It was the day of Colby’s wedding, and nothing was how it should be.

I felt like every day since I last saw Zane, I’d been working through a foggy mess. I went to the diner, doing all my tasks on autopilot, barely able to hold conversations with regulars who I loved. I met with Colby a few times, going over wedding details, and even he noticed—saying I was acting like a zombie.

I just told him I was exhausted. It wasn’t a total lie.

Last night, we’d had the rehearsal dinner. I knew all along that it was going to feel like an ax to the heart to see Zane, and I hadn’t been wrong—the few times we’d made eye contact, it had felt like I might start crying, on the spot.

Luckily, the rehearsal was such a busy event that I didn’t have to worry too much about Zane, though. I kept busy. I met members of Colby’s and Erica’s families. I kept the gears turning because making sure the event went smoothly was the only way I could cut through the fog.

But at the end of the night, when everyone was going out to their cars, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw that it was Zane.

Even being this close to him in a dark parking lot was enough to send electricity through me.

His eyes were slightly sad, and he was holding a box in his hands.

“Here,” he said, “It’s for your mom.”

“What?” I asked, still in disbelief that he was speaking to me at all.

“I… I found a Danbury chess set on eBay.”

I blinked at him. “What? How did you… how did you get it so fast?”

“I had it sent to my hotel overnight. I figured it was the least I could do, after... breaking her chessboard.”

I could feel my heart shattering into a million pieces. How was Zane still this good after everything that happened? After I’d pushed him away?

“Jesus, Zane, that must have been over two hundred dollars—we both know hers was not actually a Danbury set—”

“I know it probably wasn’t,” he said. “But still. I feel awful about… everything that happened that day, and I want you to give this to her from me. Could you?”

I held out my hands, taking the box. It was far heavier than I expected. “Of course,” I said softly. “I’ll be sure she gets it.”

I was set to go to my mom’s quickly before heading to the wedding venue tomorrow. I knew she would be shocked.

“God, I…” I said, “...I can’t even remember the last time someone gave my mom a gift for no reason.”

“Well, it’s not exactly for no reason….”

“Still,” I said, shaking my head. “She will love this.”

“Good,” he said with a small nod. “Whatever I can do.”

We paused for a while, the faint sounds of other people chatting and getting in their cars drifting over from the rest of the parking lot.

“Well,” I said, “Thank you, Zane. Have a good night.”

“You too,” he said, giving me a cordial nod. He walked off to his car slowly. and I watched him, half wondering if he was going to turn around.

But he didn't. It seemed like whatever connection I’d had with him over the past weeks was truly dead and gone. It was the most dispassionate I’d seen him since the first day he arrived in Ellisville, actually. It was devastating, seeing him like that again, after knowing how good he could be.

Everything would have been easier if Zane was an asshole. But he wasn’t. He was just a good man who had been hurt after getting involved with me.

It had been my idea to rent out one big suite for all of the groomsmen at the wedding venue. I knew that Erica had done the same thing with her bridesmaids—they all shared a suite to get ready in all morning, getting their hair and makeup done and taking photos.

But us groomsmen didn’t exactly have hair and makeup to be done. We actually didn’t have much to do at all, other than throw on our suits and wait for the photographer to show up.

Weeks and weeks ago, I had looked forward to this day so much. The wedding was here, and I thought that it would be so much fun to share a big suite with all the other groomsmen and Colby, drinking and laughing and having a grand old time.

Now that the day was here, the big, beautiful suite felt more like purgatory.

Colby had been busy all day. Various people kept coming in to ask him about wedding logistics—the florist, photographer, and venue manager had all stopped by.

But the rest of us had nothing to do and hours to burn. Zane had brought Jelly along, and she was keeping me occupied as I sat on a couch in my suit, waiting for something to do.

And good God, did I need something to do. The minute Zane had walked in with his hair perfectly styled and that suit on, I had wanted to bury my head in the sand.

