Savior Complex: A Small Town Love Triangle Romance

Like now, though I know he’s working the ranch before it’s time to get ready, and finalizing the charade he and Jordy are playing. Aunt Lil and Uncle Dan showed up last night, bunking with Jordy in her cabin. While I know this is all part of the plan, my veins are flowing with pure jealousy. I have to keep reminding myself that we’re at the finish line.

I also have to remind myself that we’re about to tromp on the heart of someone I care about very much.

I’ve done a great job this past week of glossing over the morality of this situation, but I can’t ignore the fact that Jordy will be crushed when she finds out what happens. Having our moms hate me is one thing, I’m used to that by now. But Jordy? That’s been a relationship I’ve missed for years, and now that we’re cautiously friends again, I’m about to drive the stake in her heart.

She never should have trusted me.

I spend the next two hours getting ready. Maren is busy doing Maid of Honor duties with Claire, which means I’m on my own to apply makeup with shaky fingers and keep the heater on high as my nerves add ice to my veins. I have this strange thought to call my mom, as if my mom will offer calming words of encouragement. When has she ever done that, though? How could I tell her any of this? It’s more likely that she’d tell me what a whore I am, and all the ways I’m an embarrassment to our family.

She wasn’t always like this, though. I mean, she was never that great in her mothering. There was always this edge to her where I needed softness, and she was constantly on me about my weight. But sometimes, she knew the right words to say at the exact right moments. Like when Stacy Kendrick told me my hair looked like yarn, and my mom told me it reminded her of spun gold, like the kind in Rumpelstiltskin, that everyone wanted hair like that. Or when David Emery snapped my bra in front of the whole class, and my mother reminded me of how warped boys were that they had no clue how to tell a girl they liked her. “They don’t change much with age,” my mom told me. “Boys would rather show off than bare their feelings. Just ask your father.”

“It’s ingrained in us,” my father confirmed. “Just look at how birds flaunt around hens.” And with that, he strutted around the kitchen with his arms as wings, then planted a kiss on my mom’s lips. She just rolled her eyes.

When was the last time I’d laughed with my parents, or even enjoyed their company? When have they enjoyed mine? After the news of my home wrecking goes on blast, will they ever speak to me again?

My phone rings just then, and when I look at the name on the screen, my heart leaps. A small smile tugs at my lips as I answer.

“Hey, you,” I say.

“Hey, Sugar,” Brayden says. His voice is like honey, soothing my ruminations with just one word. “How are you feeling?”

I sigh, spinning my chair away from my makeup table. “Let’s see, my makeup looks like shit, my hair is sticking out weird no matter what I do, my undergarments feel tight, and my skin is all blotchy because I keep going from hot to cold to hot. But, I’m good.”

His laugh is a low rumble on the other side of the phone, and it makes me wish he were here.

“Do we have to do this?” I ask.

He’s silent for a moment. But then, “You don’t want to be with me?”

“No! I mean the whole wedding thing. Telling everyone. Shining a spotlight on any of this. Can’t we just run away together and not let anyone know?”

“Sugar, just say the word, and I’m there. I’m more than willing to blow all of this off. I just want you.”

I take a deep breath in, willing my racing heart to slow its roll. “We have to,” I groan. “My parents will be there. My aunt and uncle. Jordy would absolutely murder you.”

“I’m not worried about Jordy,” he says.

“Well, I am. We’re about to completely blow up her whole world. The least you can do is hold up your end of the bargain.”

“You mean lie to everyone.”

“Exactly.”

There’s silence again, but I can hear him breathing. I close my eyes, lulling myself by the sound of his breath, wishing I could be his air.

“I miss you,” he says quietly.

“I miss you too,” I say. “Only a few more hours to go.” As we say our goodbyes, I can’t help feeling like time passed so quickly only for these next few hours to feel like an eternity.

The wedding is on a small dinner cruise ship that will sail into the heart of Sunset Bay. I stand at the back of the line on my own as everyone files onto the vessel. For the occasion, I chose to strip the color from my hair and leave it platinum, which to me, sometimes feels more dramatic than dyeing it pink or mermaid—more vulnerable because I’m showing the world the real me. I’m wearing a pale-yellow strapless dress with a faux fur wrap, strappy stiletto heels, and a simple gold chain with a small hoop in the center. I feel elegant in this dress, though I haven’t compared myself to Jordy yet. Knowing her, she’ll show everyone up—including the bride—without even trying.

I can see my parents near the front, my mom wearing a ridiculous purple hat with netting on it, which matches her purple dress and jacket. She’s leaning toward my dad, either gossiping about someone or nagging him on something he isn’t doing right.

Aunt Lil and Uncle Dan are in front of them. My aunt looks back, gauging the line behind her, and I duck behind the person in front of me. When I look back up, it’s Brayden’s eyes that catch mine. He and Jordy are in front of my aunt and uncle, but all I see is him. For a moment, time slows down and it’s just us. His mouth quirks into a smile, and I feel so utterly calm in his presence.

But it’s all interrupted when Jordy plants a big kiss on his cheek, then laughs at something her mom says. I can’t see what she’s wearing from back here but can tell she looks perfect. Her face is expertly contoured, highlighting her already chiseled cheekbones. Her lips are a rusty shade of red, accentuated by her glowing white smile. Her hair is piled into the perfect twist, with a few tendrils escaping, as if on accident. I look away sharply, my heart suffering a sudden pain at just knowing Brayden’s there with her, and she looks so beautiful. He’s not mine, but he is. Even knowing I only have a short while left to endure this, I can’t help thinking I might not survive.

“Well, hey there sexy,” Maren’s raspy voice says beside me. I turn to her, relieved at the distraction, only to find my friend looking like a goddamn vixen. Usually Maren wears black, but somehow Claire talked her into wearing jade green, and it looks incredible against her fair skin. Even though Maren is super slender, the dress finds all her curves and accentuates them. It dips low in the front, and she is wearing a drop necklace that rests daringly between her breasts. “Damn, Maren. You look fucking hot!”