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With the wedding at six, she headed back to her room to shower and get ready. On the way, she ran into Cameron and Will, who were returning from the beach, holding hands as always. They were so damned cute, and seeing their happy, smiling faces reminded her once again of what she’d almost had with Gavin.
“Hey, guys.” She forced a smile for their benefit. “How was the beach?”
“Heavenly,” Cameron said. “Will had to drag me away so we’ll have time to get ready.”
“How are you?” Will asked, his insightful gaze taking a perusing look at her.
“I’m fine. I enjoyed the pool.”
“Ella—”
“I’m really fine.” She patted her brother’s chest. “I’ll see you at the wedding, okay?”
“Yeah. See you then.”
As she climbed the stairs to her room, Ella realized it was going to be even worse when she got home and had to answer questions about what’d become of her and Gavin. Tears flooded her eyes when she thought about Mrs. Abernathy coming to the door when they were making love against it.
It had been the fu
That question weighed heavily on her as she showered, dried and straightened her hair and dressed in the yellow dress she’d brought for the wedding. When she’d packed the dress, she’d done so with Gavin in mind, hoping he’d like how it looked on her. Hell, she’d done everything with him in mind for so long now that it would be nearly impossible to break the habit.
But break it she would. He hadn’t given her much choice in the matter.
She walked to the beachfront wedding with her siblings and their partners, all of them in a festive mood. Ella absolutely refused to be a drag, so she participated in their good-natured banter and tried to pretend like she wasn’t shattered on the inside.
When they arrived at the beach, the other Sultans, who had come from all over for Dylan’s wedding, greeted them with hugs. Thankfully, Dylan hadn’t told anyone that Gavin was supposed to be with her, so she didn’t have to answer any questions. They were a boisterous group in the best of circumstances, but never more so than when they got together for a happy occasion.
Caleb’s death had been hard on all of them, but they’d made an effort over the years to keep in touch, to keep up the traditions he’d started and to honor his memory in any way they possibly could. As always, though, the man who’d been at the center of their shenanigans was blatantly missing.
Ella could only imagine how difficult it must be for Ha
You’re not thinking about him. Not now.
Dylan and Jack, his best man, joined them, greeting the group with hugs and slaps on the back. Smiling from ear to ear, Dylan was ta
Ella stood back to watch as Ha
Ha
Watching Ha
They gathered in a half circle around the arbor that had been erected on the beach. It was surrounded by a stu
Preceded by three bridesmaids dressed in periwinkle gowns, Sophia’s dad escorted her onto the beach and into the arms of her future husband. The joy on the faces of Dylan and Sophia was like a knife in Ella’s broken heart. It was all she could do to remain standing, to watch them exchange vows and not run away like she wanted to.
And then an arm slipped around her waist from behind, and the scent of Gucci Black stole the breath from her lungs. Oh God . . . Her body recognized his as he drew her in tight against him. He never said a word as they stood together and watched Dylan and Sophia exchange rings.
Since she was standing behind her siblings and Gavin’s parents, no one noticed he was there. But Ella noticed. Every nerve ending in her body was on full alert, and her heart beat so fast she had to remind herself to breathe. With his big hand flat against her belly, a thousand thoughts went through her mind in the time it took for Dylan and Sophia to be declared husband and wife. What was he doing here? What did it mean? Why had he come? What would she say to him? What did he have to say? How would it change things?
Despite her iron-clad resolve to be done with him, his appearance here filled her with a tiny kernel of hope that couldn’t be easily snuffed out.
The applause of the wedding guests roused her from her frantic thoughts.
Gavin released her to join in the applause.
Ella turned to him. “What’re you doing here?”
“You really have to ask?”
CHAPTER 27
We must accept finite disappointment,
but never lose infinite hope.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
The sight of her beautiful face, wary and uncertain as she looked up at him, settled the storm that had been raging inside Gavin since he last saw her. It had been the right thing to come after her, to try to fix what had gone so horribly wrong. But before he could do that, they had a wedding to get through.
His mother let out a happy little squeal when she saw him standing beside Ella. He hugged her and then his father.
“Good to see you here, son,” his dad said gruffly.
“Good to be here.”
One by one, the Sultans approached him, hugged him, welcomed him and said how happy they were to have him there. Dylan, who’d been receiving congratulations from his family and Sophia’s, drew him into a bear hug.
“I’m so fucking glad you’re here, man,” Dylan said for Gavin’s ears only.
“Me, too. Sorry I was late. I caught the end.”
“Better late than never.”
“Glad you think so. Thanks for having me.”
“Dude, seriously? I’m thrilled you’re here, and so is everyone else.”
Judging from the glares he was receiving from Will and Hunter Abbott, not everyone was thrilled to have him here. That was okay, though. He didn’t blame Ella’s brothers for being pissed with him. Hell, he was pissed at himself. If he could somehow make things right with Ella, hopefully that would make things right with her brothers, too.
Ha
Her warm welcome gave him some much-needed encouragement. If her first thought hadn’t been to strangle him, maybe Ella would give him a chance to apologize and try to fix things. He could only hope so.
She hadn’t said a word to him since asking what he was doing there. He supposed he deserved her silence and her obvious reluctance to welcome him.