He looked so good. The suit was perfectly tailored to his body, hugging his ass. He left the jacket off, rolling up his sleeves, and the combination of formality and casual style drove me crazy.

We still had two hours until the wedding was set to begin, and it had been hard enough to stop myself from thinking about Zane all morning. I had printed out the two pieces of paper that contained my speech, and I folded and unfolded the speech so many times, pretending to stare down at the words. Tony and Austin were sitting on a couch opposite me, talking about some football team, and Colby was near the window, talking to his father. Zane was in a chair on the other side of the room, reading a paperback book.

I almost jumped for joy when I heard my phone ringing. The caller ID read Erica.

“Hello?” I answered a little too cheerily. “How’s it going, Er?”

“Hi, Sebastian! Going great,” she said. “How are you guys doing over there? Not too busy, I hope?”

“Not in the slightest,” I said. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to ask Colby if he’s heard from the florist this morning.”

“The florist was just here earlier, actually.”

“Great! Did she give you the boutonniere?”

“Um… I don’t think she left anything behind here,” I said. “She was asking Colby where the reception hall was.”

“Did you tell her that the reception hall is literally in this same building?”

“I did indeed. I told her to go down the big long hall, and it seemed like she went there immediately.”

Erica sighed. “Okay. Oh well! Hopefully she will come back with the boutonniere. I got worried because when she came here, she said we were ‘all set.’ But I bet everything is fine.”

“It probably is. Is there anything else you need help with?”

“No, I think we’re fine—”

Just then, as if on cue, I heard a small shriek coming from the phone.

“What was that?” I asked.

There was muffled talking for a few seconds before Erica came back on the line. “Oh, everything is good here,” she said. Her voice then dropped to a low whisper. “Well, actually, my lovely Aunt Clara just came in, and she may have gotten a splinter on her hand from one of the wooden decorations I asked her to carry. She’ll be okay—we’re way too busy here to—”

“I’ll come help!” I said, probably way too quickly.

“Oh, Sebastian, you don’t have t—”

“I want to,” I said. “Trust me, all I’m doing is sitting around and waiting. I’ll come to your suite now.”

She sighed. “Sebastian, you’re too good,” she said.

“See you soon.”

As soon as I hung up, I was at Colby’s side. “Just gonna go help Erica with Aunt Clara,” I told him, and he nodded in approval.

And then I was out of the groomsmen’s suite in two seconds flat. I felt like I was finally getting fresh air after being underwater for hours, like I could relax for the first time. I walked through the halls of the big, old venue, wood creaking underneath me.

For the first time, I was able to acknowledge that the place was gorgeous. Colby and Erica had chosen the venue of an old, big ranch that had been repurposed into an events venue. It was on the outskirts of Ellisville, and when I’d first seen their choice of venue, I’d been skeptical—to me, it had just looked like a big ranch with a huge wooden building at its center. But the inside of the building bordered on majestic—there were tall, old windows that let in columns of light, and all of the wood was rich and dark.

Their ceremony would take place outside in what was usually a small garden, but that Colby and Erica had plotted to turn into a giant seated area. Together with their wedding planner, they had arranged to bring in dozens and dozens of benches, enough for all of their friends and family to fill up the whole immediate outdoor area.

The wedding was going to be big. And as I walked the halls of the big building, still able to hear the creaking wood and echoes of my footsteps, I knew that this was the calm before the storm. In just hours, the big, main reception hall would have its doors opened up, and people would be milling in and out to the outdoor decks that were strung with lanterns.

But for now, it was quiet. As I approached the bridesmaids’ suite at the opposite end of the building, though, the ambient sound got louder and louder until I knocked on the door.

“You’re here!” Erica said as she opened the door, and I was met with a barrage of sound and camera flashes and chaos and people.

“Woah,” I said, stepping in gingerly. “Hello.”

The bridal area could not have been more different from the groomsmen’s area. However bored and restless we were, there was enough chaos in this suite to make up for it ten times over.

