Listen to Your Heart(38)

A man who didn’t ask her to wait for him.

It hits me like lightning, and suddenly, the chains I placed around my life and my heart completely crumble.

I love Skye. I love her.

And I am no longer bound by the promise I made to my best friend.

What an idiot I’ve been.

All she’d ever wanted was for me to put her first. In my mind and in my heart, she always had been, but my actions have proven otherwise.

That ends today.

“Caleb?”

I find her beautiful green eyes as they reflect back at me in the mirror. As I gaze into them, I see every mistake I’ve made. Every tear I’ve made her cry.

“Skye . . .”

Very slowly, she turns around on the platform, giving me the full view of her in the wedding dress. My chest constricts at the sight of her, because I know I’ve never seen anyone so breathtaking. I drown in the sight of her, and I never, ever want to come up for air.

“Our best friends are the two most conniving women I’ve ever met in my life.”

I can’t disagree. But they’re also geniuses, because they knew exactly what they were doing. They knew how I’d react to seeing Skye in this dress. I’m surrounded by beautiful, brilliant women, but the only one that matters is watching me with wide, weary eyes. Gorgeous and green, but so, so tired, and begging me to say something.

“I mean really, I should have known.” she says, continuing to babble. “Lynsey calls, saying she has a conflict. Then, Tina gets a call from Juliana saying she can’t make it and I should just pick something I like and let the seamstress take my measurements because she and I are so close to the same size . . .”

What a liar. Juliana’s at least six inches taller than Skye.

“So I figure why not? I’ve picked everything else for a wedding that’s not mine. Might as well pick the gown, too. I just wanted to get the measurements done and get out of here and why the hell aren’t you saying anything?”

Very slowly, I walk toward her. Skye’s eyes are filled with tears as she gazes down at me.

“You’re stunning. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m mortified.”

“And I’m in love.”

Tears spill down her cheeks as I reach for her. She gasps softly when I brush my lips along the back of her hand. Stepping onto the platform, I gently wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close. She closes her eyes in defeat and melts against me.

“I love you, Skye. I love you, and I’m going to prove it to you.”

“Caleb, please . . .”

The urge to kiss her is so powerful it nearly causes my legs to buckle beneath me, but I know it can’t happen here. Not yet and not here. I have a mess to clean up, and I have to start now.

“I have to go, but I want to see you tonight. I shouldn’t be long, and then I’m coming to your apartment and we are going to have a very serious conservation about our future.”

I see indecision flicker across her face, but there’s something else there, too. She wants to believe me. She wants to trust me. So I say the one thing I know she needs to hear. And I mean it . . . more than I’ve ever meant anything.

“I love you, Skye, and I’m going to prove it. Tonight.”

I press a kiss to her forehead, and she sighs softly.

“Okay,” she whispers.



Jules is sitting at the island when I walk into the apartment. I close the door and walk over to my best friend.

“The wedding’s off.”

She jumps off the bar stool and hugs me tight.

“Thank God. It’s about time you came to your senses.”

Her eyes shine with tears as she pulls me to the couch.

“I love her, Jules.”

“I know you do. You’re both so stubborn. I was sure that working together on the gift registry would seal the deal, but Lynsey said it’d take something a little more dramatic. I bet she looked beautiful in that dress.”

“She looked . . . amazing. It was just the kick in the ass I needed. Skye’s right. You and Lynsey are the most devious women I’ve ever met.”

Juliana smiles proudly.

“Jules, I know it’s asking a lot, but could we . . .”

“Talk to my parents?”

I nod.

“Absolutely.”

“Could we do it now?”

She grins. “Impatient, are we?”

“Slightly.”

“I’ll talk to my dad.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Caleb, you don’t have to—”

“I want to. It’s the least I can do. And then I’ll go to Skye, and I can tell her that everything is settled.”

Juliana nods. “No more secrets. No more lies.”

“And no more wedding.”





“Drink this,” Lynsey says, offering me a glass.

“What is it?”

“Does it matter?”

Nope. I take a sip and pray that whatever’s in the glass relaxes me. Normally, I’m not this big of a drinker. I think I’ve consumed more wine in the past month than I have in my entire life. The man is turning me into a raging alcoholic.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into putting on that dress. I’m so sleep deprived that I totally forgot Juliana’s height. There’s no way our measurements would’ve been the same. You are pure evil, Lynsey Evans.”