hates Zander,” I said simply.
“You should just let your lawyer talk for you,” she hissed. “Because you clearly don’t know what to say.”
Mike kept his hand on her arm, holding her in place.
“Cassandra, I’m sorry.” I said it with as much conviction as possible. “My brother has never been happier in his life, and that alone is enough to make me love you. He’s a completely different person, finally finding his place in life. I’m so thankful you’re a part of our family and whipped my brother into becoming a man. Of course I care about you. This just got out of hand.”
She shook her head. “I gave you the opportunity to back off. I told you if you pressured me, there would be hell to pay. You accepted those consequences when you went through with it.”
“Compassion,” Scarlet said gently. “Please show him some compassion. He only wanted to protect Mike.”
“He doesn’t need to be protected from me,” she shrieked. “I messed up one time and that’s going to haunt me forever? I can’t be trusted now? I’m certainly not a liar. I’ve never been nor will I ever be. I love Mike with my whole heart and would never hurt him. How can I have a man that doesn’t believe me be his best man?”
“I’m sorry.” I felt the pain deep inside my chest. “I’m sorry. Please don’t take my brother away from me.”
“I’m not taking him away.” Cassandra still had the fire in her eyes. “He made this decision on his own. I didn’t ask him to do anything.”
That’s what I feared. I looked at him, the sadness in my eyes. “Come on, Mike. I said I was sorry.”
He shook his head. “You went behind my back, Sean. I said I didn’t want the test and you did it anyway. I would have preferred it if you beat me to a pulp until I changed my mind, or even tattled on me to dad. But to corner my fiancé is unacceptable. You know the women are always off limits.” He looked at Scarlet then back at me. “I risked my life to protect your girl. I was scared shitless and was almost shot. But I did that for you—because you’re my brother. So, in response, you corner my girl and coerce her into doing something we both didn’t want? Wrong. It’s just wrong.”
I would never be forgiven for this. It was to o horrible. I just wanted to crawl in a ball and die.
“We all make mistakes,” Scarlet said gently. “The important thing is, Sean was trying to look after you.”
“You think that justifies it?” Mike asked incredulously. “No. It fucking doesn’t. I don’t want him to stand beside me on my wedding day. He certainly wasn’t next to me when he was sneaking behind me.”
That burned a hole in my heart.
Scarlet became more aggressive. “Mike, I know you’re upset with Sean and you’re entitled to be. But this is your wedding day. You’re only going to do this once. Don’t kick him out.”
“Why do you even care?” Mike asked. “Why do you want to be my best man when you don’t even like my fiancé?”
“I do like her,” I said immediately. “I like her a lot. When you broke up, I was devastated. I didn’t want that for either of you. I just had to make sure she was the right person for you.”
“You remind me of Mom,” he said darkly. “You acted just like her.”
I didn’t challenge the claim. Arguing wouldn’t get me anywhere. “Mike, I love you. Please don’t push me away.” I knew I sounded like a girl, practically whining, but I didn’t want to lose him. He would push me away now, and it would only get worse as the years passed. He would be resentful toward me, and the mile between us would feel like an ocean.
Mike held my gaze before he finally looked away. “I just need space right now…”
Scarlet turned to Cassandra. “Am I still your maid of honor?”
“Of course.” Her eyes softened. “That wouldn’t change.”
She nodded. “Then please reconsider your anger. Please forgive my husband. Please don’t rip them apart.”
Cassandra
“You should just let your lawyer talk for you,” she hissed. “Because you clearly don’t know what to say.”
Mike kept his hand on her arm, holding her in place.
“Cassandra, I’m sorry.” I said it with as much conviction as possible. “My brother has never been happier in his life, and that alone is enough to make me love you. He’s a completely different person, finally finding his place in life. I’m so thankful you’re a part of our family and whipped my brother into becoming a man. Of course I care about you. This just got out of hand.”
She shook her head. “I gave you the opportunity to back off. I told you if you pressured me, there would be hell to pay. You accepted those consequences when you went through with it.”
“Compassion,” Scarlet said gently. “Please show him some compassion. He only wanted to protect Mike.”
“He doesn’t need to be protected from me,” she shrieked. “I messed up one time and that’s going to haunt me forever? I can’t be trusted now? I’m certainly not a liar. I’ve never been nor will I ever be. I love Mike with my whole heart and would never hurt him. How can I have a man that doesn’t believe me be his best man?”
“I’m sorry.” I felt the pain deep inside my chest. “I’m sorry. Please don’t take my brother away from me.”
“I’m not taking him away.” Cassandra still had the fire in her eyes. “He made this decision on his own. I didn’t ask him to do anything.”
That’s what I feared. I looked at him, the sadness in my eyes. “Come on, Mike. I said I was sorry.”
He shook his head. “You went behind my back, Sean. I said I didn’t want the test and you did it anyway. I would have preferred it if you beat me to a pulp until I changed my mind, or even tattled on me to dad. But to corner my fiancé is unacceptable. You know the women are always off limits.” He looked at Scarlet then back at me. “I risked my life to protect your girl. I was scared shitless and was almost shot. But I did that for you—because you’re my brother. So, in response, you corner my girl and coerce her into doing something we both didn’t want? Wrong. It’s just wrong.”
I would never be forgiven for this. It was to o horrible. I just wanted to crawl in a ball and die.
“We all make mistakes,” Scarlet said gently. “The important thing is, Sean was trying to look after you.”
“You think that justifies it?” Mike asked incredulously. “No. It fucking doesn’t. I don’t want him to stand beside me on my wedding day. He certainly wasn’t next to me when he was sneaking behind me.”
That burned a hole in my heart.
Scarlet became more aggressive. “Mike, I know you’re upset with Sean and you’re entitled to be. But this is your wedding day. You’re only going to do this once. Don’t kick him out.”
“Why do you even care?” Mike asked. “Why do you want to be my best man when you don’t even like my fiancé?”
“I do like her,” I said immediately. “I like her a lot. When you broke up, I was devastated. I didn’t want that for either of you. I just had to make sure she was the right person for you.”
“You remind me of Mom,” he said darkly. “You acted just like her.”
I didn’t challenge the claim. Arguing wouldn’t get me anywhere. “Mike, I love you. Please don’t push me away.” I knew I sounded like a girl, practically whining, but I didn’t want to lose him. He would push me away now, and it would only get worse as the years passed. He would be resentful toward me, and the mile between us would feel like an ocean.
Mike held my gaze before he finally looked away. “I just need space right now…”
Scarlet turned to Cassandra. “Am I still your maid of honor?”
“Of course.” Her eyes softened. “That wouldn’t change.”
She nodded. “Then please reconsider your anger. Please forgive my husband. Please don’t rip them apart.”
Cassandra
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