Page 39 of The Bad Wedding Date

Lucas turned his bride away from me, and they, along with the bridesmaids, walked away without a care in the world, leaving me to stand there while everyone stared at me like I was nothing more than a stray cat waiting to be taken in from the streets.

These people I didn’t know—faces I didn’t recognise—were on Emmie’s side. Why? Were they scared to do or be anything different?

I tried to seek out my parents, but they weren’t close by. In the huge hall, they could have been tucked away in any corner, oblivious to what had just taken place.

I’d done all I could do.

I shouldn’t have come here. They had no need for me, and I no need for them.

The rebellion was complete.

Fraser’s hand on my arm felt nice for a second until he pulled my limp body around and raised my chin with his finger. When our eyes met, his belonged to a hunter, and mine, the prey. Tears threatened to fall, but I somehow held them back.

“Nobody deserves this,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter.” I pulled his arms down and stepped back. “None of it matters.”

When I motioned to move past him, Fraser’s hand came up to my arm again, holding me in place.

“Where are you going?”

I chanced a glance up at him, his strong jaw ticking behind that perfectly manicured blond beard of his. “The bathroom. I’m drenched, Fraser, and if I don’t go and wipe my eyes, I’ll look like even more of an idiot than I already feel.”

“You’re not an idiot.”

“I look like one.”

“No, you don’t.” He studied me for a moment. “Just the bathroom?”

“Do you want to follow me?”

I could tell a part of him did, but he shook his head, let me go and dug his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers. I collected my purse from the nearby table and clutched it in front of me.

“I’ll be a few minutes,” I said.

“Charlotte?” Blowing out a breath, I turned back to him. “You know it’s them and not you, don’t you?”

I nodded, not sure of anything anymore, so I walked away, not looking back.

I pushed through the door, out into the foyer, and then out into the warm night air of London.

The noise of the traffic and the people brought me to a sudden stop, and I let my head fall back as I closed my eyes and soaked in a huge breath for strength.

It’s them, not me.

It’s them, not me.

It’s them, not me.

But when I opened my eyes again and watched the cars flying by at the end of the road, taking themselves far, far away from this pretentious life, I knew it was only me, not my family, who could save my sanity tonight.

I had to save myself.

That’s when I slipped my shoes off… and I ran.

* * *

I made it all the way to the end of the street before someone lifted my body from the ground. For a moment, it felt like flying. The arm around my waist tightened, and a rough grunt fell against my ear before he said, “Oh, no, you don’t.”

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