He Brought Me a College Guy, Saying I’d Never Touch Him—But I Kept Him Chapter 14

He Brought Me a College Guy, Saying I’d Never Touch Him—But I Kept Him Chapter 14

Then Gary and Kenneth Blair showed up.

Their faces went through a range of emotions.

“Nate, what’s going on here? We all got invitations.”

“I mean, Isabella… how could she just marry someone else?”

“I thought she had boundaries,” Kenneth lowered his voice. “How could she…”

They talked, but their voices got quieter.

Because Nathaniel’s face kept getting darker.

Gary was still muttering. “And that Julian Ashford. I looked him up. His family owns a manufacturing company in Ohio. They’re not broke. He’s not what we thought.”

Nathaniel stood there, his head buzzing.

Owns a company. Not broke.

Why did he volunteer then?

Why pretend it was for money?

Why make Nathaniel think he was just some college kid who could be paid off and sent away?

Soft music played at the wedding venue.

Nathaniel stood there, staring at the empty aisle.

Then he grabbed a staff member. “When does the ceremony start?”

The person blinked. “Oh, that already ended. The bride and groom left about thirty minutes ago, You must

be late.”

Nathaniel froze.

Like all the strength had been drained out of him.

Derek came up and patted his shoulder. “Nate, don’t panic. Maybe it’s a mistake. You know Isabella. She’s crazy about you. There’s no way she’d just marry someone else.”

Gary nodded. “Right. She’s just trying to get a reaction out of you. Call her. She’s probably at home waiting

for you.”

They kept trying to comfort him.

Nathaniel didn’t hear any of it.

His eyes were on the decorations.

White roses. Baby’s breath, Champagne colored ribbons.

On every table, a small bouquet of lilies of the valley. Isabella’s favorite flower.

On the chairs, light blue ribbons tied in bows. Her favorite color.

At the registration table, a small sign stood with a line of text:

[You showed up. That’s all that matters.]

He remembered that line.

Isabella used to write it on the inside cover of her journal.

Once, he saw it and teased her about being sentimental.

She blushed and snatched the journal back. “Don’t look.”

It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t revenge. Every detail here was hers.

Every choice was something she loved.

She wasn’t trying to get back at him. She was getting married for real.

And the groom wasn’t him.

Nathaniel stood in the empty wedding venue, and for the first time in years, he felt cold.