Gavin tossed his phone next to him on the couch after it'd rang for the twentieth time. Dillon was fast becoming relentless at this point, and Gavin didn't give a flying fuck. Finishing the last bottle of beer in a six-pack, he mindlessly flipped through the television channels. The cool liquid slid down his throat, working its way into his body. However, the only thing he could taste or feel running through his veins was Emily. No matter how hard he had tried the last couple of weeks, Gavin couldn't remove her. Nonetheless, he kept his promise. Though it desperately took every bit of self-control, he didn't attempt to contact her. Still, that didn't stop her from bleeding through every coherent thought or haunting every sleeping nightmare Gavin had. Emily morphed into an ache unlike anything he'd ever known.
The sound of the clock ticking away on the wall gained Gavin's attention. He glanced at it and pictured Emily walking out of the church, considering it was the evening of her and Dillon's rehearsal dinner. Gavin had no desire of letting Dillon know he wouldn't be attending. None of it fucking mattered. He didn't know how much more pain his heart could take and showing up at the church or the dinner would surely sink him further. Groomsman or not, he wasn't going. In less than twenty-four hours, the woman he loved, the woman he saw a life together with, the woman he thought would hold his child in her arms one day would no longer be Emily Cooper. She would be Mrs. Dillon Parker.
All of it was more than Gavin could handle.
Standing from the couch, he made his way into the kitchen with every intention of cracking into a second six-pack. It was then that a knock came at the door. After pulling said six-pack from the refrigerator, he padded over to open it. Taken slightly off guard by his visitor, without saying a word, he walked back into the living room and settled himself onto the couch.
"You look like shit," Olivia noted, entering the penthouse. "I may be wrong, and tell me if I am, but I'm pretty sure you have the funds to buy a razor blade. Has the man worth millions gone bankrupt?"
"You've never been short in the humor department," he muttered, not looking in her direction as he continued channel surfing. "Shouldn't you be at the rehearsal dinner?"
After dropping her purse to the ground, she peeled off her coat and scarf. "As much as you should be," she quipped, flopping onto a leather chair. "You weren't at the church, and you seriously don't look dressed for the party. Come on, go take a shower, and I'll wait while you get ready. Oh, and I'll drive since it's apparent you've been drinking."
Shaking his head, he plucked a bottle from the six-pack, popped the top off, and took a long pull from it. He didn't respond, but he gave her a look that was nothing short of threatening.
"What?" she asked in one of the most innocent tones he'd ever heard her exercise.
"Oh, give me a fucking break, Liv." He narrowed his eyes on her. "You know I'm not going."
She cocked her head to the side, her brown eyes wide. "Wow, Gavin, I thought you had a little more fight left in you. You're a powerful man in every aspect of your life except for when it comes to this? When it comes to Emily, you just throw the towel in, huh?" She gave a casual shrug and crossed her legs. "Hmm, I guess I don't know you as well as I thought I did."
"Fight left in me?" he bit out. Clicking the television off, he tossed the remote onto the glass table, its piercing sound making Olivia jump. He rose to his feet. "Why the fuck would I fight for someone who doesn't love me back? I'm fucked up over what happened. Believe me, you have no clue the ideas that have spawned themselves to life in my head the past few weeks, kidnapping her being one of them. I'll love that girl until the day I fucking die, but I'm no fucking sap. Your friend's a little more warped than I imagined."
Olivia studied him for a moment as he paced the room back and forth. "Warped? You do realize who opened your door showing off pretty red panties the morning after you dropped Emily off, correct?" He shot her an icy look, but she continued. "She's ripped to pieces, Gavin. You have a long history of fucking women and then leaving them. My friend's hurt because you fucked around behind her back. Did you expect a different reaction from her?"
Raking his hands through his hair, Gavin squeezed his eyes shut. "I didn't fuck around behind her back!" When he opened them, he could see the shock on Olivia's face, but he didn't give a shit at that point. "You may be correct on not knowing me as well as you thought you did, but you do know the uncaring animal that I've turned into the past few years. Why the fuck would I go to her job, trying to get her back? Why would I pour my fucking heart out to the girl? For a piece of ass?" He chuckled, but that chuckle held no humor behind it. Digging into his pocket, he pulled his cell phone out and tossed it to her.
"Damn, Gavin."
"Damn nothing. Look in my contacts list. There's no shortage of ass that's eagerly available to me. It's plentiful. I make a phone call, and I can fuck for days if I wanted to. Gina came here that night drunk, telling me her father died. Yes, maybe I shouldn't have let her in. Yes, maybe I should've thrown her out onto the street like the animal she turned me into." Letting out a defeated sigh, he sat back down on the couch with his elbows on his knees as he gripped his hair. "But I didn't," he whispered. "I didn't, and now Emily's gone. The girl I love doesn't believe me because I was stupid enough to let the girl I used to love into my house. She fell asleep on my couch with her pants off. I didn't even want to touch her to get her out of here that night because she wasn't dressed. I didn't want my hands touching her because my hands had just touched Emily."
He lifted his head and looked directly at Olivia where she sat unmoving. "I love Emily. Fuck, I love her enough that I would do it over again - pain and all - just to hold her again. But I didn't do anything wrong other than let Gina in. So, no, Olivia, it has nothing to do with me being powerful or throwing in a towel. It has everything to do with the fact that Emily doesn't believe me, and most of all...she doesn't love me."
After a few seconds of noticeably trying to take in everything he had said, Olivia stood up and sat herself next to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "She does love you, Gavin. She - "
"Come on, Liv," he interrupted, reaching for his beer. He finished it in one gulp. "She told me she didn't. Do you need me to quote her words? They're as fresh as fuck in my mind. Buzzed or not, it shouldn't be a problem."
"I know what she told you." She took the empty bottle from his hand and placed it on the table. "But I also know what she told me after you came to her that night." He went to speak, but she silenced him with a classic Olivia smash of her fingers against his lips. "You're correct that she doesn't believe you right now. But you're incorrect that she doesn't love you. She said those things to you to try to hurt you the way she felt you hurt her. She's been a mess, Gavin," she whispered, her eyes soft. "Her nerves are shot. She's been depressed, quiet, and throwing up over the whole situation. Even though she thinks she'll be able to rid you from her mind and fall back in love with Dillon, anytime Dillon's not with her, she's crying...over you."
"You say she loves me, she's crying over me, and yet she's marrying him?" he asked, completely unconvinced of anything she had just said.
"I know what you're thinking, but - "
"Oh, do you? Because I'm not even sure I know what the fuck I'm thinking right now," he said, rising to his feet. Beer wasn't doing its job at this point. Stronger. He needed something stronger. Stalking into the kitchen, he swung the cabinet door open, pulling out a bottle of bourbon and a shot glass.
Olivia stood up, crossing her arms. "Are you going to let me finish what I was saying, dick?"
"I'm a cheater and a dick now? Sure, why the fuck not?" he replied, his tone thick with sarcasm. He promptly filled the shot glass. After tossing it back, he smacked his lips together and looked at her. "What kind of shit are you handing me, Olivia? None of it makes any sense. Not one fucking iota of it does."
Moving to the kitchen, Olivia flipped her golden hair to the side and looked at Gavin as if he had ten heads. "What part don't you understand, Blake?"
Now he returned the same look, but she continued.
"Dillon was a safe bet when she moved out here with him. She stumbled upon you, and as much as she tried to fight it, the girl never stood a chance against you, Gavin. Forget about the way you two met." Pausing, a light laugh escaped her lips. "You had her from the moment she saw you. Believe me, I had to hear all about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fuckable Handsome."
Gavin couldn't help it, but he drew up a curious brow at that statement.
"After everything she went through with Dillon, you then became her safe bet. But now, that's been ripped from her. Unfortunately, you have her thinking Dillon is indeed the safer bet."
"Stop saying safer bet," he grunted as he poured another shot, still intrigued by the nickname he never knew about.
Olivia let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.
"So let me get this straight," he leaned against the counter, a lopsided smirk on his face. "She's taking the consolation prize that happens to be the prick that really cheated on her?" He then paused and let out a chuckle. Though his pain remained, the effect of the alcohol was quickly catching up to him. "Wait. Apparently, I'm the prick that cheated on her."
"Consolation prize?" she asked, her brows furrowed. "Is this a game to you, Gavin? She's hurting right now."
"Fuck no, it's not a game. It's my fucking life, and it's what should've been mine and Emily's life together." He chucked another shot down his throat, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and slammed the glass on the counter. "I'm hurting, too, but let me guess, you still think I fucked around behind her back. Go ahead. Tell me you don't believe me either."
"To tell you the truth, buddy, when I first got here, no, I didn't believe you," she answered, looking to her watch. She brought her eyes back to him. "But now I do."
"Oh, do you?" He smirked, almost laughing. "And why do you believe me all of a sudden, oh mighty queen, Olivia?"
She stared at him for a long moment and then moved across the room to grab her purse, coat, and scarf. She made her way over to the door and turned back to look at him. "Because even when you were at your worst after Gina," she whispered, her expression pained, "you weren't as...fucked and tortured-looking as you appear to be right now."
Swaying slightly, that smirk dropped from his face as he peered at her.
"I love you both. You're my second brother, and she's the sister I never had." She let out a deep breath. "And it's killing me to see the two of you hurting the way that you are."
Tossing his hands through his hair, he perched himself on a barstool. "What do I do?" he asked, his voice low and his heart sinking lower. "For the first time in my life..." He hesitated and looked down to the ground. He then slowly brought his gaze back to hers. "God, for the first time in my life, Olivia...I don't know what to do. She doesn't believe me."
Although he couldn't see it from across the room, Olivia's eyes glassed over. Looking back down to her watch, a timid smile crept over her mouth. "Then make her believe you, Gavin. You have less than twenty-four hours to change the course of both of your lives." She slung her purse over her shoulder and opened the door. "I hope I see you there," she said, stepping out into the hallway. Gavin watched as she poked her head back in. "Oh, and if you do decide to go get our girl, do yourself a favor and shave. You're definitely a cutie, honestly, but I'm not digging the whole five o'clock shadow thing you got going on right now."
Gavin let out a deep sigh. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, there is," she replied, tapping her finger against her cheek. "Drop the whole jeans and sweatshirt thing you got going on, too. Love ya, my brother."
Gavin shook his head and watched as she closed the door behind her.
Time.
Tonight, time wasn't on his or Emily's side. Staring at the clock on the wall once again, Gavin sat there for a few minutes. His mind was literally rocked from the conversation. He sat there for a few more minutes, trying - and failing - to make sense of everything spinning through his head. Though his unease of never being with Emily ever again grew, gnawing at his stomach, the thought of showing up, only to get turned down again, made him know that the decision he was about to make was for the better. There was no denying that he needed her. He needed her like the veins in his body needed blood and his lungs needed air. However, this time around, Gavin would rather suffocate than have to look Emily in the eyes and hear those venomous words again. No. He wouldn't go tonight.
And, just like that, Gavin knew he'd changed the course of his and Emily's lives forever.
Teetering. Though a few weeks had gone by, Emily was teetering a fine line between sanity and madness. She felt as though she was made of glass, and a small hammer - held in the hand of each man - was chipping away at her. She was sure that at any second she would shatter into a million jagged pieces. The larger pieces - representing Dillon - cut into her flesh. The smaller slivers - Gavin - stuck under her skin. Either way, both were slicing into her heart, leaving her a bleeding corpse of the woman she once was. She felt like she was watching herself from a distance - no longer in control of her thoughts, no longer in control of the path she was walking. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't deny there was a small sense of relief that had washed over her once she'd arrived at the church to see Gavin hadn't shown up - yet, her ache for him remained. A part of her knew she was being elusive. She was trying to fuse back together what'd been broken between her and Dillon, knowing a huge amount of their relationship had crystallized into dust. Still, she needed something to hold on to - and that something was a tiny glimmer of hope that she could bring her feelings for Dillon back to where they used to be.
