Watching his retreating back, Wren felt like her heart had fallen out of her chest and shattered on the ground.
What was happening?
Never in her life had she felt such pain.
The rejection from every guy ever didn’t even come close to this. This was awful, and she didn’t understand. Yeah, she may have lied about Bradley, and she was truly sorry for that. But did Jensen really believe she would pull some kind of shit like asking to go to check on his dad to get out of a wedding where there might be a chance meeting with Bradley?
Never.
“Jensen, really?” she yelled, and everyone in the lobby looked back at her. Alex’s four little friends’ eyes all widened in confusion as her brother rolled his.
“Wren, not here, please. Alex’s friends—”
“No,” she spat back at him as Jensen turned around, looking at her. “I get it, you’re pissed and you have every right to be, but be mad at the right thing. I would never use your dad to get out of something. I love your father, I love you, I wouldn’t do that!”
Jensen looked down before he nodded. “I know.”
She went to argue, but then she paused as her eyes scrunched up. “Then what the hell is going on? Is it Bradley? Please. I don’t want that dude. I want you.”
“Wren, please, the music has started. We gotta go,” Wells urged, and Jensen shrugged.
“We gotta go. We’ll talk later.”
With that, he turned. She didn’t understand. This wasn’t him. He was all about getting things fixed, but now, he was the one running from it. What the hell had happened? When someone reached for her, pulling her back, she looked up to see her father. Her eyes were wide while his hold was soft, pulling her to the back of the room. “Honey, just calm down. Let’s get through this wedding, and then you two can talk.”
“But, Dad, I need to fix this.”
“I understand that, but we have a wedding to do,” he said simply, cupping her face. “It will work out.”
As her gaze held her father’s, she shook her head while her eyes filled with tears. “Guess this all ruins my inheritance, huh?”
His face changed, his eyes narrowing. “What? You’re married before your birthday. I see no problem.”
“Even with everything you just heard?”
He shrugged. “I heard nothing except some asshole who hurt my daughter, but then someone else came along and fixed it all.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I don’t want to lose him.”
“You won’t,” he said confidently. “You won’t give up on something you truly want.”
Meeting her father’s gaze, she nodded slowly, hiccupping a sob as she whispered, “What if he tries to take my baby?”
Her father scoffed. “I wish he’d try. We’d ruin him. All of us.”
Her heart sang, but only for a second before she looked up at her father. “Daddy, why haven’t you brought up the inheritance? Not even once?”
His brows rose as his gaze bored into hers. “Because I never questioned you. I know for a fact that boy loves you, you love him, and that baby is his. I have no questions.”
Her heart did a flip-flop in her chest because, unlike her father, she had a lot of questions, and they all revolved around Jensen. Before she could say anything else though, the music was indeed starting, and the doors opened. Standing in place behind Alex’s man-maids, as he was calling them, she felt like she was about to cry her makeup off again. For so long, she couldn’t fathom that someone like Jensen could love her. And then the moment she accepted it, and believed it deep inside of her, it all came crumbling down on top of her.
But she refused to put up with that.
And she didn’t want to wait.
She needed to fix this.
She loved him.
And damn it, she knew he loved her.
When it was her turn, she walked out, her eyes on the prize. She didn’t look anywhere but at him, standing in all his beautiful glory. When he finally looked at her, she held his gaze as she closed the distance between them before standing beside him, not missing that he tensed up.
“I can’t wait.”
“Wren, stop. After the wedding, I swear we’ll talk.”
“But that’s not okay with me.”
“Wren, dude, shut up,” Vaughn snapped over at her, and she glared.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Jensen whispered at him before looking to her. “I promise, we’ll talk after this.”
“Like you promised you’d never leave me?”
“Wren, I’m not leaving you.”
“Oh, you’re not?” she yelled, louder than she expected to, and when she looked up, Wells shot her a look that killed her dead three times over.
Whoops.
Lowering her voice to a whisper, she muttered, “It sure feels that way.”
Setting her with a look, Jensen shook his head. “Please, we’ll talk.”