“Is that him?” one of the bridesmaids called out, her hair long and dark and in the process of being braided. “Oh my God, he’s so cute!”

“Oh, no—I’m not Colby—”

“No, silly, you’re Sebastian,” she said, grinning at me. “Erica was telling us that the best man was coming to take care of Clara. I’m Addy, by the way. Erica’s cousin.”

I shook Addy’s hand and talked with her for a moment about the wedding excitement before she pointed the way toward Aunt Clara. I walked over to the old woman, who looked beautiful and perfectly dressed, despite the angry look on her face.

“Clara? I’m Sebastian, Colby’s best man,” I said, holding my hand out to her.

She shook my hand in a demure way, and for a second I wondered if she expected me to bend down and kiss the back of her hand.

“Well, I hear you can help me find a first aid kit? We’ve gotten the splinter out, thank God, but I do need an antiseptic wipe.”

I immediately noticed Clara’s high society British accent and realized that this must be the part of Erica’s family that flew in from the UK.

“I can absolutely help you with that,” I said. “I passed by the first aid kit on my way down here. Let’s go?”

She nodded, then threaded her arm in mine. I led her out of the noisy room and back down the hallway, much slower this time. Right as we were about to arrive at the first aid kit, I heard the big, front double doors of the building open.

“Is that Sebastian Brown I see?” a voice said as I was digging through the first aid kit. A moment later, Al from the corner store was next to me, greeting me with a tight hug. He was decked out like I’d never seen him before—wearing a cowboy hat and a cream-colored suit.

“What are you doing here, Al?” I said.

“Well, I’m here for the wedding, of course!” he said.

“You’re more than a little early, if that’s what you’re here for.”

“Well, I also have a truck full of candles I brought with me. Colby and Erica ordered our best ones for their special day. I’m supposed to bring them to the… terrace? I don’t reckon I know what the hell that means. This is a big ol’ ranch, here.”

I finally found the antiseptic wipe and ripped the packet open, gently pressing it to the small spot on Clara’s outstretched hand. She was peering over at Al, dubious, clearly sizing him up.

“Forgive my rudeness—Clara, this is Al, a local from Ellisville. Al, this is Clara, Erica’s Aunt.”

She held out her free hand to Al, and unlike me, he actually did bend down and press a kiss to the back of her hand. A tiny smile spread across her face as he did it.

“Well, Al,” she said, “Erica was putting me to work this afternoon, too. I was happy to take out some wooden… centerpieces, she calls them—I would call them knickknacks—out to the very terrace you need to go to.”

“Oh!” Al said, his eyes widening as he smiled. “Well, ma’am, I’d love it if you could point me in the right direction.

“I’ll be delighted to show you there after I’m done having my wound dressed. Thank you very much, Sebastian, you’ve done a wonderful job.”

“No problem,” I said. “I can come with you two to the terrace, if you’d like?”

“Oh, no,” Clara said, fixing her eyes on Al. “I think we’ll fare just fine on our own.”

In a moment, Clara had her arm laced in Al’s instead of mine, and the two of them were making their way slowly to the reception area. Al turned back toward me once, giving me a tip of his hat before they walked off.

“Now, tell me, Al, are you here today with your wife?” Aunt Clara was saying as they walked off.

“Oh, no,” Al said. “My wife passed about ten years ago.”

“So sorry,” Clara replied. “My husband left this world four years ago as well.”

Their voices became inaudible as they walked off, but I already couldn’t keep a smile off of my face. It was clear that Clara was angling for romance with Al, and I supposed that only time would tell if she got her wish.

I paced around the halls for a while, looking at all the old portraits and paintings that lined the walls. I looked out the windows at the view of rolling hills and mountains in the distance, watching birds fly by.

Really, I was doing anything I could to avoid heading back to the groomsmen’s suite.

But then the team of photographers—two women, all dressed in black, with bigger camera lenses than I’d ever seen—came barrelling down the hall.

