Secondhand Boyfriends (17 page)

I felt the pew shake a bit as his left leg started to bounce. He was nervous. He was thinking about something. He bit the nails on his free hand. I’d never seen him like this before. He’d always been so calm and together.

“Friends,” the pastor continued. “We have been gathered here today to celebrate the holy matrimony of Ayla Grace Giovanni and Samuel William Fisher. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and discreetly and advisedly. Into this holy estate, these two people present now come to be joined.”

I glanced at Bennett again, who was now sweating bullets and getting antsier by the second. I nudged Claudia on my right and directed my eyes back towards Bennett. She shot me a “What the hell?” look, and I shrugged in return.

Claudia shook her head as if to tell me I’d lost him, he was a goner, and I’d never be able to fill Ayla’s shoes, and I knew right then and there that Claudia was right.

I slipped my hand out from under Bennett’s and placed it folded neatly in my lap. He didn’t even notice. He gripped the seat of the pew as his leg bounced and he shifted the weight of his body back and forth.

“You okay?” I whispered to Bennett, nudging his side.

“Yep,” he said. He was a bit short with me and obviously preoccupied.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” I whispered. “You’re not ready.”

He said nothing. I wasn’t even sure he even heard me. He was so focused and attuned to what was happening up at the altar.

“Do you need to leave?” I whispered to him. “What is the matter with you?”

“Nah, I’m fine,” he whispered back. I was pretty sure he was annoyed with me.

“If any person can show just cause,” the pastor continued. “As to why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

I watched Bennett out of the corner of my eye. Part of me wondered what would happen if he stood up and objected, but I knew that would never happen in a million years. That sort of thing only ever happened in movies or cheesy romance novels. He wouldn’t disrupt a wedding as elaborate and exquisite and expensive as this one. He wouldn’t make a fool of himself. He was smarter than that.

Or so I thought.

The next several seconds seemed to almost happen in slow motion. I felt his body weight shift again next to me and before I knew it, Bennett was standing up. My jaw dropped and my mouth formed a giant “O” shape as I reached up and tugged on his navy blue blazer.

“Bennett, sit down!” I whisper-yelled. “What are you doing?!”

The pastor didn’t notice at first, and I thought it would give him enough time to sit down and pretend he didn’t just do that, but soon people started noticing. Guests began to gasp and gawk and turn around in their seats. They all cranked their necks to see who the young man was who stood up and objected Sam and Ayla’s beautiful union.

I was afraid to look up at Sam and Ayla, but I did it anyway. Sam looked livid. His brows were creased and he was clinging onto Ayla’s hands tightly. I saw him ask her what was going on, but her eyes were fixated on Bennett.

“Who invited him here?” she called out.

“Get him out of here!” Ayla’s father yelled from the front row.

A team of two men wearing black suits and ties and black sunglasses came seemingly out of nowhere and walked towards Bennett. Bennett threw his arms in the air as if to surrender and then walked towards the back of the church to let himself out.

I glanced up at the front once more where Sam was rubbing Ayla’s long, lithe arms and trying to comfort her as tears began to spill down her cheeks. I saw him ask her again what was going on, but she shook her head. Within seconds, she hoisted up her dress and ran after Bennett.

I covered my mouth with my hands and shrunk down in my seat. None of that would’ve happened had I not asked Ayla those prying questions earlier and had I not brought Bennett as a date.

“Don’t for a second think any of this is your fault,” Claudia whispered to me. It was like she could read my mind.

“I have to go talk to him,” I said to Claudia. “Someone needs to calm him down.”

“That’s not your job,” she said with an eye roll. “Let the cards fall, my dear. Stay out of it.”

“I can’t,” I said.

As guests began to speculate and talk amongst themselves, I ducked out of my pew and headed back to find Bennett. In my mind, I expected that Bennett was halfway to the car already and Ayla was crying off all of her makeup in her dressing room.

I turned back and watched Sam, who stood confused with crossed arms, up at the altar talking to his brother. I’d have to talk to him later—if he even wanted me to. I hoped to God he wouldn’t blame me for any of that, but it was hard to say what was going through his mind at that moment.

