Miss Match

by Lindzee Armstrong

  “No. You can’t talk your way out of this one.” She held a hand to her forehead, cheeks heating in humiliation. “I’m such an idiot. The earring was hers, wasn’t it? You were with her in San Diego.” She leaned over, heaving. She was going to be sick.

  “I met her in San Diego. But I swear, nothing happened until today. I felt you pulling away and panicked.”

  Brooke looked deep into his eyes—the eyes she had planned on spending the rest of her life with. Bile rose in her throat, and she struggled to keep it down. “I came here to call off the wedding. To tell you that Luke …” She swallowed. “I haven’t been completely upfront with you. He wants to see if we can make it work. But I’ve been putting him off. Because of you. Because of my commitment to us. And then today, I realized that I do love him, and I’m not being fair to you. And I came here, before I allowed anything to happen with Luke. How could you do this to me?”

  “You’re leaving me for Luke?”

  “You just slept with another woman. I think the wedding’s off, regardless of why I came over.”

  “It was a mistake,” Antonio said quickly. “Jeanette was a mistake, and leaving me for Luke is a mistake. Can’t you see that he’s the one destroying our relationship? I felt insecure because of him, and Jeanette …” He shook his head. “That’s not important. All that’s happened is we both got cold feet and made mistakes. But we can salvage this. Italy will be a fresh start.”

  Brooke let out a strangled cry. “I love you, Antonio. Deciding to call off the wedding has been agonizing.”

  “And I love you. So don’t call it off. Let’s fix this.”

  “No.” Brooke looked down at her left hand. Her engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight streaming in from the loft’s windows. She still remembered shopping with Antonio for this ring and picking it out. The butterflies in her stomach that had erupted when she tried it on at the store. The tears that had streamed down her cheeks when Antonio slipped it onto her finger after she said yes. She’d worn it every day since—woken up each morning and gladly slipped it on. The past few weeks, she’d been overwhelmed with her guilt for even thinking of Luke that way. For betraying Antonio with her thoughts.

  But he’d cheated on her for real.

  “Jeanette means nothing to me, Brooke.” He swiped quickly at his eyes. “If I could go back in time and change it, I would.”

  Brooke slipped the ring off her finger. “But you can’t. And seeing you with her confirms the decision I’d already made.” She dropped the ring onto the floor and picked her way through the drop cloths.

  Antonio jumped in front of the door, the ring clutched in his fingers. “We can work this out.”

  Brooke unclasped the painter’s palette necklace he’d given her and threw that on the floor too. “You know about my hang-ups with my father. How much I hate cheaters.”

  “I didn’t plan for it to happen. She was only here for a modeling session.”

  Brooke snorted. “Looks like the message somehow got misinterpreted.”

  “I love you. Please.”

  “We’re over, Antonio. I never want to see you again.” She shoved him aside and left without a backward glance.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  “Did you hear that?” Andi whispered to Luke as the glass conference room door swung shut behind Brooke. Luke watched Brooke walk up the row of cubicles and round the corner to the lobby before disappearing from sight.

  “I know.” Luke leaned closer to Andi as someone bumped into him from behind. “She said she wants to see me tonight. What do you think she wants to talk about?”

  Andi nudged him with her shoulder. “I think she’s going to give you a chance.”

  His stomach flipped. A loud laugh came from two matchmakers at the refreshment table, and he jumped at the sudden noise. “Maybe we’re misinterpreting.”

  Andi shook her head. “I saw her face. And that’s the face of a woman in love.”

  Luke’s heart fluttered. “I don’t know if I dare hope.”

  “Well, start hoping, mister. Do you think you can get everything set up for tonight?”

  “But what if we’re wrong?”

  Andi slapped him on the shoulder. “I think this is your moment, either way.” She tugged on his hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”

  Andi and Luke said their goodbyes to the small party and escaped the boardroom. Luke pushed open the front door of Toujour, holding it as Andi passed. He took a deep breath of the cool air, full of car exhaust and pollution. Anything was better than the Dragon’s Blood that saturated every inch of Toujour. “There’s no way we can pull this off in just a few hours,” he said.

  “Oh, stop being such a pessimist.” Andi raised her voice to be heard over the honking horns of rush hour traffic. “Sure we can. We already know what you’re going to do. We just have to pull it together.”

  The warm January sun spilled over Luke, making him believe anything was possible. He thought about Brooke and the shy way she’d looked at him when asking if they could talk. She was either going to tell him she never wanted to see him again, or that she was leaving Antonio. He had a feeling it was the latter. He hoped he was right.

  “There’s a party shop a few blocks away,” Andi said, pointing down the street. “It’ll be quicker to walk. We can get everything there.”

  “Okay,” Luke agreed, following Andi down the sidewalk. Luke’s mind swirled. Eight years of hoping and longing. And it all came down to this.

  They paused at the corner, waiting for the crosswalk to change to the white walking symbol. It flipped from red to white and let out a beep, indicating it was time to cross. Andi stepped into the street. And that’s when Luke saw the bicycle barreling around the corner, heading straight toward her. The bicyclist was looking over his shoulder, and hadn’t seen Andi enter the crosswalk.

  “Look out!” Luke yelled, grabbing Andi and pushing her behind him. The bicyclist glanced up, but it was too late. Luke felt the front wheel hit him and he went down. His shoulder hit the blacktop hard and it dug into his forearm. Breaks screeched and a few horns honked. He saw the bicyclist fly over his head before the searing pain registered. He let out a curse. His ankle and shoulder throbbed. He lifted his arm and saw blood. The beep of the crosswalk reverberated in his head, loud and distracting.