“Hi there,” the taller woman said to me, giving me a short nod. “Do you happen to know where the groom is right now, sir?”

“I do indeed. He is in the suite. I can lead you there. Is it time for groomsmen photos?”

“It’s time,” she said. “We’ve been in the bride’s suite all morning, and we need to really haul ass on the men’s photos, now. We still have to go photograph the grounds before people start arriving.”

I led them there quickly. Once inside, I learned that the groomsmen’s suite had picked up a bit while I was gone—a few of Colby’s cousins and other friends had shown up, and Tony and Austin now had small glasses of whiskey in their hands.

The photographers took a few photos inside before dragging us outside for the posed shots. To my dismay, they posed me right next to Zane. I stood next to him, smiling over at the cameras, waiting for this to be over.

“Come on!” one of the photographers yelled out, after a few shots. “You two, on the end! You look like strangers, not groomsmen. Get in a little closer!”

She was talking to me and Zane. I knew she was just being tongue in cheek, trying to get us all to laugh and look merry, but she had no idea what she was doing to me.

Zane acquiesced, though. He moved in closer so that all five of us were now standing night and tight. I could feel Zane’s heat and could smell that now familiar scent of his, mixed with a faint hint of a nice cologne.

It was so, so good. Half of me wanted to turn and lie against him, just sink into his arms like I had so many nights ago. I knew how good it would be.

I had a yearning in my heart, a feeling like I missed him so badly already, even though he was standing right next to me. The photographers took shot after shot, and I tried to keep my pose casual and my smile genuine.

But standing next to Zane like this was practically impossible. And for the first time today, it hit me hard. This would be the last day I saw Zane. Even if he wasn’t leaving town until tomorrow, I wouldn’t be there to see him as soon as the wedding was done.

These were forever going to be my last few memories of Zane.

And that broke my heart in a way I’d never felt before.

The relative quiet of the morning came to an abrupt end shortly after we were done posing for photos.

When we finished and all the groomsmen started to head back inside, we started to see the first people arriving outside. And from then on, it was like a hose had been turned from a trickle to a torrent. With every passing minute, more people poured into the halls of the building and the outside areas of the ranch.

Things were getting into full swing, now. I had known that Colby and Erica wanted a big wedding, but I hadn’t been able to conceptualize in my mind what that might actually look like until now. The people just kept coming and coming.

In a way, it was intimidating. This wasn’t just a casual get-together; it was probably one of the biggest events that had ever happened in Ellisville, and Colby and Erica were the stars of the show. Colby’s phone began to ring with calls, back-to-back, and I tried my best to take as many of them as I could. There were family and friends calling asking for directions, asking if they should bring their own cameras, asking what type of shoes they should bring.

It was a little bit of a madhouse. But for the first time all day, I had things to focus on besides myself—besides Zane—and for that, I was grateful.

And then something strange happened. Things started to quiet down. I saw fewer and fewer people outside. And Colby’s family members started to give Colby big hugs and then make their way out of the suite.

It set in. Everyone was headed out to the main ceremony area, taking their seats. We didn’t have a view of the ceremony area from our suite, so it just felt like an eerie calm before the storm descending on the room.

For the first time in hours, it was just the five of us in the suite again, and there were less than fifteen minutes to go until the ceremony.

It surprised me when Colby turned to us and I saw that he was tearing up.

“Guys,” he said, standing by the big window at the edge of the room. “I just want to say… thank you, so much. You’ve been here for me every step of the way, and… it’s happening. I get to marry the woman I love today.”

And damn it, no matter how much I had been dealing with that day, seeing Colby so moved—already, before the wedding had even begun—made me tear up, too.

“Oh, Colb, of course,” I said, stepping over and catching him in a big hug, so tight I could barely breathe. One by one, the other guys came over, too, and we ended up in a giant group hug, laughing and tearing up and generally being big old saps.

“I swear to God,” Austin said as we all pulled back, “this stays in this room. Nobody else knows I shed one tear during this wedding, you hear me?”

