Hitched (Hitched #1)(47)

"Great, so can you schedule it?"

I glance over my mental calendar. Shit. Sebastian and I planned to go to Le Reve on Wednesday. He's already bought the tickets, and they aren't cheap. But I can't ask this guy to reschedule his wedding. We'll just have to go later, and I'll buy new tickets from the money I get from this job. "No problem," I say. "I'll call you back tomorrow to discuss the details."

"Thank you."

Excited about my new client and holding the black box behind my back, I head for Sebastian's door. I ring the bell, once, twice, three times, but he doesn't answer. Is he not home?

I could text him, but I don't want to spoil my surprise visit, so I check around the house, hoping he's in the back. I hear splashing. Bingo. I look over the fence, and see Sebastian stepping out of the pool, water dripping down his muscled back. Here's the man I'm considering spending the rest of my life with.

And he's walking straight toward Celene.





Chapter 31


Fall Out


What is the f*cking bitch doing at his house? I'm about to call out, when Sebastian reaches for Celene. HUGS. HER. What the f*ck?

Celene has tears streaming down her face. Great. She's so happy she's f*cking crying. What the f*ck is going on?

I want to confront both of them, yell at them, but no words come to my mouth. My throat feels swollen, and my mouth too dry.

Maybe they're getting back together. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding things.

I'm ready to punch her. To punch them.

But then I look closer. I see how they fit together. How they share something he and I will never share. I remember her words that day in the hospital. Will I ever be the person Sebastian really needs? Will I ever truly be a part of the most important thing in his life? His medicine.

I thought I could. But looking at them now... I am kidding myself. We were playing house in a make-believe world. None of it was real.

What I'm looking at now, that's real. They've got history. They made a f*cking child together. They have everything he and I will never have.

Celene is perfect for Sebastian. Or at least, she's better than me. She's a doctor, and she's ready for marriage. I'm struggling to build a business and may not be ready to marry for years. Fuck her. Fuck both of them.

Before they can notice me, I storm back to my car, crumpling the black box in my hands. My eyes swell with tears as I step on my foot wrong, twisting it, my red shoe falling off.

"Fuck this," I mumble under my breath. As I limp to my car, leaving the shoe behind, I realize this is the perfect time to call things off. The divorce just went through, and our summer is done.

I still have Hitched. I still have Tate and Vi and everything I'm building in my life. I don't need Sebastian.

As I pull my note out of the box and stuff the box into Sebastian's mailbox, my phone rings.

It must be the client who just booked. I answer with a voice I hope doesn't betray my emotion.

"Hello, is this Ms. Michaels?"

"Yes."

"This is David Melton's assistant. I'm calling as a courtesy to let you know that while we appreciate your creative ideas for the bachelor party, we've decided to go with a different company for that evening. Mr. Melton thanks you again for your enthusiasm and wishes you the best."

I hang up, my heart shriveling into something dark and sad as I realize that my love life and my plans for my business have both fallen apart on the very same night.

Fuck. This. Shit.





Chapter 32


Moving on


"What happened?" asks Tate, looking me over like I caught some ugly disease.

I know I look like shit. My mascara's running, and my face must be red. "It's over," I say as I rush to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

Tate follows me, anger in his voice. "What'd he do, sis?"

"Nothing. The divorce went through. Now, we can both get back to normal—"

"Don't give me that shit, Kacie. What the f*ck happened?"

I run my hands under cool water, then splash it on my face. The memory of Sebastian and Celene still burns. "I realized I can't be in a serious relationship and run Hitched, okay?" And Sebastian needs someone else. Then I remember with a sinking heart that's not all that happened tonight, and the rest involves Tate and his life too. "Speaking of Hitched, you were right. The basket was a lame idea, and it didn't work. We lost the Melton party. They picked someone else. Maybe if I hadn't been with Sebastian, hadn't been distracted, I wouldn't have f*cked it up. I would have figured out a way to get that client and make our careers."

"First, don't worry about Hitched. The business is fine. We don't need a big client to do well. Second, I'm calling Vi," says Tate. "You need her."

Before I can object, he disappears down the hallway. I jump into the shower. Thoughts of Sebastian, his fingers on my skin, his lips on my mouth, fill my mind, but I push them away. Fuck that man. I have to get over him if I'm ever to enjoy life again. Seeking distraction, I get out of the shower, throw on a soft large shirt, and dig into a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream. Tate turns on The Princess Bride, one of those movies we could watch forever, and we sit together on the couch, my head resting on his shoulder. A few minutes later, Vi arrives, holding a white bag.