  Andi dropped down next to Luke. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He let out a hiss. “I think so.”

  “Crap, you’re bleeding. And your ankle’s swelling. I’m calling an ambulance.” She whipped her phone out of her pocket. Then she yanked off her jacket and pressed it against his arm.

  “You’ll ruin it,” he said.

  “Shut up and let me help.”

  “Go check on the bicyclist.”

  Andi swore. “You’re right. Keep pressure on that arm.” She rose and ran to where Luke had seen the bicyclist land. Sirens sounded in the distance. Luke hunched over, pressing Andi’s jacket tight against his arm. His whole body throbbed.

  Andi sank back onto the ground beside Luke. “The bicyclist is all right. He has some road rash, but he was wearing a helmet. Someone stopped and is with him. Ooo, that’s bleeding a lot. And I think you broke your ankle or something.”

  The sirens pounded in Luke’s head, drawing close. The ambulance screeched to stop a few feet from Luke, the lights swirling in a sickening pattern. The back door opened and two paramedics jumped out.

  The next hour was a blur. The paramedics wrapped his arm in gauze and stabilized his shoulder and ankle before loading him into the cramped ambulance. Andi and two paramedics hopped inside.

  “Is there anyone we should call?” one of the paramedics asked.

  Brooke. Her name was on the tip of his tongue. But no. He would give her her space. She said she wanted to see him tonight, which meant she’d call soon enough.

  At the hospital, Luke was taken to a bed with only a curtain separating him from other patients. Doctors and nurses filed in and out of the room, attaching monitors and w
riting things down on charts. Someone came in with a tray and stitched Luke’s arm up. X-rays showed his shoulder was only bruised and his ankle merely sprained.

  “I’ve gotta get home,” Luke told the doctor. A voice came over the intercom, announcing something Luke didn’t care about or catch. What if Brooke didn’t call, but just showed up at his apartment and he wasn’t there?

  “We’ll get you out of here soon,” the doctor said. He clicked off the pen light he’d been using to check Luke’s pupils yet again and started scribbling on the chart. “I’ll have the nurse start processing your discharge papers.”

  Luke’s phone rang. He grabbed it, and his heart started thudding when he saw it was Brooke. “I’ve gotta take this,” he said. The doctor nodded absently, still making notes in the chart. “Hello?”

  Is it Brooke? Andi mouthed. Luke nodded. Andi gave him a thumbs up.

  “Hi, Luke.” Brooke sounded exhausted, and Luke clutched the phone in concern, his own pain vanishing. “Can I come over? We need to talk.”

  Luke cleared his throat. “I’m actually not home right now.” The doctor clicked his pen closed and left the room. Luke hoped it was to get the discharge papers.

  “Oh.” Her voice became even more subdued.

  “Don’t freak out, but I’m at the hospital.” She let out a gasp, and Luke spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened, without going into the details of why he had been crossing the street.

  “I’ll be right there,” Brooke said.

  “I should be home soon.”

  “I don’t care. I’m coming to the hospital.”

  He put a fist to his mouth, unable to hide the smile at her concern. “I love you, Brooke.”

  The phone went silent. And then, so faint he almost didn’t hear it, she whispered, “I love you, too.” And then the line went dead.

  Luke stared at the phone. “She said she loves me.”

  Andi squeezed his good arm. “That’s fantastic.” The she laughed. “I’m breaking up with you.”

  “What?” Luke blinked, staring at Andi.

  She laughed again. “Go get your happy ending, Luke. I’m ready to go get mine too, whatever that is.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I expect an invitation to the wedding.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Brooke left Antonio’s apartment. She walked down the stairs. She got into her car and drove away. And she never once looked back. She wanted to cry—felt like she should be crying—but all she felt inside was empty and hollow.

  The wedding was off. Her fiancé had cheated. And she was in love with her best friend.

  Deciding to call off the wedding hadn’t been an easy choice. Making the decision, only to find out she’d been cheated on, had destroyed her fragile trust in men. She shook her head, and a sob rose up in her throat. She pulled to the side of the road and laid her head on the steering wheel, trying to calm her shaking shoulders.

  She wasn’t sure how long she sat there and cried. Eventually she started the car again and drove back to her apartment. She hoped Zoey was there. She knew Zoey had a date, but not until later tonight, and the party at Toujour should be over by now.

  Brooke trudged up the stairs to her apartment and unlocked the door. “Zoey?” she called.

  “Here.” Zoey walked into the living room. Her eyes widened, and she rushed to Brooke’s side. “What happened?”

  “The wedding’s off.” Brooke dropped her purse and sank onto the couch.

  “What?”

  “I gave Antonio back his ring.”

  “But … what happened?”

  Brooke let it all spill out. About how she went to tell Antonio the wedding was off and she was going to give Luke a chance. How she found him with the woman. How her heart ached with the power of his betrayal.

  Zoey wrapped her arms tightly around Brooke. “I’m so sorry.”

  Brooke put a hand to her forehead. “There’s so much to do. People to contact. Vendors to call and orders to cancel—if they can even be canceled.”

  “As maid of honor, I will gladly help you with anything you need.”

  Brooke smiled wanly. “Thanks.”

  “So what are you going to do about Luke?”

  Brooke shook her head. “I was going to tell him I wanted to start dating. But now …” A tear fell into her lap. “I need time to process this. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to take that kind of a risk right now.”

  “Hey.” Zoey took Brooke’s hands in hers. “That’s crazy talk. Luke is not a risk. He’s perfect for you.”

  “Eighty-three,” Brooke whispered.

  “What?”

  “I ran our numbers in the database. We’re eighty-three percent compatible.”

  Zoey grinned. “Of course you are. