Page 39 of Spark

He just wanted Hattie. That’s all he wanted. He’d almost changed his mind that morning when he woke in his hotel and had nearly convinced himself to give this entire spectacle a miss. But if he’d done that, he’d have never heard the end of it from his brother, and the prick had enough trouble shutting the hell up as it was.

Zane would assume Dex’s absence was about Chloe, and that was the last thing he wanted.

The man himself broke away from the crowd and walked toward Dex, a broad smile on his face, though somehow on his brother it looked more like a smirk.

Zane clapped him on the shoulder. “You made it.” He looked around Dex in an exaggerated way. “Thought you had a date?”

“Said I’d come.” His throat felt dry, scratchy, tight. “She couldn’t make it.”

Fuck. Hattie. What was she doing now? Was she at work? Was she at home all alone? Had she thought about him at all?

He kicked the door closed hard on those thoughts. Not here. Not now.

“That’s a shame. You sure you didn’t make her up?” Zane chuckled at his own joke.

In the last two days, Dex had wondered the same thing himself. Hattie had seemed too good to be true from the moment he laid eyes on her. Turned out she was just too good for him.

When Dex said nothing and just stared at his brother, Zane’s smirk—because that’s exactly what it was—reached his eyes. The fucker was enjoying this.

“You look out of sorts,” Zane said, fake sympathy written all over his face. “But then, this has to be hard for you, Chloe getting married to me. You thought it’d be you and her once, right?”

Dex shook his head. “No, it’s not hard for me, and I never planned on marrying, not Chloe, not anyone.” Not until now. Idiot. It was thoughts like that, and opening his damned mouth and saying things he shouldn’t, that lost him the woman of his dreams.

“No?” Zane said, frowning. Christ, he looked skeptical. His brother didn’t believe him.

Whatever. Dex didn’t give a shit. He just wanted this over so he could go back to his hotel and work his way to the bottom of a bottle of Jameson.

A car rounded the corner.

“Shit, the bride’s here. I better get inside.” Zane strode off and the other guests still outside did the same. Dex hung back, planning to wait until the church was full. If he was at the back, he’d be the first to get out of there.

“Dex!” He spun around, stupid hope making his heart pound, but it was Chloe.

She waved him over.

He approached her as she climbed out of the bridal car.

“You came.” She smiled softly.

“Yeah, of course.” He forced a smile, or what passed for one. “You look beautiful.”

She smiled wider. “Thank you.” She put her hands on his forearm. “I’m so glad you decided to come. I’d hate for us not to be friends anymore.”

“It’s all good, Chloe.”

She gave his forearm a squeeze, and he turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm again. “I hope you find someone, too. Someone special,” she said.

He dipped his chin and strode up the path and into the church.

He’d already found his someone special, and then he’d pushed too hard, too soon, and he’d lost her.

A guy at the door closed it behind him, trapping him in with the guests, and there were more than he’d realized. The place was packed.

He was going to stand at the back, but then Zane saw him and motioned to the second row. Dex spotted his seat easily. The space was wide enough for him and Hattie. Awesome.

He strode up the aisle and took his seat, feeling like he was all alone, that everyone was looking at him again and the vacant space beside him.

Music playing quietly and the low hum of people talking filled the room while they all waited for the bride. Thankfully, the people down from him didn’t find it necessary to make small talk. Dex occupied himself by staring at his fucking shoes. The pricks pinched like hell.