Runaway Heart (A Game of Hearts #2) by Candace Knoebel, Sonya Loveday Read Free Book Online Page B

back. “Who’s rules?”
    “Mine,” she said unwaveringly. “And I’m telling you as the bride-to-be that you should enjoy yourself while you’re here. It’s not every day you’re in Rum Cay with a hot, English dude.”
    Hot’s putting it mildly, I thought as his earth-shattering smile wormed its way into my mind.
    I leveled my eyes on her. “Say what you want, but nothing is going to happen. It can’t.”
    “Why?”
    “Because.”
    “Because why?”
    “Because… because…” I touched my finger to the indent above my top lip. Nothing came to mind. No excuse. No reason. Just his eyes. And his hands. And his… My cheeks blushed. “Damn you,” I said, standing. “I need… I need a shower.”
    “Down the hall to the left,” she called with a smirk. I wanted to reach across the table and choke her a little.
    I traveled down the hall, forcing my thoughts from Ed and onto the pictures of Maggie and Phillip lining the hallway. All smiles and love in every one. They had that kind of relationship. The kind you see on a movie screen. The kind you know deep down in your gut was not a possibility for yourself because people didn’t just wake up and meet the right guy at the right time.
    It was like witnessing a shooting star. Or winning the lottery. Maggie was one of the rare few who got to taste what love was. And I couldn’t be happier for her because she deserved it with every do-gooder bone in her body.
    But me?
    I was damaged goods. Set in my ways and not willing to budge. It would be unfair of me to put my burdens on someone else’s shoulders because love didn’t erase seventeen years’ worth of witnessing the man you should be able to trust and admire hurting your mother in countless, endless ways. It didn’t take back the hurtful words and the broken bones.
    And it damn sure didn’t heal scars.
     

     
    AFTER A VERY LONG, VERY cold shower, which did nothing to ease the ache left from last night’s tease, I found Maggie in her room with her dress hanging from the closet door. Autumn lay in the middle of the bed, surrounded by pillows, kicking her feet.
    “It’s gorgeous,” I said, sitting on the edge of her bed in my towel.
    She spun around, holding a lacy, white, halter-style dress. “This is for you,” she said, walking over to me.
    “Only the bride should wear white,” I said, taking the beautiful dress from her.
    “Yeah, well, this is my wedding, and that’s what I want you to wear,” she defiantly said. “I make the rules today, remember?”
    She handed me the dress.
    It was all lace and silky lined softness my tanned skin screeched for me to try on. “Secretly, I’m so glad you didn’t go for the horror-film bridesmaid dress.” I stood, holding it up in front of me. “I love it.”
    She watched me as I stood in front of the mirror. “Me too.”
    I saw her sigh, her smile relaxing as she sat on the edge of the bed.
    “Phillip’s parents should be landing any minute now.”
    I spun to face her. “That’s a small start, right?” I said, trying to keep it light. Panic swam in her eyes.
    “It’s something,” she said, sounding somewhat leery.
    “Listen, if his mom tries to give you any shit, I’ll just do my maid-of-honor duties and push her ass in the ocean. Okay?”
    She giggled before sighing heavily. “I’m so glad you’re here, Hannah.”
    I heard the tears in her voice and turned. “Don’t,” I said, holding up a finger. “You start, and then I start, and we can’t on a day such as this.”
    “You’re right,” she agreed, giggling as she wiped the corners of her eyes.
    Stepping into the dress, I slid it up under the towel.
    She moved behind me, helping me with the zipper. After clearing her throat, she said with a smirk, “Ed will love it.”
    “You just had to, didn’t you? You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
    “What?” she innocently asked. “Watching you finally unravel over a guy the way I did over Phillip? Hell yeah, I’m enjoying it.