I’m sure their neighbors told everyone.”
“And that isn’t Sean’s fault.”
“It’s still a reason why I don’t want to marry him.”
Ryan sighed. “You’re being unfair. What about the way Sean treats you now? He was the one who said he didn’t want to have a bachelor party. He wanted to spend it with you. He’s different now. You’ve changed him.”
I shook my head. “Only on the surface.”
“You are holding his past against him when he’s clearly changed. I’m your brother. I would never tell you marry someone else if I thought he wasn’t the right guy for you.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that. “And I’m sure Mom will try to ruin the wedding tomorrow.”
“No, she won’t. She’s not coming. And if she does, I’ll take care of her. Don’t run out on Sean because of that. You could have rescheduled the wedding at any time. Sean always gave you the option.”
“I’ve made up my mind, Ryan.”
He looked at me, holding my gaze. “Scarlet, don’t do this. You’re making a mistake. Sean is an amazing guy. He loves you more than anything. I see it every day. Everything that makes you doubt him is in his past. We all have shit to hide. You’re just fortunate enough to see everything from the past ten years. He’s always been honest with you about who he was or what he was going to be. I know he loves you. He’ll be a great husband and father. Don’t throw this away because of your emotions. They’ll be gone tomorrow. You’re just getting cold feet.”
I held up my hand. “I’m tired of being hurt all the time. I want to find someone who loves me from the beginning, doesn’t see me as a friend, and gets it right the first time. Sean will just hurt me again like he always does. I can’t handle it anymore. If he breaks my heart again, I’ll never recover.”
“I’m begging you not to do this.”
I wiped my tears away and grabbed my bag. “Are you coming or not?”
He ran his fingers through his hair, the stress etched on his face. “I’ll follow you everywhere.”
“Get Janice.”
“Cortland will take care of her.” He grabbed the bags from my hand. “I’ll get the cab. You wait here.”
I sat back down and cried to myself, hating myself for what I was about to do. I was leaving Sean. Everyone would know the next morning and I would already be gone, on my way back to Seattle. I could get my belongings from the apartment before Sean could catch up to me. Then, I would disappear.
11
Scarlet
“Why are we staying at a hotel?”
“All the flights are booked.”
I opened my computer and looked. “It says there are open seats.”
“Only first class.”
“That’s fine,” I said quickly. “I’ll pay for it.”
“We’ll never make it in time.”
I looked at the time. “We have an hour.”
“We’ll never make it through customs.”
“Ryan, you better not be fucking stalling.”
“I’m not,” he snapped. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” He sat on the edge of the bed and looked across the room, staring at the wall.
“I don’t want to wait until tomorrow.”
“That’s too fucking bad.”
“They didn’t have a room with two beds?”
“All the guests coming to your wedding took them all. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I leaned back and stared at the ceiling. The sun was rising and started to creep through the windows. At any moment, they would know I was gone.
“Scarlet, please reconsider this.”
“I’ve made my choice.”
“It’s the wrong one.”
“How can you say that?”
“I’ve seen you with him. He makes you happy.”
“When he isn’t breaking my heart.”
“I didn’t say the guy was perfect.”
“Definitely not.”
“He isn’t going to hurt you again, Scar.”
“You didn’t see him w ith his friends. It was like the past year didn’t happen.”
“It’s called fitting in.”
I turned on my side and ignored him, trying to fall asleep. I was too anxious to
“And that isn’t Sean’s fault.”
“It’s still a reason why I don’t want to marry him.”
Ryan sighed. “You’re being unfair. What about the way Sean treats you now? He was the one who said he didn’t want to have a bachelor party. He wanted to spend it with you. He’s different now. You’ve changed him.”
I shook my head. “Only on the surface.”
“You are holding his past against him when he’s clearly changed. I’m your brother. I would never tell you marry someone else if I thought he wasn’t the right guy for you.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that. “And I’m sure Mom will try to ruin the wedding tomorrow.”
“No, she won’t. She’s not coming. And if she does, I’ll take care of her. Don’t run out on Sean because of that. You could have rescheduled the wedding at any time. Sean always gave you the option.”
“I’ve made up my mind, Ryan.”
He looked at me, holding my gaze. “Scarlet, don’t do this. You’re making a mistake. Sean is an amazing guy. He loves you more than anything. I see it every day. Everything that makes you doubt him is in his past. We all have shit to hide. You’re just fortunate enough to see everything from the past ten years. He’s always been honest with you about who he was or what he was going to be. I know he loves you. He’ll be a great husband and father. Don’t throw this away because of your emotions. They’ll be gone tomorrow. You’re just getting cold feet.”
I held up my hand. “I’m tired of being hurt all the time. I want to find someone who loves me from the beginning, doesn’t see me as a friend, and gets it right the first time. Sean will just hurt me again like he always does. I can’t handle it anymore. If he breaks my heart again, I’ll never recover.”
“I’m begging you not to do this.”
I wiped my tears away and grabbed my bag. “Are you coming or not?”
He ran his fingers through his hair, the stress etched on his face. “I’ll follow you everywhere.”
“Get Janice.”
“Cortland will take care of her.” He grabbed the bags from my hand. “I’ll get the cab. You wait here.”
I sat back down and cried to myself, hating myself for what I was about to do. I was leaving Sean. Everyone would know the next morning and I would already be gone, on my way back to Seattle. I could get my belongings from the apartment before Sean could catch up to me. Then, I would disappear.
11
Scarlet
“Why are we staying at a hotel?”
“All the flights are booked.”
I opened my computer and looked. “It says there are open seats.”
“Only first class.”
“That’s fine,” I said quickly. “I’ll pay for it.”
“We’ll never make it in time.”
I looked at the time. “We have an hour.”
“We’ll never make it through customs.”
“Ryan, you better not be fucking stalling.”
“I’m not,” he snapped. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” He sat on the edge of the bed and looked across the room, staring at the wall.
“I don’t want to wait until tomorrow.”
“That’s too fucking bad.”
“They didn’t have a room with two beds?”
“All the guests coming to your wedding took them all. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I leaned back and stared at the ceiling. The sun was rising and started to creep through the windows. At any moment, they would know I was gone.
“Scarlet, please reconsider this.”
“I’ve made my choice.”
“It’s the wrong one.”
“How can you say that?”
“I’ve seen you with him. He makes you happy.”
“When he isn’t breaking my heart.”
“I didn’t say the guy was perfect.”
“Definitely not.”
“He isn’t going to hurt you again, Scar.”
“You didn’t see him w ith his friends. It was like the past year didn’t happen.”
“It’s called fitting in.”
I turned on my side and ignored him, trying to fall asleep. I was too anxious to
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