“Don’t screw around on her, Ethan. She doesn’t deserve that,” I say. I’m surprised at my bluntness, but Ethan doesn’t seem to be offended by it.

Ethan’s quiet for a minute, watching his girlfriend, hopefully letting what I just said sink in. “You two are friends now?” He finally replies.

“We don’t have to be friends for me to know that I don’t want that to happen to her.”

Looking at me with sad eyes, Ethan’s mouth opens and shuts, like he wants to say something but doesn’t quite know how to put it. I decide to speak for him instead, because I need to get this out while I’m ready to say it.

“I’m just going to say this, okay? It’ll be completely devoid of all the anger and resentment that I’ve felt for you over the past six months, and after I get it out, you can stop looking at me like a kicked puppy, and I’ll stop looking at you like I want to rip your heart out, and maybe things won’t be weird for Gabby and Ben anymore,” I say in one long breath. “I’ve been angry with you all this time not because of the cheating, which, yes…it did hurt, but…you took something from me that day, Ethan. You killed my belief in people and my ability to trust them and to take what they say and do at face value. You made me scared to take a chance again.” His eyes are locked with mine, and somehow I know that he’s listening, that he’s taking this to heart. “I had issues with some of those things before I met you, I mean, I’m not going to lay all of this at your feet, but you didn’t help any of that. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be like I was before. Maybe I’ll move past all this and be a stronger, better person. That’s what I hope for. And for you, I hope…” I take a deep breath, because it’s harder than I expected to say these words. “I hope you have a good life, Ethan. I really do.”

Ethan blinks his watery eyes, and I can practically hear him swallow. “I’m sorry that I hurt you, Callie.”

“I know,” I say, reaching out and squeezing his forearm. “I forgive you.”

His eyes shift back to Emily, uncertainty written on his face.

“Let her go if it gets to be too much.” He nods but doesn’t look at me, and I take that as my cue to leave. I’ve only taken a few steps before he speaks.

“Nate’s a good guy.”

I could laugh, because Ethan is the very last person I’d ever want vouching for any potential love interests, and I want to tell him that I don’t need him of all people to point out Nate’s goodness. But I don’t want to end this conversation with bitchiness; it would undermine everything I was trying to do here.

Instead, I tell him the truth.

“I know.”

WHEN I return to the patio, Nate’s leaning on the railing, off to the side and away from the crowd. I can tell just by the expression on his face that he saw me talking to Ethan, and when he looks up, his eyes are full of questions. Instinctively I know that he won’t ask me what we talked about, because he knows that it really isn’t any of his business. The strange thing is I want it to be his business. For whatever reason, I don’t want him to worry about it, or to let any thoughts of a reconciliation between Ethan and me even enter his mind.

Nate stands when I get closer. His arm slips around my waist, fingers curled along the side of my hip, and it’s comforting here in this spot where our bodies seem to fit together perfectly. He leans down, brushing his lips against my ear. “Is everything okay?”

I take a deep breath as I nod, then my eyes meet his. “I was just trying to help Ethan become a better person.”

Nate’s eyebrows knit together in confusion before a slow, understanding smile spreads across his face, brightening his eyes.

“Do you want to get out of here?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says softly, resting his hand on the small of my back as he leads me over to where Gabby and Ben are standing so that we can say goodnight. I hug the two of them and tell Gabby I’ll see her first thing in the morning, ignoring the smug look on her face when Nate twines his fingers with mine as we turn and make our way across the yard.

He rubs slow circles on the back of my hand as I follow him into his room, where he turns on the lights and gently shuts the door behind us. He presses a soft, lingering kiss to my lips as I reach up and loosen his tie, slipping it from around his neck and letting it fall into a puddle on the floor. We both work on undoing the buttons on his shirt and once that’s off, I fumble with the zipper on his pants. Once’s he’s finally naked, he makes quick work of my dress, sliding it off of my shoulders until it falls at my feet. Nate unclasps my bra and I pull down my panties, and then he skims one hand across my breast and down to my hip as he walks me backwards to the bed.

Nate sits in the center of the mattress and I make myself comfortable between his crossed legs, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Each beat of my frenzied heart pushes me closer to him, and every last nerve in my body is pulsing with want for him. He must feel the same about me if the hardness against my thigh is any indication, but we take our time and just kiss each other. Just hold each other. Just be.

We spend most of the night wrapped around each other. Sometimes we doze, sometimes we touch. Sometimes my back is pressed against Nate’s chest and his lips are warm on my neck and he presses his palm against my thigh, opening me up to him, and I sigh as he slips inside of me like it’s where he’s always belonged. There’s nothing frenzied about it; it’s slow and purposeful, like neither one of us are chasing any kind of pleasure other than the kind that comes from just being together. We spend all night learning each other’s bodies, both by taste and by touch.

Very early in the morning, when we’re both quiet and still, I don’t waste time thinking about the inevitable destruction of my already broken heart. I’m just happy to hold Nate and be held by him, for however long it lasts.

GABBY STARES out of the French doors in the Wrights’ living room, watching the crowd of friends and family taking their seats in the backyard. She’s so beautiful with her perfectly styled hair and lovely dress that it’s actually difficult for me to look at her. She’s as radiant as the sun; as blindingly bright and warm. I walk over to her, holding her bouquet in my right hand and mine in my left.

“Last chance for us to make a clean getaway,” I say, shifting the flowers in my hands so that I can smooth out her veil. “I’ll knock out Jasmine and Shelby, and we’ll get at least a fifteen minute head start.”

“You wish you could knock me out, Kirkpatrick,” Jasmine teases, the hint of a challenge behind her eyes.

“All I want is to be down at that altar.” Gabby looks at me with a gleam in her eyes, and I can see how sure she is about what it is that she’s about to do. “I want to be his wife.”

I want to be that sure about something for the rest of my life.

There’s a floor length mirror to the side of the door, and I take a look at my reflection. I look as pretty as I feel in this pale pink chiffon dress with my hair falling across my shoulders in sculpted curls because it just didn’t want to behave for the hairdresser this morning. The dress falls to just below my knees, and I like the way the shimmering strappy heels I’m wearing make my legs look.

“Are you about done primping for your boyfriend out there?” Shelby asks, arching her brow as she shoots me a disapproving glance. “Gab’s getting married in five minutes, and you’ve seen her with Ben. This one’s gonna stick, so you won’t get another chance to see her in a wedding dress.”

I stick my tongue out at her and she smiles. I try not to be too obvious about the way I stand on my tiptoes and look out the window to find Nate. My stomach does a cute little flip when I see him, looking so handsome in his light gray suit.