Done With Love (5 page)

“It was truly one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life,” Deborah said. “I worry my son will never get over the way that girl broke his heart and humiliated him in front of all of his friends and family.” She shook her head. “He’s tried to call her several times, but she refuses to answer. Can you imagine, Sally? All he wants is an explanation.”

My jaw dropped. Sally, the anchorwoman, shook her head, her face screwed up in sympathetic horror. “As a mother, I am absolutely appalled. What a horrible thing to watch your child go through.”

Deborah placed her palm against her chest and made a show of taking a deep breath. “We have had such a time of it adjusting to what that girl did to our family. But we’re strong, us Buchanans.” She frowned. “We have very strong family values.”

“I can definitely see that,” Sally agreed. “How is this affecting your husband’s campaign, Deborah?”

“Gerard feels strongly about doing what needs to be done. Making sure Nebraska has a strong, conservative voice behind it.”

Sally’s eyes skimmed over the tablet in her lap. “You told me earlier today when we spoke that there is this terrible dark cloud hanging over the Buchanan house right now, but that your son is being very strong in the face of humiliation and heartbreak. How do you cope with something like this?”

“It’s very tough for me, as a mother. I felt I had gotten to know Jeremy’s fiancé, and accepted her into our home and family.”

A video clip flashed on the screen, replaying me with my wedding gown hiked up. Gen and Roxanna were in the clip, too, tearing down the aisle behind me, both holding up my train so I wouldn’t trip in my mad rush to leave my groom. The video was flawless and as clear as the pain etched on my face as I raced down the aisle toward freedom.

“That video must be hard to watch.” Sally patted Deborah’s hand. “As a mother, I can’t imagine.”

“That evil witch,” Gen breathed from my side. Her hand closed around mine, squeezing gently. The soft hum in my ears intensified by the second.

“Witch?” Roxanna said from my other side. “That’s being too kind. That woman is an evil
bitch
,” she seethed. “I hate her.”

“She’s making a play for the sympathy vote,” I muttered in astonishment. Even now, Deborah was using me. And she didn’t just want her husband to win the election; she wanted my blood and my reputation on a platter.

Roxanna took my free hand in hers and held on tight. We’d been like this, the three of us, since we were kids—taking the world on together, facing life head on. Except right now, I was the weak link. One shove and we’d all go down.

Gen shook her head. “I can’t believe she’s doing this to you.”

“I can,” I said in a choked whisper while Deborah described a woman—me—as someone who had ripped Jeremy’s heart to shreds with deceitful mind games.
This is really happening.
I sucked in a painful breath. “I was so stupid to think she’d just let me walk away.”

I’d been so stupid with so many things. Not only had I misjudged Jeremy’s feelings for me, I’d underestimated the lengths his mother would go to ruin me.

Roxanna squeezed my hand. “On the bright side, look how beautiful you are. You’re stunning in that dress.”

The muscles in my face wouldn’t respond with the smile she’d hoped for. And as painful as it was to watch, I couldn’t take my eyes off of Deborah spewing her lies.

“To think, she owns a bridal boutique right here in town.” Deborah feigned pained confusion. She was an amazing actress, I’d give her that much.

“Yes, that’s right.
Once Upon A Dream
bridal boutique. I remember the photo spread in the newspaper from last year’s bridal expo. If I recall, you and your son were there for her exhibit,” Sally said.

“We supported her one hundred percent with her boutique,
Once Upon A Dream
.” Deborah enunciated the name of my business so there would be no confusion for whoever watched. She leaned forward, the tip of her nude pumps turned to Sally. “Can you imagine? Selling dreams to blushing brides-to-be while running out of her own wedding? Hypocrisy.”

“I’d say,” Sally clucked. “I can’t imagine what must have been running through your mind in that church.”

“It happened so fast and was such a surprise. I didn’t see it coming at all. She had me fooled.” She turned her face to gaze right into the camera, a beseeching expression painted on her face. “Mothers should be wary of whom they entrust their young daughters with. A bridal consultant spends intimate time with a bride-to-be in picking out a wedding gown. During the fittings she becomes a close confidant, of sorts. We mothers must be careful whom we trust with our impressionable young.”