As the music changed, Céline Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” blaring through the room, the doors opened once more, and Alex came out in a white suit with diamond-encrusted lapels, but Wren wasn’t paying attention. All she could do was listen to the song. “I could seriously sing this song to you right now,” she said, and Jensen’s eyes widened.
“Please don’t.”
“But I could because I know you don’t think I’ve changed, but I have. I promise you that—because of you. Your love fixed me, it did, and I love you, Jensen. I’d fall apart without you.” His eyes drifted closed as Wells sent her another death glare that she promptly ignored as she started to sing along with the song, taking ahold of Jensen’s hand. When a grin tugged at his lips, her heart sang for him. “I can sing loudly.”
“Stop,” he demanded, shaking her hand out of his. “Not here.”
Pouting, she looked at where Alex was kissing his mom and then his dad before taking Wells’s hands, coming to the altar. She understood that this was neither the time nor the place to try to convince her husband not to leave her, but she didn’t like that she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Yes, he said he wasn’t leaving her, but did he say it because he meant it, or because he just wanted her to shut up?
Reaching out once more, she laced her fingers with his, and when she saw his shoulders fall, so did hers. Was that good or bad? She didn’t know, and when he glanced over at her, she gazed up at him, needing some reassurance. Just a simple squeeze, a kiss on the palm like he always did, or maybe even an actual kiss. Anything, but he just held her gaze, his eyes so damn unsure, and it was killing her. She couldn’t lose him.
The minister began the service. “Alex and Wells’s love story is like the 1996 Céline Dion Falling into You CD as they have told me. And knowing that, I know there is no reason ever to stop a love like this. Yet, I have to ask. Is there anyone here who feels this union should not take place? If so, please speak up at this time.”
Wells was tense, sweat on his brow before he looked back at their dad. But the problem was, he didn’t have to worry about their father.
Nope, he needed to worry about her.
She raised her hand, and Alex’s eyes widened as she said, “See, I don’t think it shouldn’t take place, I was just wondering if we can take, like, an intermission?”
“Wren,” Jensen snapped, and she held her hand up.
“Quick, I can’t do this. Really, it’s killing me—”
“Wren,” Wells said through tight lips. “Are you having a baby?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then shut up, and let me do this.” She went to say something, but he snapped his fingers at her. “No.”
She looked to her mom and dad, and they were both glaring at her. Feeling unsure about herself, she snapped her mouth shut as she crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled, “I’d let you ruin my wedding if you needed to fix your marriage.”
“’Cause that makes no sense at all.”
“This wedding is awesome,” Vaughn said then, and the crowd all laughed, while Alex looked as if he was going to have a hissy fit.
“What is the problem?” Alex asked.
“She’s having an issue. It’s fine. Please go on,” Wells said, waving off Alex’s question before taking his hand once more.
“Are you sure?” the minister asked.
“Yes, please,” Wells asked, and she didn’t miss that he was sweating. She couldn’t help but think that Wells didn’t want to do this. But he was doing it, so she really needed to shut up and let him. It just didn’t feel right. Something was off. She wasn’t sure if it was her issue or if it was Wells and Alex, but she had this feeling in her gut that was driving her mad.
“Okay, wonderful. No objection to this beautiful union—”
“Actually, there is.”
The voice was deep.
Very deep, and very sexy.
For a second, she thought it was Jensen, but it wasn’t. When Wren’s gaze fell on the tall, very handsome, dark-haired man with beautiful turquoise eyes who rose from the back row, she gasped loudly as Jensen muttered, “Holy shit.”
As he turned, his eyes wide, Wells’s mouth fell open as his ex-lover, Matty Haverbrooke, made his way down the aisle. Alex’s face flushed with color as he glared at Matty and then at Wells.
“Wells.”
But Wells wasn’t listening as Matty stopped midway, his eyes on Wells. “I’m sorry, I am. And I don’t mean to do this, but I can’t let you marry him.”
“Oh, snap,” Vaughn said before shaking his head. “I knew I should have brought popcorn.”
