Ignite (39 page)

My flight was booked, and I was headed to the airport when I got a text from Jenny saying that he was awake but not quite lucid yet. I wished I could have been there to joke around with him about rugged sexuality, but that would have to wait. I took comfort in just knowing that he was alive and awake.

I didn’t know what time Tucker’s flight arrived, but I wished we would have coordinated. Landing all by myself and getting ready all alone didn’t sound like fun to me, considering I didn’t want to be there at all.

I flew first class because it reminded me of Dean, and I wished he was here. When the plane was finally in the air, I reached into my purse and pulled out the letter from my dad. I was still scared out of my mind to read it, but I had to at some point. It might as well be here, trapped on this plane, with nowhere for me to run, because that’s what I did. I ran.

Not anymore. I carefully pulled at the adhesive, not wanting to tear any part of it. After a few minutes, I was able to work the letter out and unfolded it slowly. My dad’s handwriting glared back at me and I wanted to cry already just seeing it. It wasn’t as long as I expected it to be, so it must be important. I took a deep breath and read:

I sat there, eyes wide, with tears streaming down my face. I didn’t care that other passengers were alarmed. I read the letter at least five times, trying to make sense of the second part. How on earth did he know that all of this would happen? He didn’t know that I would meet Dean. It just wasn’t possible. There was no way he could have known with so much accuracy.

Then something else caught my eye. There was a jagged edge to the letter on the right side. It was as if it had been ripped from something else. Along the edge in tiny writing, I read what it said:

Nothing else. I flipped the page over, but there was nothing. Why was it cut off? Was the answer in one of my other letters?

After reading the letter, I regretted my decision to leave Dean, because he was probably the only person in the entire world who could make sense of any of this for me.

I took a deep breath, carefully inserted the letter back in the envelope, and braced myself for the wedding. The sooner I made it through this, the sooner I would be able to go back home.

Tucker texted me the location of the wedding. I laughed to myself when I realized my mother didn’t bother to send me an invitation, or contact me in any way about this momentous life event. I arrived at my hotel and changed quickly into a black lace dress, fixed my hair and makeup, and took a cab to the venue. I’d already missed the ceremony, but that was fine with me. Showing up at the reception was more than my mother deserved from me.

As I walked across the lawn, I could see lights strung out over a dance floor by a lake. It was a truly beautiful place, probably paid for by Steve’s wealthy family. There was no way my mother could afford this, and I doubted a pilot’s salary would cover it either.

I looked around for Tucker, but there were more people than I had anticipated so it took some time. I called him several times, but it went straight to voicemail.

I found my mom and Steve, who were unmissable in white.

“Hey Mom,” I said, startling her from behind.

“Lauren!” she practically screamed, looking me up and down as she turned. She clutched onto Steve’s arm for dear life. I knew she was judging my dress because it was too long and too black, but I didn’t care. In the past, she would have given me a lecture about never wearing dresses that came too close to my knees because boys wouldn’t like that. But all of that was over because she didn’t own me anymore. No one and
nothing
owned me anymore. Not even my past.

“Congratulations,” I said, sounding every bit the ice queen she had created. Her dark hair looked beautiful against her white dress, but I still hated that it had a reddish hue just like mine.

“Thanks,” she said nervously, looking to Steve to save her.

“I’m Steve,” he said, reaching out to take my hand. Clearly he knew how awkward this was that he was just now meeting her daughter at their wedding.

“Oh, Lauren!” my mother screeched. “Look who’s here!”

She pulled someone out of the crowd to help distract me further so she wouldn’t actually have to have a conversation with me. The man and his date both seemed surprised my mother had quite literally plucked them out of the crowd.

When they turned around, my heart fell through my stomach.

Daniel.

MY MOTHER USED the diversion as a way to excuse herself.

“Oh Helen!” she cried at a random woman. “Thank you for the candles. They’re delightful!” She dragged Steve away without saying goodbye to me.

Typical.

I was left standing in front of my ex-fiancé and his current wife. If hell itself had frozen over, I would never have expected to be in this position, let alone at my mom’s wedding.

“Lauren,” Daniel said, fidgeting nervously. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

I didn’t know how to make my mouth work. It was
him
. My heart stopped, but I faked a smile and tried to pretend like this wasn’t the worst moment in the world.