I expelled a breath on a
whoosh
.

Gen glanced over her shoulder to Ted. “Turn it off.”

The world went fuzzy, and sound faded to the background. I dropped down onto the nearest seat, oblivious as to whether or not the table was already occupied. My eyes blurred as I stared at the table, my hands shaking in my lap. A hand clasped my shoulder and I looked up at Gen, blinking back tears. I supposed they had to come sometime, but I didn’t want to cry here. Not in public.

My lips trembled. “Gen?”

“It’s going to be all right,” she whispered as she leaned down to hug me.

“No one cares what she has to say, anyway.” Roxanna sat down in the chair beside me. “She looks like a pompous snotty bitch on camera.”

The bar was small, and mostly filled with my friends, but there were a few tables occupied by strangers who watched me, curious at the real life runaway bride in their midst. From the corner of my eye, Leo leaned against the brick wall, his arms crossed over his chest. I averted my gaze—I didn’t want him to see the tears that would spill any second now. What did he think about all of this? Along with almost everyone else, he had no idea why I’d run on my wedding day.

My body trembled, and I pinched my eyes closed.
Deep breaths.

A shot glass was pressed into my hand. “Drink this,” Roxanna ordered.

My hand shook as I lifted the glass to my lips. I knocked the tequila back, then brushed away the fat tears blurring my vision. I nudged the shot glass toward Roxanna. “I want to go home now.”

“Are you sure?” Gen’s brows quirked with worry. “You should come back home with me.”

“Mitzy’s there, remember?” My little Chihuahua didn’t like being left alone very long. And there, I could cry as much as I wanted to—needed to.

“Matt, go get the car, please,” Gen said, and Matt disappeared out the front door without a word. My twin turned to me with a serious gaze. “Tomorrow, this won’t mean a thing.” She nodded to the now blank television. “That interview won’t mean a thing.”

Maybe she was right. Maybe when I awoke tomorrow, the Buchanans would be nothing more than a nightmare I once had. I hoped so. I longed for it to be true and prayed for it all the way home while I sat in numb silence in the backseat of Matt’s car. They endured the awkward silence, and I was relieved they let me be.

When we reached the curb in front of my apartment building, Gen got out with me. She studied my face, reading my emotions. Being twins, we had a bond most didn’t understand. I wouldn’t exactly call it reading each others’ minds. It was more of a feeling, a connection we shared. And right now, she could tell I wanted to be alone. After a moment, she hugged me and let me go inside without trying to convince me out of it. I took the stairs up to my second floor apartment on heavy, tired legs.

Mitzy scratched at the door as I turned the key in the lock.

“Calm down, baby,” I said as I pulled the door open. She launched herself into my arms, and I buried my face against her tiny neck. “Hey, pretty girl, mama’s home.”

I kissed the top of her head, then gazed around the small apartment. I imagined the walls pressing in, suffocated by the essence of my relationship with Jeremy. There were touches of my ex-fiancé everywhere, from the toothbrush he kept in the bathroom, to our engagement picture hanging on the wall. The oversized image mocked me—at one time we’d been a happy, healthy couple. At least, I’d thought so. I sucked in a ragged breath.

There was too much here to remind me of everything Jeremy was not, of what I had lost because he had given me up. As I stood in the entryway of my apartment, my relationship with Jeremy replayed over and over in my head like a movie strip. My circuit was overloaded with all the “whys” and “what-ifs,” but it was all a jumbled mess. I’d been agonizing over him—over us—for the last five days, and by now, I was physically and mentally exhausted. When I closed my eyes to sleep, my mind berated my heart for being so blind, for not seeing the end of my relationship careening toward me.

How could I have missed it? How had I ended up here, alone in an apartment which no longer felt like home, but more like a tomb for a failed relationship?

