fabric softener, books I loved by my side, and my own bed to fall back on when my body finally chose to let me sleep.

I needed familiarity.

I ached everywhere when I eventually climbed out of the car, but Fraser wasn’t far behind me, shutting the door before he leaned down to say something to Wade and Ray that had them driving off not too long after, leaving the two of us alone for the first time since everything had happened.

The thought of him leaving me sent a wave of panic through me, and I hadn’t realised just how lonely I’d been until he came back after so long away.

Once at my door, I turned around to look up at Fraser. He stared down at me with that look in his eyes that demanded my honesty, even if I was too tired to know how to give it. In the end, I decided that nobody benefitted from games. Especially not us.

“I’ll have you,” I said, finally giving him the answer he’d waited hours to hear.

His shoulders sagged, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “Took you long enough.”

“I wanted to be certain before I made my decision.”

“Wise move. You shouldn’t rush into these things.”

“Well, I wasn’t entirely sure that I’d forgiven you for your mistakes.”

“Have you come to a verdict yet?”

Closing the gap between us, I pressed my hands to his chest and looked up at him. “You once asked me if I believed that bad people had any good in them or did I write off anyone who dared to mess up even once. Do you remember that?”

He gave me his answer with a gentle nod.

“I know now why you asked me that. You knew you’d already messed up with me, and you were seeking my forgiveness before I’d even found out about it.”

He reached up to brush my hair back behind my ear. “I told you I knew what I felt for you even then.”

“The fact you had a conscience, even so soon into us getting to know one another, tells me you know what you did was wrong. You’re nothing like Matteo, Fraser. He’s a bad person with nothing good inside of him. You’re a good person who made a bad decision. If Jonah can forgive you, I can, too.”

“He forgives me?” he asked with obvious surprise.

“That’s something you’ll have to take up with him, but he sure did encourage me not to give up on you completely.”

“I always knew I liked that guy.” His hands fell to my waist and squeezed tightly.

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