Magical Weddings (128 page)

“This morning was…” Max paused as if searching for the right words. “Overflow.”

“Overflow?” Jenna’s defenses stood at attention. “As in your toilet overflowing from not being able to shake that twenty-four hour stomach bug you compared us to earlier? That kind of overflow?” Her voice shook.

Oh no. He did not just compare their time together to throwing up. Again.

“That’s not what I meant. I meant maybe we’re still feeling a little carried away from the night before. I don’t know.” He looked at his phone quickly then to her. “Listen, I forgot I have a thing to do tonight for Jacob. I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding. Okay?”

Before she could answer he’d disappeared into the crowds and was gone.

She walked to the nearest bench in a daze and sat. Tears pooled in her eyes but refused fall. She was too numb. Max had rejected her again.

His thoughts on the situation were as clear as his actions. He wasn’t interested in being with her. Any feelings he’d had in the last day were exaggerated by liquor and nothing more. There was no rekindling of old feelings on his part.

Once again she was brokenhearted by Max. Once again she’d have to find a way to get over him.

But this time it would be so much worse. This time she’d have to watch her friends get married while the man who’d claimed her heart stood across the aisle from her refusing to ever love her back.

This time when the tears ran down her cheeks in streams, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to make them stop.

****

Max jogged to the opposite end of the Vegas strip, trying to put as much distance between him and Jenna as he possibly could. When he stopped, he finally felt like he could take a deep breath.

What the hell, dude?

Why had he run away from Jenna like that?

Because you’re too much of a chicken shit to act like an adult and talk to her about everything that’s happened
.

True, it would’ve been uncomfortable to stay and deal with the mess they’d created together, and that’s exactly what he should’ve done. Of course, that would’ve also involved dealing with things head on and he wasn’t sure he was prepared to do that right now where she was concerned. Maybe not ever.

Dealing with Jenna would suggest that he knew what he wanted, and he most certainly didn’t. He didn’t understand the feelings that had resurfaced unexpectedly this weekend. How could he discuss how he felt if he didn’t know
what
he felt?

All she’d wanted to do was talk and he’d been a jerk and bolted for the nearest exit like an immature teenager. No, not a teenager—a college student, just like last time he bailed on her. In college he’d broken things off with her because he’d wanted his freedom. He hadn’t wanted to be tied down to the first girl he’d felt real feelings for. He’d wanted to play the field, enjoy college life to the fullest.

At least, that’s what he’d told himself.

Since then, he’d often wondered if he’d really been thinking about his freedom or if he’d been afraid of how deeply and quickly he’d fallen for Jenna. His desire to be with her had been so complete that it felt almost suffocating, and it had absolutely terrified him. He hadn’t been prepared to deal with feelings so intense at the time.

Maybe some things never changed.

This weekend with Jenna had opened his eyes about her. He thought he knew who she was these last few years, but there was so much more to her. She was still the same great girl from college, but now she’d grown into the most amazing woman. She was funny and sarcastic and put him in his place when he deserved it.

Boy, did he ever deserve it now.

But he didn’t deserve her. And she didn’t deserve to be treated like something insignificant that he could use and toss away on a whim, like he’d just done.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Shit. He’d screwed things up for sure.

Jenna was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman and he’d been too dumb to see it back when they’d dated the first time. Apparently a college education hadn’t made him any smarter when it came to women, since he’d just done it again.

The thought of Jenna never talking to him again made his chest constrict and his head feel dizzy. He’d felt overwhelming sexual desire for her this weekend, sure, but more than that, he’d loved spending time with her. He’d enjoyed wandering around the casino with her, laughing and joking around. He hated dancing, but grooving with her at the club had been more fun than he could remember having.

Taking her to his bed had started out as a fling but had ended up as so much more. He’d never emotionally connected with a woman while also physically connecting with her. The moment had been surreal and amazing and unlike anything else he’d ever experienced.

Now he’d thrown it all away by acting like a jerk.

He’d panicked when he heard his feelings for Jenna this weekend were real and not some magical spell put on them with that kiss under the bridge. But he knew now that the truth didn’t change the way he felt about her—he’d fallen for her again, harder, deeper, more completely than the first time.

He had to figure out a way to tell her.

****

Jenna sniffled and put all of her emotions into gripping the bouquet of flowers tightly in her hand so her tears wouldn’t come spilling down her cheeks. Tears of happiness for Leah and Jacob’s wedding. Tears of sadness for her miserable, non-existent love life.

Maybe her love life wouldn’t suck so much if she’d stop getting involved with Max. That man had a way of stealing her heart with a single kiss then stomping on it as he walked away, carefree and no worse for wear. The same couldn’t be said for her. She was always worse after being with him. The first time, she’d feared she might never get over him. This time she knew she would, but she also knew how much it would hurt to do it.

Her broken heart was a worry for another day. Today, her only job was to stand up for her friends while they got married by an Elvis impersonator in the Chapel of Something Blue. Why anyone, least of all her very normal and modern friend, would want to get married here, she had no idea. She simply smiled and stood where she was told.

Across the aisle, Max stood in his tux, looking unbelievably amazing. As if it wasn’t hard enough to face him before, now she had to face him while he looked like he could be doing a photo-shoot for a magazine. She hoped her mascara wasn’t smearing with the extra moisture in her eyes. It was waterproof, but even it had limits.

He cleared his throat while he waited for the wedding to start. The noise drew her attention away from the back of the chapel, but she flat out refused to look at him again. If she did, she wasn’t sure she’d make it through the ceremony in one piece.