“Well, neither can I,” I said cooly. “But it
is
my mother’s wedding, after all.”

“Ah, yes. Well our mothers are old friends, and I thought it would be polite that I make an appearance.”

Polite.
Right
.

I wanted to run. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I would rather drown myself in Palmer Lake than be here.

“Lauren, I’d like you to meet Emily,” he said, nodding to his wife. “Emily, this is Lauren.”

We shook hands curtly and she complimented my dress. At least
someone
liked it.

Daniel looked like he was going to say more, but his eyes focused on something over my shoulder. At the same time, a warm hand closed around my uninjured one.

“Hi,” he said as he stepped forward, squeezing my hand. He extended his free hand. “You must be Daniel.”

I watched in awe as the two men I had loved in my life grinned at each other as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Daniel introduced his wife, and I could barely bring myself to look at her. This wasn’t the girl I found him with all those years ago, but probably the third after that. He’d moved quickly and put a ring on her finger before their one-year anniversary. I didn’t want to check her hand to see if it was
my
ring, but I was sure it was. He was cheap like that.

Dean squeezed my hand supportively and I wanted to lean into him, but I wasn’t sure how he was even here considering less than twenty-four hours ago, I’d left him sedated in a hospital bed.

Daniel’s eyes traveled between us, and Dean brought his arm protectively around my waist and he pulled me closer.

“Well, I guess we should get back to the party,” Daniel said finally.

“Good to meet you both,” Dean said genuinely, nodding as he whisked me away.

I could barely contain myself for the moment it took us to get away before I started hyperventilating.

He pulled me close and ran his fingers through my hair.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into my neck. “That must have been so difficult.”

I pulled back and laughed.

“It was, but I’m not crying because I miss him, or because I’m upset. I’m crying because I’m so incredibly happy right now.”

Dean looked perplexed.

“I’m so glad I’m not her,” I continued. “I wasn’t meant to be her. Did you see how he was parading her around like a decoration? She hardly even said anything to us.”

I hadn’t realized that until I was standing in front of him, holding Dean’s hand. Suddenly, everything Jed had said in the hallway of the hospital made more sense, and I knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be, with the person I was supposed to be here with.

He smiled sadly and wiped my tears with one hand.

“What are you doing here?”

He smiled his sideways grin.

“I heard you needed an escort.”

“No, I mean
how
are you here? Shouldn’t you be lying in a hospital bed recovering?”

He laughed softly.

“Well, you know me. I’m never one to play by the rules. Let’s just say I’m in huge trouble with the Terminator Nurse, or so Jenny said to call her.”

I laughed lightly. I felt better when I was with him. I felt free.

“We need to talk.”

He nodded.

“We do. But can we dance first?”

I eyed the dance floor. It was too magical to pass up with all of the fairy lights, and I was even starting to like dancing again now that I had a perfect partner.

I nodded and he whisked me away.

We danced in silence for a few minutes with me trying to be careful of his injured ribs and him avoiding my hand. I had forgotten the world existed outside of us until someone tapped me on the shoulder and Dean broke out in a huge smile. He released me and I spun around only to be lifted up by Tucker.

“Tucker!” I squealed and I hugged him back. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“You and me both, L.” He put me down gently and shook Dean’s hand. “I see that finding me became low priority after you met up with this one.”

“Dean, this is my twin brother, Tucker.”

They shook hands, and I didn’t miss the wink that Tucker gave him.

“I know,” Dean said, looking at me now. “Who do you think got me here? He called me and gave me all the details so I could surprise you.”

“Nah, it was really all Kenzie’s idea.” Tucker was quick not to give himself credit.

I looked between them, not knowing if I should punch them, or hug them.

I decided on another hug, and leaned up to put my arms around Tucker’s neck.

“Thank you,” I whispered, truly meaning it.

“Anything for you,” he said into my ear.

In that moment I looked between my brother and the man I loved, and I finally understood what my dad had said in his letter. Everything happened for a reason, and I was the luckiest girl in the world to have both of them in my life.

“I just wanted to say hi,” Tucker said after a moment. “I have to catch a red eye back, I have a game early tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving?” I didn’t want him to go so soon. “I just got here.”