The Window Seat (badLuckbrides #1)

Chapter 21

Simon

Wedding Day

I just finished packing my bags. I was literally right in the middle of pounding a large coffee—since I couldn't get any sleep last night—and searching up the nearest Lyft to the airport when a beating began on my room door.

I felt like a failure. I felt, off. Leaving the day of the wedding when I swore I'd do all that I could to get Kathlyn out of this marriage.

I'm not sure who's more stubborn. Me or her. But maybe that's why neither of us worked. We were too similar. Both of our feet slammed on the floor when we wanted something and neither lifted for the other.

And I rethought about the question I'd asked her last night.

I thought about it on the drive back to the hotel. I thought about it for hours after the fact. It still ran through my head, even when I tried to distract myself with a movie.

Did everyone see it before I did? Ashlyn sure as hell claimed to.

Maybe I do still love her. Maybe it doesn't feel right for her to know that. But dammit, I needed to know the answer to that question.

I needed to know if maybe she still loved me too.

I set the tall cup down and look toward to door. By the way it's rattling as someone hammers on it on the other side, I know that can't mean anything good.

Just as I pull the door back, Beth pivots toward me with this satisfied smirk on her face. Satisfied, but no where near as satisfied as the few times she left my bed.

Her eyes narrow at me, her mouth creases into a devious smile, and she says simply, "I told him."

Bitch.

Just when I thought I'd be able to sneak out of here without any altercations. I'm sure it didn't help that the news of me leaving slipped out of me when I was rejecting her for the final time last night.

She caught me returning to the room, still heated after how things went with Kathlyn. Much like now, I wasn't in the mood for Beth's bullshit, and she cornered me. She stood in front of my door like she already knew when I'd be coming up.

"Not tonight," I'd told her. I had my keycard out and ready, but she had her back to the handle. Since it's started, I've been beguiled into bed with Beth about three times already. Each time felt no better than the first. I didn't want to do it anymore. She'd turn her head at certain angles and I'd see James. Instant turn off.

"I'm telling him then. I'm telling him everything."

"I don't fucking care, don't you get it? It's over anyway."

She frowned at me, probably hoping for a different response. But I was done with it all. I just wanted to lay in that expensive hotel bed, probably fuck up the Egyptian cotton sheets, order tons of pay-per-view movies and have room service push up a silver cart with sushi, steak, and lobster because it was all on James's dime and he was an asshole.

"What? I thought you were on a quest to stop this shit show. What the hell changed in three days?"

"Everything. Now get out of my way." I reached for her shoulders to drag her from in front of the handle, but she put both arms out to anchor herself to the wall.

"Then I'll tell Kathlyn we fucked and I won't spare her the details. You care about that, don't you?"

"No because neither does she. Now move, Beth."

Kathlyn would care. I definitely cared. But it's not like it would make things any worse.

She chuckled, crossing her arms. "Why do you act like you just lost her? You lost her a looooong time ago. You weren't getting her back and you still won't be. Nothing's changed."