Music played and the bride slowly walked to the front altar to stand beside her groom. They looked perfect, the picture of happiness and hope for a wonderful long life together. A future Jenna could only dream of.

The minister, with full Elvis swagger, began speaking about love and a bunch of other things Jenna couldn’t bring herself to listen to. She simply wanted it to be over with so they could all start drinking. Since the only wedding guests were the people in the wedding party and the bride and groom’s immediate family, there wasn’t going to be a big reception afterward. Just a cozy dinner with friends.

And Max.

Maybe she’d have a liquid dinner with a side of whatever they were serving for food. Either way, she’d tough it out for Leah’s happiness on her big day.

“Before we exchange the rings,” Elvis said with a brief pause, “is there anyone among us who feels there is something that needs to be said before God and all of these witnesses? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“I have something to say,” Max said, his voice filling the silence of the small chapel.

Leah looked at Jacob, shook her head, and shrugged. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

What was he doing? He didn’t have feelings that needed to be voiced for Leah, did he?

Max stepped around the bride and groom then stopped in front of Jenna. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Jenna, look at me,” he said softly.

No.

His shirt was a very nice crisp white. Why couldn’t she just look at it instead of his face?

“Please,” he said, his voice gentle and kind.

Holding her breath, she forced her gaze to meet his. His eyes reflected the pain and anguish she’d been feeling. Maybe she hadn’t been the only one suffering.

“I’m sorry I bailed on you yesterday when I should’ve stayed with you and talked this all out then. But the truth is, I needed a little time and space to figure out what I wanted.”

She nodded, unable to speak, knowing that if she tried, her voice would crack and give away her emotions. She wouldn’t give anything away about how she felt unless she knew specifically that he felt the same. She couldn’t handle his rejection again. Certainly not if she admitted her real feelings first.

“When we learned our magical kiss was bogus, and that our actions this weekend were spurred by our real feelings, I was surprised and I panicked. But I shouldn’t have. Somewhere inside of me I already knew my feelings for you were real.”

What did he just say?

“What feelings are those?” she asked, needing this validation clearly spelled out.

“Jenna, I was stupid to break up with you in college, but back then I was terrified by how deep my feelings for you were and so I ran away. I thought I’d gotten over you since then, but this weekend made it clear that I was wrong. About everything. I shouldn’t have broken up with you in college and I shouldn’t have run away yesterday.”

Max brushed her hair off her shoulders then cupped her jaw in his palms, peering at her with such intensity that she wondered if he could see right into her soul.

“I know I don’t deserve it, but please forgive me. For everything. I promise I won’t make the same mistake a third time. I won’t run away from my feelings again. Or from you.” His thumb swept across her bottom lip. “I… I think I love you, Jenna. I think I’ve always been in love with you. I was just to stupid to realize it earlier.”

Leah gasped and grabbed Jacob’s hand, but Jenna could hardly see them through the tears blurring her vision.

Really? Was it possible? Could her world turn on its axis again this weekend?

“Say something,” he whispered.

“I might… I think…” she whispered. “No. I
know
I love you, too.”

He grinned bigger than she’d ever seen him smile before.

She blinked away her tears of happiness and threw her arms around his neck. His lips found hers and nothing else mattered anymore. Maybe it was being in the middle of a wedding, in the middle of a chapel, with a man who’d stolen her heart years ago, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was kissing her future husband. The world around them became silent.

Until Elvis cleared his throat.

They broke apart and heat rushed to her cheeks. Embarrassment, happiness, and excitement all mixed together. She tucked under Max’s arm into his side, hugging him, never wanting to let him go. His arms engulfed her briefly then he pulled away, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

“I should probably go back to my spot so we can stop interrupting their wedding,” he whispered. “After that, I’m not letting you out of my reach for as long as you’ll let me.”

She planned to hold him to that statement.

As he walked back to his place again, Jacob patted his buddy on the shoulder. “Nicely done.”

“Thanks,” he said, grinning like a quarterback who’d just won the Super Bowl.

“You know that part was supposed to be for someone who had to say something about the bride or groom, right?” Leah asked.

“I know. But I didn’t need to confess my love for you,” Max teased. “Only Jenna has my heart.”

“It’s about time you realized it.” Leah smiled with a look of supreme satisfaction.

Elvis finished the ceremony with the exchange of rings. Leah and Jacob shared their first kiss as husband and wife. All the while, Jenna couldn’t stop looking at Max.

Maybe someday she’d be in Leah’s position and Max would be in Jacob’s, but it was way too soon to think about that. For now, she was simply looking forward to their next kiss.

She didn’t have to wait long.

As soon as Leah and Jacob walked down the aisle as a newly married couple, Max pulled Jenna into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply, fully, and stealing the last speck of hesitation she had about his love and their future together.

It was a kiss unlike any other they’d shared before—a kiss so powerful it didn’t need magic to spark something eternal.

Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas, a hater of spiders and a reality TV junkie. Born and raised in the Canadian prairies, she now lives in New York with her husband and kids where she’s become some kind of odd Canuck-Yankee hybrid. When she's not busy taking care of the kids and pets, Heather’s writing her next romance, which will probably be filled with sassy heroines, sexy heroes that make your heart pound, laugh out loud moments and always a happily ever after. She loves to hear from readers on social media and her website at
www.heatherthurmeier.com
. You can also email her at:
[email protected]
.