Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel Bella Emy (best ebook reader for laptop .TXT) 📖

Ugh, it’s all so cute and sweet that I can feel myself getting a cavity. It’s enough to make me want to puke. And don’t get me wrong. I’m in no way mad or jealous of Kennedy. She deserves all the happiness in the world. I just think I’m not in the right frame of mind right now to appreciate it.

Nevertheless, I rid my mind of the thoughts and try hard to focus and pay attention to her words.

“As you all know, tomorrow is the big day! I have literally waited for the day when I’d get to marry my best friend all my life.” Kennedy pauses for a moment, turns her head to face Max, and reaches for his hand. Once she’s holding it, she squeezes and starts tearing, mouths the words, “I love you so much,” and then turns back to face the audience. “Max has been everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. He’s all I want and all I’ll ever need in a husband. But most of all, he’s my best friend.”

Like I said, sweet, but barf worthy.

“We’re so happy to be able to share our special day with all of the people who matter the most to us. I really don’t know where I would be without you.”

Her voice trails off as I turn my head for a second, and it’s in that very moment that my mind starts playing tricks on me. I know my brain is messing with me because for a second, I thought I saw him, standing off to the side, smiling in my direction.

I have to do a double-take, just to make sure. And yeah, I’m seeing things because he’s not— holy fuck, he is. It’s him. Kalen Starling. The boy who held the key to my heart for so long. Except, he’s no boy now. He’s a man. A gorgeous, gorgeous man. With dark hair and a shadow of a beard. His white dress shirt is ready to burst on the sides of his biceps. Damn, he’s huge. He was never small to begin with, always having a football player’s body, but now? Now he’s all that and more.

I gulp hard and fast, pulling my gaze away, bringing it back to Kennedy, who’s still talking. Yet now, I don’t hear a word of it. I can’t focus. I can’t concentrate. I have no idea what she’s saying as I bring my eyes back to where Kalen is standing. But now he’s no longer there.

Am I seeing things? Was I seeing things? Was he really there? I could have sworn he was. But how could he already be gone?

“Girl, are you all right?” Erin leans into me, whispering in my ear.

I turn to face her. “Huh?”

She motions for me to take a sip of water from the glass she’s holding out before me. Then her gaze turns to where mine was. “Holy shit.”

I look up, and there he is once more, but as he sees me looking, he turns and walks away.

I take the water from her and start scarfing it down, swallowing mouthfuls before I start coughing it up, bringing the attention to me. Great. That’s precisely the opposite of what I wanted.

Erin hits my back to help me get it up. “Damn, girl. Are you okay?”

I look around as all eyes are on me and Kennedy has stopped talking except for when she says, “Oh my God, Lexi, are you all right?”

Finally, catching my breath and straightening up, I stand up. “I’m sorry. Excuse me.”

I race out of the room as fast as my legs can carry me. I need to go. I need to get out of here and quickly.

I speed out of dining area, not bothering to look behind me. My only focus is leaving the room, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Rushing down the hallway, I find the ladies’ room and dart inside. As the door closes behind me, I’m thankful when I realize there’s no one else in here at the moment.

I grab onto the sink, holding my head down, trying to catch my breath. What the hell? What had just happened? One second, everything was fine, and the next, I see my past staring back at me. Slowly, I lift my head and take in my appearance. Damn, I look rough, like I’d been hit across the face with a brick. My eyes are swelling, and tears begin to form.

I grip my chest as erratic breaths escape me.

Fuck, I really don’t want to cry right now. I have to go back out there soon. I wouldn’t have wanted to leave in the first place. This is all part of Kennedy’s big day, and here I am ruining it; ruining all of it, and I can’t stand it.

“Lexi! Are you all right?!” Erin’s voice sounds to my right as she comes racing into the bathroom.

I turn to face her. “I’m sorry.”

She furrows her brows. “Sorry? No, you don’t have to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I saw Kalen,” I confess. “I thought he wasn’t going to be here.”

She cringes. “Yeah, he wasn’t supposed to be. Kennedy came rushing up to me when you ran out and I told her. She said he was supposed to be away, but something happened and his meeting got cancelled. So now he’s going to be here for the wedding…”

I hyperventilate. I cannot be seeing him again.

“I’m sorry, Lexi. I didn’t know. She said she just found out.”

I shake my head. “It’s not her fault. I just wish we could have known so that I could have prepared myself… mentally.”

She raises an eyebrow and turns to lean against the sink next to me. “Yeah, but do you think you would have ever really been prepared?”

I consider my best friend’s words. She’s right. Of course, she’s right. Knowing or not wouldn’t have made a difference. Once my eyes would land on Kalen,