“Jesus, shut up,” Jensen muttered, but then he noticed that Brie was eating a pack of peanuts from her purse.
Those two were meant for each other.
When Wells let go of Alex’s hand, Wren’s eyes widened even more as Alex yelled, “What? What are you doing?”
It was apparent that Matty wasn’t sure of himself. He was nervous, his eyes wide and his shoulders back. Wren felt awful for him, but even she couldn’t miss the way Wells’s eyes had lit up the moment he saw him. “I know I did you wrong. I’m young, I’m stupid, but, Wells, I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t do this. I can’t do life without you. Please. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but don’t marry him.”
Everyone in the audience was gasping. Hell, she was too! Holding her breath, she looked back to her brother. She knew how much he had loved Matty, but she also knew how broken he was when Matty wouldn’t come out of the closet for him. When Jensen looked over at her, his eyes wide, hers mirrored his as she whispered, “What the fuck?”
“Right?” Vaughn asked, but Alex wasn’t having any of it.
“No, we love each other. Get out of here! Someone remove him.”
But Matty wasn’t paying him any mind, his eyes locked on Wells. He looked pained, but still, so in love. It was tragic but beautiful at the same time. “I was wrong, I was so wrong. I let you go because I was a coward, and I swear to you, no more of that. I want to be with you, in and out of the closet. I want to love you because you came out of my dreams and made them real, Wells. You are everything I want and everything I need. I beg of you, don’t marry him. Give me another chance, please.”
Wells wasn’t moving, nor was he speaking; he was just staring into Matty’s eyes as a hush moved through the room. When Wren looked at her parents, both of them were gaping at the two men with wide eyes and open mouths. Everyone was pretty much stunned to silence.
Well, everyone but Alex.
“You left him. He doesn’t love you! He loves me! Get out of here, you homewrecker! You can’t have him!”
Once more, Matty wasn’t listening to Alex as he closed the distance between himself and Wells, coming to stand on the stair below him, his head tipping back as he looked at her brother with nothing but a love in his eyes that was beyond overwhelming.
It was the way Jensen looked at her.
She didn’t want to lose that.
Soon the tears were welling up in her eyes as Matty whispered, “I love you, Wells. You know I do.”
“He doesn’t love you,” Alex yelled before looking up at Wells. “Wells, tell him. Jesus, are you mute?”
But Wells was still speechless, his eyes locked with Matty’s as he moved onto the step with Wells, their bodies so close that if either of them moved, they’d be touching.
“Wells!” Alex yelled once more, but she was pretty sure neither of them was listening as they stayed locked in each other’s gaze.
“Please tell me you still love me. Because no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop loving you,” Matty whispered, and Wren’s heart ached at the look on her brother’s face. He loved Matty, it was apparent, but he was scared.
Scared shitless.
Which was not a look she often saw on her brother.
“Wells! Damn it! What are you doing?” Alex exclaimed.
“I swear I’ll never hurt you again. I’m sorry. But you are mine, baby, remember? You told me that. That I was yours, and I am,” Matty begged. He didn’t touch Wells, he just stood there, his eyes pleading while the room was tense and silent. He looked so damn big next to her brother. He was thick with muscle, but he was lean and looked gorgeous in the suit he wore. He had come to impress; the suit wasn’t cheap, nor was the posh haircut and clean-cut shave. Matty Haverbrooke was one gorgeous man.
When Wells’s eyes started to fill with tears, Wren went to save him. She had no idea what she was going to do, but before she could, Jensen stopped her. “This is all him.” She looked at Jensen, her own eyes pleading as his hand slid off of her and into his pocket. “Let him do this.”
“Do what? You better be kicking him out!” Alex yelled. “This is insane. Why are you just standing there? You don’t love him, do you? What kind of best friends are you? This dude hurt him. Kick him out!”
His voice was so high-pitched and full of rage that Wren was wincing, but Matty and Wells weren’t moving as Vaughn said, “We’re the kind of best friends who want the best for our brother. Let him think!”
Alex went to argue, but her father’s voice filled the room. “Son, that’s enough. You need to say something.”