My eyes swam with a rush of panicked tears. I choked on a moan and turned back to the front door, struggling with the uncooperative knob in my shaking hand. Mitzy stared at me with wide, worried eyes as I carried her over the threshold and into the bright hallway. It was a good thing none of my neighbors were around, or they would’ve witnessed a sobbing mess.

I leaned back against the closed door and worked to get my tears under control, muttering to Mitzy, “It’s okay, baby. We’re going to be okay.”

She gave a soft whimper and stared back at me. I dug through my purse and pulled out my cell phone. Along with the phone, I pulled out a voucher the size of a large check. It was a ticket for the honeymoon I’d booked—a waste of money if not redeemed within three months. I swallowed the lump in my throat and hurried to put as much distance between me and the pictures on my apartment walls. I was two steps down the stairs when Gen answered.

“Is everything okay?”

“Gennie,” I sobbed. “Can you come get me, please?”

“Of course.” I could hear the strain in her voice. “We’re turning around right now.”

Mitzy fidgeted in my arm, and I kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, Mitzy.” Making my way down the stairs, I said, “I can’t stay here, not until I get his things out, the pictures out. I’ll do it tomorrow.” I didn’t have to explain to her I was too exhausted to tackle it tonight. When I returned, I would eradicate every piece of him from my life. Every tiny, little piece.
Throw it all in the dumpster where it belongs.

“Oh Lex, I’m so sorry.” Gen’s voice broke “We’ll be there soon.”

While I waited for Gen and Matt, my cell phone rang. I stared at Jeremy’s phone number on the display. My hand shook with anger. “You bastard.”

He’d agreed to throw me out after his family got what they wanted out of me. Stood by and watched his mom tear me to shreds on the news—he’d probably even known about it beforehand, as he’d known about the contract and hadn’t thought to warn me. “Screw you, Jeremy Buchanan.”

I clicked to ignore his call and shoved my phone into the side pocket. My fingers brushed against the voucher again, and I pulled it out to read the elegant script. A light bulb went off in my head.
Why not?

Mitzy yipped. Her little body shivered in the crook of my arm.

“Mommy’s going to be just fine, pretty girl.” Especially after a vacation in the Caribbean. I slipped the voucher back inside my purse and scratched behind her ear. “We don’t need a man—you and I will be just fine.”

What had a man done for me lately, anyway?
Nothing, that’s what.

The fairytale is officially over.

The sun blazed, but the ocean breeze was a cool caress against my lotion-lathered skin. The oversized brim of the sunhat plopped on my head kept my face and shoulders protected. The Caribbean sky packed more punch than the sun tanning beds I was used to.

Time meant nothing here. No worries, no responsibilities.
Paradise.

This was the very last place anyone would expect me to run. The people who mattered knew where I was. Even though I’d come for clarity and, to be honest, escape the media so focused on the city’s most beautiful wedding that hadn’t happened—I planned to take full advantage of this almost-honeymoon-vacation, especially considering it would take me two years to pay off the credit card charge.

The fruity rum drink slid down my throat, cold and satisfying. I sighed in contentment, the sun’s warmth soaking into my core. I planned to stay liquored up for most of this trip—anything to numb the hurt and anger clattering around in my head. Maybe clarity would come at the bottom of a bottle of rum. I toasted the baby blue sky and sucked at the fat pink straw.

Running from my problems was definitely the way to go.

Toeing off my sandals, I cozied down into the plush lounge chair resting on the patio beside the pool.
Peace—
even if only temporary. My foot tapped the air in time with Pistol Annies’
Hell on Heels,
playing through my earbuds.

Between the sun and the liquor-numb, I wondered where Jeremy’s and my relationship had gone wrong. We’d been
happy
once upon a time—blindingly so. Jeremy had
loved
me. My phone rang once a day with his calls, but I didn’t answer. Forgiving him was out of the question. He had to understand as much, and yet still he called. Sometimes I listened to his voicemails before deleting them—none of which were an apology for what he’d done, only a plea for me to call him. There wasn’t any point in us speaking. He’d made his choice, and it hadn’t been us.