I laughed, brushing the wetness from my cheek. “Nobody but the five people in this room will ever know. I promise.”

“Good,” Austin said.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I answered it, expecting it to be the venue manager, letting us know it was time to go wait at the altar.

But instead, it was Addy, Erica’s cousin who had been sweet to me in the bride’s suite.

“Hey!” she whispered to me. “Do you have a minute? Erica’s got one last thing she wants to ask you. She wanted to know if two of you could come help.”

“I could come—everything all right?” Tony said, stepping to my side.

“Um—well, Erica specifically asked for Sebastian and… Zeke? Zake?”

“Zane,” I said, turning back to find Zane furrowing his brow.

“You sure?” he asked.

“Yeah. She asked for you guys.”

Just then the venue manager came whirling past our door, and said loudly, “ten-minute warning!”

“Come on, Zane, let’s go,” I said, heading back out into the hallway.

Addy rushed ahead of us, leading the way.

“Addy, why’d she ask for us?”

“She said she knows you two better than anyone else. She obviously didn’t want to see Colby, but… she asked for you two by name. Just come on,” she said, rushing forward.

When she threw open the door to the bride’s suite, it was like being hit in the face. We walked inside to find Erica sobbing, crying loudly, dark mascara running down her cheeks through her perfectly done makeup.

And it was as if suddenly a five-alarm fire had started in my chest. Zane and I exchanged a glance that said only one thing: panic.

“What are we going to do with her?” a middle-aged woman was screaming from the other side of the room.

“Wh—who is that?” I asked Addy, who was still standing next to me, panic in her eyes, too.

“That’s Erica’s mom. She is not happy right now.”

“Erica, I am sick of this nonsense. I won’t stand for it. When you’re ready to be mature, you come out there. I’m going go to sit in my seat and wait for the bride of this wedding to come outside!”

Erica’s mom picked up her purse and rushed past us in a huff, slamming the door to the suite behind her.

Addy nodded toward the other bridesmaids, giving them a look. “Let’s give them a minute,” she said, and they followed her out, leaving just me, Zane, and Erica in the room.

And still, Erica was wailing.

It was very clear that Zane had no idea what to do, and though I didn’t either, I took the first move.

“Erica… you asked for us?” I said, taking a few steps toward her. She was sitting on a big couch, her beautiful wedding dress surrounding her.

I sat at her side, and Zane pulled a chair close, sitting just opposite of us. He reached out, taking her hand in his.

“N—n—nobody else understands,” she said, looking up, pure worry in her eyes.

“Understands what, Er?” I asked, keeping my voice calm. I realized that in the bride’s suite, it was possible to catch a glimpse of the ceremony area outside, and from far away, I could see what a massive crowd had gathered. It was more than a little intimidating.

“Talk to us, Erica,” Zane said as if he’d finally found his voice.

“I—I just—-I’m so scared,” she said, shaking her head. “I was so sure—I am so sure—about Colby, but… how do I know? How do I know I’m doing the right thing? My friend from college came in here twenty minutes ago and was talking about how she was so sure her husband was the right one, but then after getting married, all the problems started up, and they grew apart, and they divorced—”

On the last word, Erica started crying again, shaking her head. “How do I know?” she whispered, staring up at the ceiling as if looking for some sign from God. “How the hell do I know it’ll all be okay?”

“Erica… do you want to know something?” Zane said, staring at her seriously, still holding her hand in both of his.

“W—what is it?” she asked.

“When Colby asked me to be a groomsman, I didn’t know what to expect,” Zane said. “I know Colby so well, but I couldn’t imagine him acting like any of the other grooms I’ve ever been a groomsman for. I’ve been in ten weddings, as of today.”

I reached over and grabbed another tissue box for Erica, seeing that she had emptied out the one next to her. I placed it gently on the table at her side before settling in next to her again.