She needed to fall back in love with him.
However, she had become a very good liar herself lately, playing into her own game of staunch resistance to the obvious. She now felt like the master of trickery because she knew that she was trying to delude herself into thinking that she'd be able to forget Gavin. Forget every stolen glance they had shared, every accidental brush of their flesh, and every moment they experienced together - right down to the second she knew she loved him. The force of will and string of lies she was trying to convince herself of would never be enough to keep her heart from splitting along the scars and stitches of the mess that was left. So tonight - as she stood staring back at the hollow shell of the woman she had now become - she wondered how far the delusion would get her into her marriage, wondered how long Gavin would haunt her every waking thought, and wondered how long she could fool herself.
Trying to compose herself, Emily tore her gaze from her reflection when Fallon walked into the restroom.
"Are you alright?" Fallon asked, making her way over to her. "Or are you still feeling nauseous?"
Emily shook her head and cleared her throat. "No, I'm okay right now." She tucked her lipstick into her purse. "Is Olivia here yet?"
"She just texted me, saying she'd be here in two minutes," she responded, handing Emily her purse. She walked into one of the stalls. "She had to stop off somewhere after the church."
"Where did Trevor go?" Emily asked, placing their purses on the counter.
"When we got here, he realized he didn't have any cash on him," she called out. "He ran up to an ATM."
Drawing in a deep breath, Emily flipped on the water and started washing her hands. It was then that Olivia popped into the restroom.
"Hey," she chirped, pulling her scarf from her neck.
"Where did you have to go?" Emily probed and reached for a paper towel.
She plopped her belongings onto the counter and studied her reflection in the mirror. She glanced at Emily. "I...uh, had to get cash."
"Why does everyone think they need cash while they're here?" Emily asked, quirking a brow. "Everything's paid for tonight."
"To tip the servers." Olivia shrugged. "You, out of all people, should know that."
"Oh, yeah, I guess I should," she answered absently, her voice trailing off.
"Your head's not where it should be. I get it."
Emily gave her a questioning look.
"I know Dickhead hasn't noticed your act lately since he's been consumed with working late again, but I have." Emily started to speak, but Olivia continued. "I have to admit that I think it's bullshit that he's been working late. But, hey, you seem to believe him, so I guess that's all that counts, right?"
Emily let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh God, please don't start with me about this again, Liv." She plucked her purse from the counter. "Not now. I can't, and I won't."
"I'm just trying to make sense of all of this, Emily." Gently grabbing her by the elbow, Olivia effectively stopped her from walking out. With tears welling in her eyes, Emily looked at her. "You're in love with somebody else - yet, you're marrying another man. Stop. Take a step back. Honestly, just stop and think about what you're about to do."
Emily stood mute and stared at her.
Biting her lip and noticeably uncomfortable, Fallon stepped out from the stall and started washing her hands. She quickly dried them and reached for her purse. "I'm just gonna leave you two alone," she said, walking to the door. Olivia nodded. "I'll see you guys inside."
"You don't have to do this," Olivia whispered, looking back to Emily after Fallon walked out. "Even if you don't believe Gavin, you don't have to marry Dillon."
"I love Dillon," she answered, looking down, her tone low.
Taking her chin in her hand, Olivia lifted her face. "I have no doubt in my mind that you love him, Emily, but you're no longer in love with him and to think that you can make yourself fall back in love with him is completely delusional, friend."
Emily swiped a tear off her cheek. "I can fall back in love with him." She stared at Olivia for a long moment and then made her way over to the door. Turning around, she sniffled and shook her head. "I'm marrying him tomorrow, Olivia. You can support me or not - and I hope to God you can - but I'm doing it."
