“I’m wearing it here, too. These dates aren’t right. The whole video has been doctored to create a fabric of lies that aren’t true. To try and tear us apart.”
My heart drops, landing somewhere at my feet.
Calla presses my mobile back into my hand, taking a step back and creating a pocket of space between us. She gazes at the floor for a second, upper teeth sinking into her bottom lip, before she meets my eyes with her watery ones.
“Falling in love with you wasn’t on the cards, Blake. I never expected it to happen. But I need you to know I would never use you. It hurts to know you thought that. That you pushed me away. It hurts. That really fucking hurts.”
I tighten my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching out and touching her. “I’m sorry, Calla, I—”
“I don’t want you to be sorry. Well… maybe a little bit. I don’t know.” She pops her shoulders and blows out a breath. “You’re right. Everything’s gotten so messy between us, and I hate it.”
“Me too.” I sigh, my body slumping while my heart thumps to an unsteady rhythm against my ribcage.
“Blake?”
“Hm?”
“Do you believe me?” Calla asks.
I nod without hesitation. “Of course I do. I wish I could go back in time and just ask you instead of jumping the gun.Instead of letting my past haunt me and ruin things between us.”
“Are they ruined?”
“I—”
“I meant what I said, I’m falling in love with you, Blake.You. Not anyone else. I refuse to just throw that away. We’re both hurt in different ways and it’s going to take some time, but I’m willing to wait. To work on us. Are you?”
Chapter 29
Calla
Itighten my grip on my bouquet of faux flowers, trying to remain as still as possible while the makeup artist reapplies my lip gloss. It does no good. Not with the way the wind is blowing, sending my freshly curled hair into disarray, strands becoming stuck to my lips.
She huffs, spinning on her heel to talk to the wedding photographer.
“Doesn’t she know we can’t control the wind?” Shelby asks, standing beside me looking beautiful in her matching bridesmaid’s dress.
I hum, unable to find the energy to form words.
“Can’t they hurry up?” Carmen mutters.
It’s the day of Carmen’swedding, which should mean being inside the church right about now, walking out down the aisle. But instead, we’ve been shoved outside to wait on the steps while the vicar prepares something inside.
I smooth down the satin material of my dress, frowning at a crease I find. Why didn’t I steam it out?
A strong gust of wind blows across my bare shoulders, creating gooseflesh and picking up the skirt of our dresses. Itwon’t be long before the leaves are changing, turning golden and brown. A sure sign that summer is over, and autumn is on its way.
“You okay?” Shelby whispers, keeping her voice low so as to not attract anyone else’s attention.
I watch the makeup artist try to tackle Carmen’s lip stick too, failing and moving to reapply a pretty peach blush instead, before I answer. “Not really.”
“Have you heard from him?”
I shake my head.
“He’ll be here,” Shelby promises with a squeeze of her hand, but I’m not so sure.
I walk a few steps, testing out my heels, to the church balcony. Just the like the church itself, the balcony is just as beautiful; old and ornate with decorated balustrades depicting stone roses and thorns. I reach out and trace one, inhaling the last of the warm summer air.