“Ten weddings is a whole lot of them. And if there was anything I learned at all of those weddings, it was that grooms usually like to party on their bachelor weekends. They go nuts—I’ve seen guys acting like they were eating their last meals before their executions.”

The smallest smile appeared on Erica’s face at that joke, but she was still sobbing quietly.

“And I didn’t really picture Colby in that kind of environment, you know? It just didn’t seem like him. I didn’t know how he’d react to being a groom, really. But there was one moment when I realized exactly what kind of groom Colby was. It was so simple, but it clicked into place for me when he said it.”

I watched Zane as he looked at Erica, his eyes still serious. He wasn’t mocking Erica or worried about her or treating her like a nuisance, like her mom had been.

Instead, Zane was just here for her.

I knew now why Erica had requested that Zane come along when she had been freaking out. He was an incredible, calming presence.

“Tony had been telling Colby that he had to get ready to party, that it was ‘bachelor month,’ that it was time to go nuts. And he said to Colby, ‘It’s your last three weeks of freedom.’ And do you know how Colby answered him?”

Erica shook her head. “How?”

“Colby said with the most sincere look on his face, ‘It isn’t my last three weeks of freedom. If marrying Erica isn’t freedom, I don’t know what is.’”

Zane squeezed Erica’s hand tight as tears began to stream down her face again. But these tears were different—she wasn’t sobbing and didn’t look fearful at all.

She looked like she was realizing something.

“It’s true,” I said softly. “I remember it well. And… Colby acted that way the entire last three weeks. It was a celebration of getting to marry you, soon—not a goodbye to his last unmarried days.”

“Erica… this is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life, and I know that. But you don’t need to have any doubt in your heart about how you know you’ve found the right person. When you know, you know. That love takes over everything and will make you go to any lengths to keep it—even crazy things like throwing a huge wedding with two hundred guests.”

Erica laughed, dabbing at her cheek with a tissue.

“You and Colby have the truest love I’ve ever witnessed,” I said. “Nothing is going to pull you two apart.”

She glanced my way, giving me the sweetest look. “I know you’re right,” she whispered. She let out a long, heavy breath, then pulled in a deep one again. “Of course. Of course,” she said. “I can’t fucking wait to marry the love of my life.”

I smiled, and now I was the one with another tear coming down my face. Zane was smiling at Erica, and he stood up, pulling her up as well. She hugged him tight, rocking back and forth before turning to me and giving me just as big of a hug.

“Oh my God, I’m a total bridezilla! I never thought it would be me!” she said, throwing her hands in the air.

“You’re not a bridezilla,” I said, waving a hand. “A little cold feet never hurt anyone, did it?”

“You know what it hurt is my makeup,” she said, turning toward a mirror. “Oh, good God.”

“Don’t even worry about it. When Addy walked us over here, I saw that the makeup artist was still in the hall. I’m sure she can come make everything perfect again,” I said.

“Do we have the time for that?” Erica said, worry on her face again.

“It’s your wedding,” I said. “We’ve got all the time you need. People are happy and talking and having a great time already. Don’t you worry, Erica.”

Two minutes later, I’d tracked down the makeup artist and the rest of the bridesmaids waiting in the halls, and sent them back to the suite. Addy thanked us profusely before disappearing back into the room.

And then it was just me and Zane left, waiting in the hall. For some reason, when I looked at him, his own words to Erica came floating into my mind. When you know, you know. That love takes over everything and will make you go to any lengths to keep it.

I wished I knew how Zane could make me feel those things after only knowing me for under a month.

But it was plain as day when he said it. I felt some version of those things for him. I felt a strange clarity about it, at that moment, that I hadn’t felt before. But instead of pushing it away, I let it take the forefront of my mind as I stood watching Zane.

I had fallen for him. It didn’t matter how quick it was, or how crazy it was, or how intense and inconvenient it was. It had happened.

While I was lost in thought, Zane smiled sadly at me, giving me a nod before starting off down the hall in front of me.

And I just stood there, watching him walk away from me again.