With that, Emily swung the door open. Before her mind could even begin to compute the conversation that'd just taken place, her eyes locked on icy blues - those mesmerizing icy blues that caused her unimaginable heartbreak, confusion, and her now rapid breathing. Frozen. Literally feeling frozen to her spot, Emily couldn't move as she stared at Gavin from across the lobby of the restaurant. He looked more disheveled than she could've ever imagined, but it didn't stop her body from reacting to his sensually beautiful face - that breathtakingly pained face staring back at her. Almost instantly, she felt her heart drumming within her chest, felt the tiny beads of sweat crawl across every pore on her skin, and felt every hair on her body stand on end. Although guests from several different parties floated across the lobby, their eyes never unlocked from one another. With his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans, Emily's breath hitched in the back of her throat as he began to make his way toward her. She faintly registered the sound of the restroom door closing behind her when Olivia emerged.
"You have to talk to him," Olivia said, placing a hand on her back.
Before Emily could protest, Gavin was standing right in front of her. With the smell of his cologne tickling her nose and his eyes intent on her, she was sure she was going to pass out.
"You look beautiful," he whispered, stepping closer. And, God, she did. Her wavy auburn hair falling over a white button-up blouse paired with a short red skirt and black knee-high leather boots had Gavin fighting for control. He was a fool to think he could've stayed away after what Olivia had told him, so this was his last ditch effort to get her back.
Swallowing hard, Emily stepped away from him, her back pressing against Olivia's chest. "Why are you here?" she breathed out. She nervously tore her gaze from his, looking around for Dillon. "You have to leave."
A sad smile tipped the corner of Gavin's mouth, his voice low. "Well, I am in the wedding party. But I think it's apparent why I'm really here." He stepped closer. It was then that Emily could smell the liquor on his breath. "And, no, doll, I'm not leaving until we talk. Do you understand me?"
Shocked, she didn't answer. In fact, she had no words at all. Emily simply stared at him.
Gavin flicked his eyes in Olivia's direction. "You'll keep an eye out for Dillon?"
Olivia nodded. "I checked on my way in. There's an empty room over here," she said, pointing to a door adjacent to them. "Make it quick though."
Jerking herself away from Olivia, Emily narrowed her eyes. "You set this up?"
Olivia gave a casual shrug.
After pinning Olivia with a lethal look, Emily turned to Gavin. "I'm not talking to you," she scoffed as she went to walk away.
He caught her by the elbow. "Then I guess you're going to force me into making an announcement about the two of us right here at your party."
"You wouldn't do that," she huffed, pulling her arm away from him.
"Mmm, that you're incorrect about," he chuckled as his body swayed. He turned his attention to an older man walking past them. "Excuse me, sir," he called out, his voice booming.
The gray-haired gentleman - who thankfully wasn't with Emily's group - looked at him. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, sir. You see, I'm having a problem. I'm absolutely in love with this beautiful woman here," Gavin said, pointing to Emily. Her eyes widened in disbelief at his actions. "And she won't give me a few minutes to explain an extremely fucked-up misunderstanding. Would you have any suggestions as to how I should handle this?"
Appearing not at all in the least bit interested, the man shook his head and walked away.
"Fine," Emily whispered, her tone heated. "I'm giving you two minutes." Spinning on her heels, she abruptly pushed through the doors to the room.
Gavin looked to Olivia. "Keep him busy for as long as you can."
She nodded.
Upon entering the empty banquet room, Gavin found Emily staring at him with her arms crossed in obvious annoyance. In the darkness of the space, lit only by the opulent moon beyond a massive window, he could see the roaring fire behind her green eyes. As he walked toward her, she backed away and nearly stumbled over a tower of stacked chairs.
"Don't walk away from me, Emily," he commanded, his voice low as he moved closer.
"Don't you dare tell me what to do," she spat with her chin tipped up in defiance. She continued to back away from him, the sound of her heels echoing throughout the room. She wanted to be impenetrable to his smell, his voice, and his face, but she knew the closer he got - under the cool gleam of those blue eyes - that would be impossible.