I slipped around the corner and headed out towards the side exit next to where Bennett had parked. Before I could reach the door, I heard hushed voices coming from down the hall. I tiptoed backwards and hid around a corner, praying no one would notice me.

“Why did you do that?” I heard Ayla say as she fought back tears.

“Because I still love you,” Bennett replied.

I immediately saw red with those words, but I tried to control my breathing and maintain my hidden station. I wanted to hear the rest. I wanted to hear the truth, finally, from the horse’s mouth.

“I missed you so much, Ayla,” Bennett continued. “This last year has been the worst year of my life.”

“Yeah, but you moved on,” she replied. “You’re dating that girl from my mom’s work.”

“She’s not you,” he replied. “No one could ever be you.”

I heard sniffles, presumably Ayla’s, and the sound of two lips smacking together. I wanted to jump out from my hidden location and confront them, but I knew it wasn’t worth it. I had already lost the guy I thought was going to change everything for me. I didn’t want to lose my dignity too.

“Do you still love me?” Bennett asked. “Be honest.”

Ayla was quiet and paused before replying, “Yes.”

There it was. I wondered how I’d not picked up on it before. At the coffee shop, she acted like he was this obsessed, stalker of an ex and she laughed at the mention of him. It was all a front. Nothing but lies to cover up the way she really felt. I wondered if it was just as hard to see him with me as it was for me to see her with Sam.

“It killed me seeing you with him,” Bennett said. “Watching you day in and day out. Watching someone else steal my happiness. Our happiness.”

“I couldn’t trust you, Bennett,” Ayla said. “That’s why I ended things.”

So there was part of the truth coming out. Ayla had indeed ended the relationship.

“I’m a changed man,” Bennett replied. “On my father’s grave.”

“I want to believe you,” Ayla replied.

I peeked my head out from my hiding spot to see them in a full embrace with her head on his shoulder. He was rubbing her back and they were holding each other close.

“Believe me,” he said as he pushed her away and cupped her delicate cheeks in his strong hands. “I want you back, Ayla. I will do anything. I love you. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else but you.”

“Why did you have to wait until now?” Ayla whined. “Why are you doing this today of all days?”

“I had to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life,” he said. “I knew you didn’t belong with him. He’s not good enough for you, Ayla. No one is. But I’m going to try to be if you let me. I promise you that.”

Ayla cracked a smile for the first time since I’d seen her that day as she peered up into his eyes.

I had to admit, they were both ridiculously good looking. They looked like a couple from a magazine photo shoot. It was sickening how pretty they looked together, and had I not been involved with Bennett, I’d have been oohing and aahing over their little moment. But instead, my blood was boiling over and I’d heard enough.

“Oh, there you are, Ayla,” I called out to them as I walked from my spot. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Bennett and Ayla took steps away from each other as they knew they’d just been caught red-handed.

“So, um,” I said. “People are wondering what the heck is going on.”

Bennett and Ayla exchanged looks.

“So what are you going to do?” I asked as I turned towards Ayla. Her cheeks were stained with mascara and her makeup was a full on mess.

“I can’t marry Sam,” she said. She turned toward Bennett whose face lit up with sheer joy.

Bennett leaned in and kissed her mouth hard and with a kind of passion I’d never seen from him before.

“I’m tired of the games,” Ayla said. “I just want to be with you.”

“Really, Bennett?” I asked. “After everything we’ve been through? The talks we’ve had?”

I didn’t know why I was fighting for him. I could never compare to Ayla. Not in Bennett’s eyes. It was a lost cause.

“I was a fool to believe a single word you ever said to me,” I added. It was like word vomit. It just kept coming. “Good luck with that, Ayla.”

I pointed to Bennett like he was some sort of disgusting pond scum and spun around on my heel only to bump into Sam who was standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten all about Sam. I’d forgotten that this was his special day, too. I’d forgotten how much hurt this was going to cause him.

“W-what’s…” Sam stammered. “What’s going on here?”

“Yeah, you two definitely owe him an explanation,” I said with my hand on my hip.

