Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Clenching my jaw to keep from saying what I really wanted to, I forced myself to smile and look at Mitch. With a carefree attitude, I said, “Everything’s perfect, Mitch. Just. Perfect.”
Sutton closed her eyes and turned her head before she took a few steps away.
Mitch smiled. “Okay, well, let’s go ahead and get your marriage certificate all signed, and then I’ll let you two go celebrate.”
I placed my hand on Sutton’s back and felt her entire body shiver. Jesus, did my touch make her that uneasy? Maybe this was a huge mistake. Maybe I should have gone to her parents and told them everything. Forced Sutton to face the problem of Jack head on and stop hiding behind excuses.
But it was too late now.
Mitch opened the door—and Sutton and I both came to a halt when we saw my brother and her sister standing in the outer office.
“Holy shit,” Gannon said while Addie stood there with a stunned look on her face.
Mindy leaned toward Addie and said, “I’m going to guess you had no idea they were also here to get married.”
Addie slowly shook her head as she brought her hand up to her throat. “No…idea…at…all.”
“Wait—you two are here to get married?” Sutton asked.
“Um, hello, you’re here to get married?” Addie replied. “I mean, there should be no surprise about me and Gannon, but you and Brody? How long have you guys been hiding this?”
“Brody?” Gannon asked, giving me a look of utter disappointment.
“Why are you getting married at a JP anyway? You’re supposed to get married next month,” Sutton directed at her sister.
Addie tossed her hands in the air. “We wanted to do something crazy and only for us. But it appears you beat us to it!”
Sutton shook her head. “No, Addie, that wasn’t what I was trying to do. It’s not what you think.”
Addie laughed. “I’m sorry, two people usually only get married for one reason, Sutton. How could you hide this from me? From Palmer and Harlee? Mom and Dad?”
“We didn’t get married because we love each other! I was forced to do it,” Sutton practically shouted.
I closed my eyes and felt every ounce of hope I had slip right out of my body.
“Wait—forced?” Mitch asked.
I opened my eyes to see four people glaring at me. I held up my hands. “I didn’t force her to do anything.”
Sutton stumbled over her words. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. It has to do with Jack, and it’s a long story, but Brody did this to help me. He hasn’t done anything wrong and would never force me into an unwanted marriage.”
Gannon glanced down at Sutton’s hand. “You’re wearing our grandmother’s wedding band.”
Sutton’s eyes went wide as she looked down at her hand and then back up at me. “This is your grandmother’s ring?”
When she looked back at the ring and quickly wiped a tear away, it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. The walls were closing in, so I did what I did best. “If you’ll excuse me, I need some air.”
Before I had a chance to leave, Mitch said, “You both need to sign the marriage certificate.”
All I wanted to do was go get a drink. A strong drink. But I turned and followed Mitch over to Mindy’s desk.
Mindy smiled at Addie and Gannon. “I know you didn’t see the ceremony, but would you like to be witnesses?”
The next few minutes felt like a blur. I signed my name, Sutton signed hers, and somehow my brother and Addie signed as witnesses.
“How about we all go grab a late breakfast?” Addie said.
“I thought you and Gannon wanted to get married?” Sutton asked.
Gannon and Addie exchanged a look and then focused back on us. “I think we’re okay waiting until our actual wedding day,” Addie said. “Can we please go somewhere and talk? Maybe The Maine Bakery?”
I was about to decline when Sutton said, “Okay, we’ll meet you there.”
Fuck.
All I wanted to do was get the hell out of dodge. Seeing how much Sutton had fought to keep herself from running out of Mitch’s office was enough to deal with for one day. Now I’d have to sit and hear about how awful it was to be forced into marriage to keep a fucking psychopath out of her life.
Outside, Addie kissed her sister on the cheek, then leaned up and kissed mine. “See you both there.”
We watched as they walked away, hand in hand. Once they’d crossed the street, I started toward my truck.
“Brody.”
I kept walking.
“Brody, please, will you slow down? I can’t walk that fast in these heels.”
Every part of me screamed to keep going. To not even get in my truck and just run as fast as I could. But I couldn’t do that to Sutton. No matter how much my heart was hurting. I slowed, and she eventually caught up.