Wells’s eyes widened as he tore them from Matty to their father. He was terrified, and Wren wanted to wrap her arms around him, fix it for him. But she couldn’t. This was all him, like Jensen had said.
Looking back to Matty, Wells’s mouth trembled as he asked, “Your family?”
“Wells!” Alex cried, but Wells shook his head, waiting for Matty to answer him.
“Ha, told ya,” Vaughn scoffed to her and Jensen, but they weren’t paying attention as Matty nodded vigorously.
“I’m telling them. Even if you don’t want me, I’m telling them. I promise. I just want you by my side when I do it because I love… I love you so much, Wells, please.”
Wells paused, his lips trembling. “Why now?”
“It doesn’t matter because you’re marrying me!” Alex shouted, and Wren wasn’t sure why the guy was still talking. It was obvious that Wells and Matty were in their own world.
“I wanted to tell you earlier, but I was scared. I’m still fucking scared, but I couldn’t let you do this without you knowing that you changed my life. You make me want to be a good man, and I know I can do it without you, but I don’t want to. You’ve made me want to fix things with my sister because of how much you love yours. I want to tell my brothers and my parents because I want to be myself. I want to be me instead of lying all the time. But, Wells, I want you beside me, with me, loving me. Please, say you will. Take me back, let me love you as you always loved me because, Wells, you own my heart. The whole damn thing. You know I don’t do this kind of thing, but I can’t stand by and watch you marry this guy. I can’t.”
When a tear rolled down Wells’s face, Alex yelled, “Then leave!”
“I can’t. I’m sorry, Alex, I am. But I love him,” Matty said to him, but his eyes stayed glued to Wells.
“Wells, tell him to go!”
Swallowing hard, Wells looked back at Alex, and when he slowly shook his head, Wren covered her mouth to keep in her sob. “I’m sorry, but my heart beats for this man.”
Matty let out the breath he was obviously holding before they wrapped their arms around each other, their mouths meeting in a familiar but beautiful way that took Wren’s own breath away. She hadn’t even noticed that Alex had stormed out or that his parents were yelling at hers. All she saw was the love that her brother felt, and soon she was grinning. He had loved Matty for as long as she could remember, and seeing them together, she could understand why.
It was a love like hers and Jensen’s. But was that over?
When she looked to Jensen, she saw he was watching her, his eyes full of tears. The room started to clear out of Alex’s family and friends, but she was pretty sure Wells was too busy kissing Matty to notice the ruckus going on around them. Everyone was yelling or asking what was going on. But she couldn’t be bothered with them either because her world was staring at her with such uncertainty in his eyes.
But before either of them could say anything, Wells and Matty parted. Wells was laughing, wiping away his tears. “Shit, sorry.”
“You don’t be sorry, honey. It’s obvious you belong with this boy,” her mother said, coming toward them. “I’m Elaine Lemiere. You’re Matty?”
Matty’s face flushed as he nodded. “Yes. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
He held out his hand, but she ignored it, hugging him tightly as Matty grimaced, very unsure of himself. Wren’s father came over then, holding out his hand. “I’m Wells’s father, Winston. Matty, it’s nice to meet you.”
Exhaling hard, Wells shared a long look with Winston before smiles appeared on both their faces. Squeezing Matty’s shoulder, Wells said, “I’m sorry, Mom. I can’t get married today.”
Elaine waved him off. “Then we’ll have a nice, expensive dinner. Hope everyone is hungry?”
Vaughn laughed out loud. “I so won. I told everyone.”
No one was listening to him as Wells smiled. “Unless you and Brie wanna get married.”
Vaughn shrugged, but when he glanced at Brie, she glared. “Rodney isn’t here.”
He made a face. “Free wedding, babe.” She made a face right on back, so he said, “But that doesn’t matter because Rodney isn’t here, and we couldn’t fly him out in time, right?”
“Right,” she deadpanned.
“Well, crap, guess expensive dinner it is,” Wells said simply, but then Wren shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked over at her, even Jensen as she looked up at him, her heart in her eyes as she said, “No, Jensen and I are getting married.”