Bennett stared down at the ground like some sort of coward as Ayla fidgeted nervously with her delicate little fingers. Ironically, she twisted and tugged at her diamond engagement ring.

“I don’t know how to say this, Sam,” she said as she looked up at him. “But I can’t marry you.”

With those words, Sam’s entire world came crashing down around him. I saw it on his face. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to hold him. But it wasn’t the time or place.

“Ayla,” Sam objected. He was going to fight for her, I knew it. “Can we speak privately?”

He shot her a look before nodding to Bennett and myself.

“No, Sam,” she said. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing more to talk about. Let’s not make this harder than it is.”

“So that’s all I get?” Sam said with a huff. It was rare to see him get angry, but I could tell he was reaching his boiling point. “A year together. A whirlwind romance. And this is what I get? No explanation and you won’t even talk to me?”

I wanted to tell Sam that Ayla was selfish and self-centered. I wanted to tell him he deserved better. I wanted to tell him Bennett was an asshole and they deserved each other. I wanted to grab him by the arm and take him out of there, but I couldn’t.

“Just go, man,” Bennett said to Sam as he slipped his arm around Ayla’s tiny waist. “Let’s not make this harder than it is.”

I saw tears well up in poor Sam’s eyes and instinctively I reached over to take his hand. He promptly yanked it away and walked off. The sight of Sam stomping away in his black and white tuxedo, throwing his blue floral boutonniere on the ground, was nothing short of heartbreaking.

I turned towards Ayla to see if she showed any signs of empathy or remorse of any kind, but she was fully engaged in Bennett and his schmoozy embrace. I shuddered as I thought about what a jackass he was. I believed he was a good guy. I believed all of his bullshit lies. They deserved each other.

“I’m so fired on Monday,” I lamented to Claudia the moment we got home. For once Claudia went home with me instead of going to Eric’s, which was good because I really needed her.

Claudia shrugged. “I don’t think they can fire you for something like that.”

“Julianne loved Sam,” I said. “Loved him. My date caused a ruckus which lead to Ayla not marrying Sam. I’m at fault here. Everything can be traced directly back to me.”

“No, you’re not,” Claudia laughed. “I told you that back at the wedding. How were you supposed to know Bennett was going to do that? And that Ayla was going to run off with him like that?”

“So maybe it wasn’t directly my fault, but in a roundabout way it was,” I said.

“Okay, Olivia,” Claudia said with an annoyed tone. “If it makes you feel better to know you had a hand on Sam and Ayla not getting married, then by all means, take on that blame.”

“Speaking of Sam,” I said. “I should probably give him a call. I wonder if he’ll even talk to me. I wonder if he blames me for this.”

“You’ll never know unless you talk to him,” Claudia said with raised eyebrows. “I thought you were moving on from Sam anyway. I thought you’d accepted the fact that you and him weren’t ever going to be an item again.”

“That was before,” I said. “That was when I had Bennett and all his bullshit lies and excuses. That was when I thought Sam was getting married. I was fully prepared to move on. And I was moving on.”

Claudia sighed. I knew she was sick of talking about Sam. As much as I’d obsessed over him and talked about him over the last year, you’d have thought he was the one that dumped me.

“I think you still love Sam,” she said.

“Duh,” I replied. “I’ll always love him.”

“No, like I think you truly love him,” she said. “I think you should try to be with him one more time.”

“He’d never be with me again,” I said as I shook my head. “He hates me. I crushed him like a bug. And then I ruined his happily ever after.”

“Maybe this whole entire thing with Sam and Bennett and Ayla…maybe this was the universe’s way of showing you that you should be with Sam?” Claudia proposed. She always loved to talk about the bigger picture while I’d waste my time focusing on the smaller details.

“Maybe,” I said as I tried to wrap my head around it.

“Like you didn’t care about Sam until you knew he was off the market and then you wanted him back,” she elaborated. She climbed on the edge of the couch cushion as if she’d just had a eureka moment. “Suddenly you’re seeing all of his redeeming qualities again. The things that made you fall in love with him in the first place. Suddenly you’re back to seeing him for who he really is.”