“Yes,” he said.
“I don’t see it that way.”
“I have to go,” he said.
“Parker, wait. Just tell me if you feel the same way. If you do, then we can figure this out.”
I thought I saw a glimmer of a “yes” in his eyes. “I don’t,” he said firmly.
I inhaled sharply; I must have been mistaken about all of this. Wow, did I ever feel like a total ass. And the fact that he could be so callous with my feelings hurt even more.
“Maybe you shouldn’t come tomorrow,” he said and turned away from me. I watched him walk out the door and out of my life forever.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Parker
The streak of sleepless nights continued into the morning of my wedding. I hadn’t returned home until late last night, unable to face Rachel, or anyone for that matter, after hearing Sienna talk about us being together. Why the hell did she decide to bring this up the day before my wedding? Did she not want me to marry Rachel so badly that she’d make up lies about wanting to be with me? If she had, it was the cruelest thing I’d ever heard.
Sienna never opened her heart to anyone, so as much as I tried to deny it or make excuses for her losing her mind, I had a feeling she was telling the truth. I didn’t understand the timing. She had years to tell me how she felt. What had changed in the last day? Tony had said she talked to the Lamontes, maybe Harriet had said something. She was a sweet older woman, but she had a tendency to meddle. I hoped she didn’t encourage Sienna to confess her feelings for me. I bet Sienna told Harriet about how Rachel “cheated” on me; then I’d understand them trying to break up Rachel and me. But Sienna was wrong.
It was hard for me to admit that at a few points in my life I considered trying something with Sienna. Hearing her talk about me in that way had stirred something inside of me. I only wished she had better timing.
I couldn’t end everything now with Rachel. It wouldn’t be fair to her.
I was about to drift off early that morning when an electronic noise made me jolt.
Rachel reached over and turned off her phone, which had been charging on the side table next to her.
She turned around. “Happy wedding day,” she said with a smile. She kissed my cheek and hopped out of bed and went into the bathroom.
I didn’t remember the last time Rachel had kissed me. Granted, it was my cheek. In the past, she said it was hard for her to hold onto her virtue if we did much more than kiss.
I turned and leaned on my side, listening to Rachel humming in the shower. I smiled, thinking of how happy she was for our wedding day. I’d been right about not taking a risk on Sienna. As much as it pained me to think that, we were better off as friends. I had a feeling she thought she was going to lose me when I got married. And even though we were fighting at the moment, I knew we’d find our way back. If she had those feelings for me, of course, she would want to stop the wedding. But that didn’t mean I had to stop it on a chance of us being together.
I was still in bed when Rachel got out of the shower. “I’m going over to Ophelia’s to get ready, then the limo is going to take us to the venue around eleven. Are you going to get up anytime soon?”
“Yeah, I was waiting for you to get out of the shower,” I said. Plus, I didn’t take as long to get ready as she did. I literally had to take a shower and put on my tux and I was ready to go. But I knew if I said that, I’d probably get a nasty look.
She went into the closet. “Where is Sienna’s dress?”
“Hm?”
She poked her head out into the bedroom. “She’s not getting ready here? I thought her and her friend were coming here before the wedding.”
“About that…” I said.
She came out of the closet with her arms crossed. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” I said, and that was the damn truth. “Sienna is no longer a part of our wedding.”
Rachel almost looked relieved, and for a moment I thought of the cheating conversation with Sienna. I quickly pushed away from the thought.
“So, you’re not having anyone stand with you?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
Rachel sighed heavily and went to the side table to pick up her phone. “That’s not acceptable. I can get Ophelia’s brother to do it. You need to have a best man.”