* * *
“What?” Jensen’s heart was pounding so hard, his vision was getting fuzzy as he held her gaze. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“I want to marry you. In front of everyone.”
“But we’re married.”
“I don’t care. I want it to be real this time because I want to.” His heart stopped as she held his gaze hostage. “I fucked up. This whole time, I fought it, I fought it tooth and nail. But my fight was nothing compared to your love, Jensen. It’s so pure, so beautiful, and I don’t want anything else but your love. You. I want you. All of you, and I know I’m hard to deal with sometimes, and I’m stubborn and annoying, I don’t listen well, and I’ve probably given you your fair share of frustrating moments, but, Jensen, if one thing is for sure, it’s that I love you. I love you so damn much.”
“Wren—”
“And yes, I know I lied. I know I should have been honest from the rip, but I hate him. I hate him so much because he made me doubt myself. He made me feel unworthy, and I hated me. I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t think I could be a mom or a wife or anything. I was worthless, but you came along, and that changed. Everything changed. That fake marriage we had is now real, and I want to make that really real because I can’t lose it. I can’t lose you because I love you, Jensen. Surely you understand that.”
He felt everyone’s gazes on him as he looked down at her, tears gathering in her eyes as she stared up at him. Feeling a lump in his throat, he whispered, “I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.”
But he wasn’t sure. “I won’t?”
Her eyes widened as she asked, “Why would you even think you would? I love you.”
Swallowing hard, he shook his head, fighting back his own tears. “He can give you kids. You would be smart to go with him.”
Her face turned red, scrunching up as she threw her hands in the air. “I don’t want his kids, minus the one he already gave me,” she said, taking his hands in hers and kissing each of them. “I only want yours.”
“What if I can’t—”
But she shook her head quickly. “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But we’ll do it together.” He looked away, but she reached up, guiding him back by his jaw, meeting his gaze. “I love you, Jensen Cade Monroe, so does our baby. We need to be okay—no, great—for this to work. We have to believe in each other. We have to lift each other up, and above all, we gotta love each other. We’re good at that part, even the lifting part. We may need some work on the believing in ourselves part, but I know we can do it because we love each other. Do you love me?”
He scoffed. “Wren, I’ll always love you, but I’m worried that I’m not enough—”
“Never. You’re more than enough, all that I want and need. Don’t ever think I need more. You’re all I ever want to live for. No one else will ever do, just you. Believe in me. I know it’s hard, because I wouldn’t do the same for you at first, but I promise I have ever since I whispered I loved you on that dance floor. I fought it, I fought it so hard, but I think I always knew my heart was yours.”
He could see it in her eyes. She meant every word, but he still wasn’t sure. Could he do that to her? Take her, keep her to himself, when there could be more for her out there? A good man who could give her everything she wanted. Yet he couldn’t imagine her with anyone else but him. Looking into her eyes, he saw his future. Holding her hand as she birthed their son, kissing her, telling her she was beautiful when she probably wanted to kill someone.
Diapers and throw-up, laughing because he’d probably gag. His son’s first steps. Making love to her to celebrate their kiddo’s achievements. Making love to her because he wanted to, which would be a lot since he always wanted to. Celebrating their milestones in their careers. Taking Gunner to school, hockey, college, and everything else, right by her side.
Life—he wanted to do life with her. Only her.
He knew he wanted her the moment he saw her, and he had her now. So why was he trying to push her away? Why was he trying to pull the kind of shit she had been doing to him? They had come so far, and there was no other way he wanted to go unless she was by his side.
“I want to grow old and gray with you, Wren Josephine Monroe.”
Her eyes sparkled with tears as she reached up, taking his face in her hands. “So you’ll marry me?”
He grinned down at her, dropping his head to hers. “I’d marry you a million times over just to see that smile.”
As her face broke into an even bigger grin, the simple motion taking away his breath, his eyes fell shut as their lips met. Kissing her would never be normal; it would always blow his mind because, even though she was in his arms, kissing him, he still believed he was living in a fairy tale.