Undeterred, he continued his carnal pursuit until he had her backed against a table. Emily took a steeling breath as he slowly ran his hand over the curve of her jaw, up the side of her ear, where it ultimately came to a rest on the nape of her neck. Biting his lip, he bent his head and stared at her, their breathing both heavy.
"When I wanted to call, I didn't, but I almost did. When I needed to see you, and Jesus Christ, I've needed to see you so fucking bad, I got in my car, and then I got back out," he whispered, smoothing his free hand down the side of her waist. "Tell me you love me, Emily."
"Fuck you," she hissed, her chest rising and falling.
He smirked, coaxing her face closer so it was mere inches from his. "Those pretty lips are hiding a lie." Gripping her waist tighter, he pulled her into his chest, the thrumming of their hearts colliding against one another's. "You think you can just rid me from your thoughts? You can't. You're mine, Emily. Fucking mine," he growled.
Emily didn't think. She couldn't. It was impossible. Before she knew it, she threw her arms around his neck and jerked him down to her mouth. With her hands white-knuckled in his hair, she moaned against his lips. This wasn't a passionate kiss. No. This kiss brooked no room for argument, and it was just as much angry and possessive on both parts. Hot, sweltering, pent-up aggravation transferred from one to the other - yet, love was there as they both clung to each other. Lips still locked, Gavin picked her up off her feet and sat her on a table, spreading open her thighs while he pushed himself in between her legs. Emily tried to catch her breath as he grabbed the back of her knees and hooked her legs around his waist. The sweet taste of alcohol lingering in his mouth nearly intoxicated her. A deep groan rumbled in the back of Gavin's throat as his tongue swept over hers. The harder Emily tugged at his hair, the harder Gavin kissed her. The harder he kissed her, the further she fell - forgetting where she was and who she was, forgetting space, forgetting time, and forgetting how he'd hurt her so.
"Tell me you love me," he snarled, the words spoken into her mouth as his hand slipped under her skirt.
When he yanked her panties down, all Emily could concentrate on was the feeling of flames beginning to lick through her - and that feeling was threatening the last shreds of her self-control. His hand curved over her hot flesh. He slid two fingers into her syrupy wetness as his thumb circled her clit. Letting out a gasp, she tore her mouth from his, her arms clinging around his neck as her breathing flew past her lips, coming muffled into his shoulder. In all her anger, love, passion, and hurt, she bit down and sank her teeth into his skin. She wanted blood. She wanted him to hurt - wanted him to feel the same agony and pain she had felt every day since that devastating morning. Gavin groaned out, and with his free hand, he fisted the back of her hair and tilted her head up, her back now taut as a bow. His eyes bored into hers. With his breathing heavy and his fingers still sliding in and out of her, his mind drowned in the sound of her panting. He crushed his lips over hers again.
"If I could, I'd rip my heart out to show you how much I love you." He brought his lips up, nipping at her ear, and she nearly came on his fingers. "Fuck, I miss you. I love you so much, and you're killing me, Emily."
"You bastard, you don't love me. I hate you, Gavin. I hate you," she cried out and tried to push him away.
He wouldn't let her though. He snaked his arm around her lower back, pulling her to the very edge of the table, his fingers never stopping their delicious onslaught inside her pussy. Thrusting her hands back into his hair, a moan escaped Emily's lips as her head fell back, exposing her neck in all its beauty. Gavin took the opportunity and buried his face against her collarbone. He traced a wet torrid line up her neck, nipping and sucking until his mouth was over hers again.
"I wish I could hate you - it'd be easier - but you have no idea how much I love you," he breathed out, sucking in her bottom lip and gently biting it. "And that's not hate you're feeling for me. You love me, goddamn it. You're mad at something that didn't happen. Fucking hit me again. Fucking punch me if you need to, but stop saying you don't love me because all you're doing is lying to yourself. You're tearing us apart."
