Page 2 of The Best Man

I wanted to become part of a family, but tomorrow is my wedding day and I’ve never felt more alone.

My friends didn’t throw me a bachelorette party. When my maid-of-honor realized she was meant to, she bought me a sash at the adult toy store and said we could go out drinking. So we did, but it was just like any other night out at the bar.

I put on a short, sexy white dress, curled my chestnut locks, and dolled myself up. Then we went to the local bar—a depressing place with wood-paneled walls and tacky lighting. Three other people sat at the musty-smelling bar, and after an hour, we were all tired of pretending we wanted to be there.

I hadn’t planned to see Joey tonight since our wedding is tomorrow, but I was so sad, I came to his place and crawled into our bed so I could disappear into a dark hole. Joey has very specific preferences and he needs it completely dark to sleep, so he has blackout blinds that shut out every bit of light.

It was intense the first few mornings I woke up here and the room was still pitch black. When he pressed the button and the mechanical blinds went up to let sunshine spill in, I couldn’t believe how effective they were.

But right now, I’m grateful. I need a dark void to disappear into for a while.

I don’t know what time it is. I think I left my phone in my purse, and my purse… I’m not sure. Maybe in the bathroom.

I’m not drunk, but I am tipsy from the two drinks I downed at the bar. I’ve been on a bride diet to look good in my wedding dress, so I’m the lightest I’ve ever been, and I didn’t eat much dinner.

I think I napped a bit, but my eyes snap open when I hear commotion outside the bedroom. Joey lives alone, so if there’s noise out there, it must be him.

But it’s too much noise to bejusthim.

Voices are muffled but I hear the rumble of multiple men talking.

“Yeah, hold on,” one of them calls. It sounds closer than the ones before it.

The door opens and the light flips on.

I flinch, turning my face into the pillow to hide from the sudden brightness.

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” The light goes back off. It’s Marcus’ voice, Joey’s eldest and most handsome brother. Also the meanest. “I didn’t realize you were in here. Aren’t you supposed to be at your bachelorette party?”

“Yeah,” I murmur slowly, trying to get my bearings. I clear my throat because I sound hoarse. “It didn’t really work out, so I just came back home.”

“You sound sad.”

Marcus can be rather blunt, so I’m not surprised he’s telling it like it is.

“I am sad,” I confess.

Alcohol makes me painfully honest.

He closes the door and walks closer to the bed. “Why?”

“Why?” I laugh a little. “Because my wedding is tomorrow and I’m marrying into a family that hates me. All I’ve ever wanted was to be loved, to join a family I could love, too.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then he says, “Everyone doesn’t hate you. Matt likes you.”

I scoff-laugh. “Oh, I’m sorry. One person passively likes me. What a warm welcome.”

I like how even faced with my vulnerability and sadness, he doesn’t pretendhelikes me.

“We don’t think you’re right for him, that’s all it is.”

My heart sinks hearing that.

“Oh. Well, if that’sallit is,” I mutter sarcastically.

He’s closer now. He opens the nightstand drawer. It’s too dark to see anything in it, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and touches the screen so the glow will illuminate the drawer’s contents.

He grabs what he must have been looking for and tucks it into his pocket, but his gaze catches on something else.

---