He finally had his queen.
“Heck yeah! Let’s do this! Brie, get up here. You’re the maid of honor, and Vaughn and I will go over here. Wait, can we turn that A into a J, you think?” Wells asked, and Matty nodded.
“Yeah, easy.”
Smiling down at her as everyone moved around him, Jensen shook his head. “So this is happening.”
“Yeah, I think it is. Oh, I wish your mom and dad were here,” she complained, but Elaine held up her phone.
“FaceTiming Emma now!”
Before they knew it, a makeshift J hung on the other side of the W, while Wells and Vaughn stood beside him, and Brie stood beside Wren. The room had cleared out, leaving only their family, minus Jensen’s parents. Wren still wore her suit, but he wasn’t looking at what she was wearing, only into her eyes. Those green depths that took his breath away, and boy, was she gorgeous.
“Why are they doing this again?” he heard his mother ask as they laced their fingers together, pressing their foreheads together, getting lost in each other’s eyes.
“Yeah, aren’t they married?” his dad asked, and Elaine laughed.
“Oh, if only you knew. Today has been a mess, and my oldest decided not to marry the man he thought he was marrying. And then Wren and Jenny were fighting about some crazy crap and then they made up and now they’re getting married.”
“Oy. I’ll need a glass of wine for the long version of that, eh?” Emma asked, her eyes filling with tears.
Elaine scoffed. “You mean three bottles?”
“Mom, can we get started?” he heard Wells ask, and then there was silence as Jensen stayed trapped in Wren’s gaze while the minister repeated what she had just said earlier. Though, he was pretty sure neither of them was listening. He was too busy being lost in the only eyes he wanted to look into for the rest of his days.
“Jensen, would you like to say something?”
His lips quirked as Wren’s did the same before he lifted his head up, wrapping his arm around her neck, and pulling her to him. “I have never in my life truly loved anyone but you. You were it for me. I’ve said that time after time, but having you, being with you, loving you…I swear it feels like a dream. A dream I never want to wake up from because I love you, and I’ll never stop because my favorite thing about you isn’t just your smile, Wren, but that I make you smile.”
“Jesus, where is the tissue?” he heard his mom cry, and Wren’s eyes started to cloud with her own tears.
“I promise I’ll never love anyone the way I love you because I don’t know how to love anyone else but you. I’m yours. Only yours and I’m ready for life with you.”
“Shit, I’m gonna have to step my vows game up,” Vaughn muttered, and Wells scoffed.
“Right?”
Jensen was still looking down at her as she whispered, “I love you.”
And his grin grew as the minister asked, “Wren, would you like to say something?”
She was lost in Jensen’s gaze, a tear leaking out the side of her eye before she declared, “One thing is for sure, I can’t promise you an easy life. You know me and I’m tough, but I’ll do my best not to disappoint you. I won’t be the perfect wife because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I can promise you that I’ll choose to love you, and only you, for the rest of my days. No one will ever love me the way you do, Jensen, and because of that, I’m going to love you the only way I know how.” Her voice broke, tears falling as her lips trembled with a sob. “And that’s with my soul. My whole soul is yours, because a heart can stop and a mind can forget, but a soul neither stops nor forgets. It only loves, and my soul belongs to you.”
“Ah! She got that from me. Way to go, Wrenya!”
As her tears dripped down her face, his doing the same, Jensen’s lips curved. “Your soul, Wrenya? The whole thing?”
“The whole thing. It’s yours.”
“Good, ’cause mine was yours from the beginning.”
Her face lit up as she leaned into his chin. “Sorry it took me so long to join the game.”
“Doesn’t matter how we win as long as we do,” he murmured as she backed up, looking up at him.
“And we will. Together. A team.”
“Always, baby, always.”
With that, he took his wife’s mouth with his, and as he kissed her, Jensen knew that no Cup, no award, no nothing could ever add to his life the way Wren did. It hadn’t been easy, and he knew it never would be. But the best things in life, he had always fought and worked for.
And Wren was the ultimate prize.