Still clinging to his hair, she pulled her lips away from his. They were both fighting for air as they burned holes into one another's eyes. With one hand still buried in his hair, she smacked him in the face with the other, the sound reverberating throughout the room. At the same time, a moan left her mouth as she felt Gavin's fingers slip out from inside her - her body left feeling torturously bereft by their absence.
"I hate you," she cried out as her entire body braced itself for battle.
"No, you don't. You love me, and I love you," he growled through gritted teeth, glowering back at her. He brought his hands up and cupped her cheeks. "Hit me again if you have to, doll. Just do it. Fucking hit me again and get it all out."
She didn't hesitate. She smacked him again, fury and confusion burning deep inside as angry tears spilled down her cheeks.
Pulling her by the waist off the table, he set her on her feet and crashed his lips over hers again. "Leave with me right now. Don't do this. Don't marry him," he pleaded into her mouth, his words vibrating against her lips. Grabbing fistfuls of his sweatshirt, Emily's eyes rolled back into her head as she sank into the familiarity of his kiss, his smell, and his touch. "We'll tell him together. I told you I wouldn't let you do it alone. Gina means nothing to me anymore. I shouldn't have let her in, but for fuck's sake, I didn't do anything with her."
Pain.
There it was again, sweeping as fresh as an open wound through her soul. It bled out with no sign of letting up. Whispering his sweet words of seduction while trying to veil the bitter taste of the ugly truth, he was trying to break her down into nothing but tiny particles of dust. Like a whip, the harsh reality of what he was trying to do cracked through her chest, disturbing her thoughts with its potency. Immediately, without conscious effort, the gates around the fortress of her shattered heart closed. The most important thing now was to protect the remaining pieces.
She shoved hard against his chest, effectively pushing him away. Looking down, scrambling to pull her panties back up, she couldn't see the shock on his face. Without a backward glance, she headed toward the door. In a few quick strides, Gavin was at her side. Not intending to let her leave the room, he caught her by the arm and pulled her to a skidded stop.
Swiping tears away from her hooded eyes, she looked up at him.
With his soul crying out for her to believe him, his expression creased painfully. "I've never felt so heartbroken and so in love at the same time. If you would've told me the day we met that you were going to break my heart - and that days, months, or even years would pass, that I would still be hurting like this - it wouldn't have stopped me from falling in love with you," he whispered, his voice cracking. "But I would've done one thing differently, and loving you any less isn't one of them." He slowly brought his knuckles up to her face, wiping the tears away from her beautiful confused eyes, his voice soft. "I wouldn't have let her in. That's the only thing I would've changed, Emily. I wouldn't have fucking let her in."
As her body trembled from head to toe, Emily stood there staring at him, but before she could speak a word, the door flung open.
Olivia poked her head inside. "Em, Joan is scouring the fucking restaurant for you right now," she whispered, her tone urgent.
Sniffling, Emily tore her gaze from Gavin, her heart grating to shreds in the process. Her mind was no less confused than when she'd first stepped in there with him. Trying to calm herself down, she took a deep breath, smoothed her hands through her hair, and walked out of the room.
Gavin followed - his thoughts no less fucked-up either.
Emily looked to him as Olivia hastily handed her a tissue. "You have to leave, Gavin."
Shocked by her words, confusion and anger clouded his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." He shook his head. "I'm in this wedding party, and I'm staying."
She glared icicles at him. "You're just trying to hurt me now."
"You know what," he said, swallowing tightly. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm trying to hurt you as much as you're hurting me. The saddest part about this whole thing is that while I was in there begging you to stay, I didn't fucking realize you were already gone. So, yeah, I'm staying, and I hope you fucking hurt through every second of it as much as I will. Deal with it."
After her mouth snapped shut from hanging agape, Emily spun around in the direction of the bathroom.
"No!" Olivia called out, grabbing her by the arm. "You don't have time. You have to get in there right now, Em." She plucked the tissue from Emily's hand, licked it, and started wiping off the streams of mascara that were blanketing her cheeks.
