Page 86 of Between Ice and Oaths
“I am,” Kensley says. Her eyes shine, but I feel like she’s holding something back.
She has a folded slip of paper in her hands.
“Are those the vows?” I ask, glancing at her hands, wondering why she has them, unless she’s holding them for Harper so they don’t get lost or forgotten. “Can I see them?” I ask, knowing that I shouldn’t, but I hadn’t written any vows. It wasn’t something that we’d talked about, but with twenty minutes until the start of the wedding, I’m slowly beginning to panic.
Truthfully, I’ve been panicking all morning, worried about Harper.
But seeing Kensley has eased those fears.
“Did you write vows?” Kensley asks, keeping the paper in her hands.
She’s not handing it over to me.
Can’t say I’m surprised. She is Harper’s best friend. She’d do anything for her.
The nervous butterflies are back, but at least the boulder seems to have shrunk immensely. “I’m guessing I should have. Can I take a peek?”
Kensley steps farther into the room, leaning against the dresser, staring at me with a faint smile.
“Why are you marrying my best friend?” she asks. Her head tilts to the side, waiting for me to answer.
Are we really going to do this now?
“Because I love her,” I say, and the words sound far more convincing that even I realize. I do love her—at least it’s the early stages of love—but I’d do anything for Harper, and is that not love?
There’s so much I can’t tell Kensley.
Ashton throws open the door; he looks quite heated and then glares at Kensley. “You’re here?”
“Of course, it’s my best friend’s wedding,” she says and then glances at the clock behind me.
Something feels—off.
Ashton shuts the door behind himself quite forcefully and tears across the room at Kensley. “Where the hell is Harper?”
Her eyes wince, and she reaches forward, handing me the folded sheet of paper.
“It’s not your vows,” she says, grazing my hand. “But you might want to read it alone.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I growl, snatching the page from her grasp and quickly unfolding it.
It’s definitely her handwriting. I recognize it from all the notes she took in class, which makes my heart ache even more.
Clenching my jaw, I breathe in through my nose, trying not to fall apart, because whatever letter she’s giving me, it can’t be good. No one writes a love letter to their partner on the day of their wedding, unless it’s their vows.
And this is certainly not Harper’s wedding vows.
Luca,
I’m sorry. Please forgive me for everything. I never wanted to hurt you. But I can’t marry you. Not today. Not when you don’t love me or Zeke. Forcing us to wed is a mistake. We both know that the only reason you agreed was to protect me. It’s my turn to protect you. Please don’t chase after me. Let me go. I’m setting you free.
Harper
The air rushes out of my lungs, and at least the bed is behind me as I collapse onto it, reading the letter once, twice, three times over.
“She fucking left me.”
To Be Continued…
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