Watching her intently, Gavin smirked. "Don't forget about the lipstick that's smeared all over her."
Emily shot him a look.
"I'm cool, right? There's no lipstick left on me?" he asked, his smirk turning into a full-watted smile. "I love getting kissed by women who claim that they don't love me - makes my dick hard as a motherfucker."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Olivia handed Emily her lipstick.
"Oh my God, Gavin, now you're just being an asshole," Emily spat, reaching for the lipstick. She quickly slid it across her lips.
"Mmm, you haven't seen anything yet," he chuckled, tossing his hand through his unruly black hair. "I have a feeling I'm going to break my own record tonight." He went to walk away but turned back around. "And, if I recall correctly, I think I told you once not to bring any attention to those pretty little lips. Put the lipstick away or else I'll drag you right back in that room and really change your fucking mind." He slowly ran his tongue over his mouth while his eyes shimmered with insatiable lust.
Olivia raised a surprised brow as Emily's mouth dropped open.
Heart broken into pieces, he turned in a leisurely pivot, tucked his hands in the pocket of his jeans, and sauntered into the party room. Scanning the modestly sized space filled with thirty or so people, it didn't take him long to lock eyes with Dillon. Gavin grunted to himself as he walked over to the bar and ordered himself a much-needed shot of tequila and a bottle of beer. He threw a $100 tip to the bartender and turned around, only to find Dillon standing behind him.
Swallowing down the need to beat the shit out of him, Gavin couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Ah, and there he is - the lucky fucking groom." He tossed that much-needed shot down his throat, and out of the corner of his eye, he watched Emily float into the room. "And there's your beautiful bride," he said, gesturing with his head in her direction.
With a suspicious look on his face, Dillon stared at him for a moment and then turned around, motioning Emily over to them. If Dillon couldn't notice it - the way she nervously looked at them - Gavin sure as hell did. When she approached, Gavin popped the top off his beer, arched a perfect brow, and bit his lip, making sure she heard the luscious smacking noise as he pulled it through his teeth.
She glared at him.
"Are you alright?" Dillon probed. "You look upset."
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice monotone, her eyes never leaving Gavin's.
"Are you sure? You seem...off."
Drawing in a shaky breath, she finally looked at Dillon. "Yes."
After placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth, Dillon curled his arm around her waist and turned his attention to Gavin. "What's the deal, man?" he asked, giving him a quick once over. "You never showed up to the church, and now you come to my rehearsal dinner looking like this?"
As Gavin watched Dillon circle his thumb against Emily's waist, seething anger, sharp as razor blades, shredded at his stomach. He flicked his eyes up in her direction. "I'm having a problem with a woman right now," Gavin answered evenly.
"And? That doesn't garner you showing up here looking like that." Dillon retorted.
With her pulse quickening, Emily could see the fire surging behind Gavin's eyes. "Dillon," she immediately interrupted, "does it really matter what he's dressed in? Let's go sit down, okay?"
"Yeah, it matters. He - "
"Dillon," she interrupted again, her tone more insistent. "I'm not kidding. Let's just go sit." Dillon narrowed his eyes on her, and with that, she decided to bring her tone down a notch. "I don't feel good right now alright. Come on," she said, grabbing for his hand.
"I'd listen to her if I were you," Gavin smirked, draping his arm over the bar. He took a long pull from his beer, nearly finishing it. "Just a guess, of course, but if you piss her off enough, she seems like the type that might smack a guy." Emily's eyes widened as he ran his palm over the spot where she had slapped him. "And I bet it'd sting like a bitch, too," he added, turning his back to them. His attention was now focused on ordering another beer to help aid in the self-inflicted hell he was putting himself through.
"What's your problem, bro?" Dillon asked, tapping him on his shoulder.
Gavin didn't turn around. "One, I'm not your bro, and two, I told you that I'm having a problem with a woman."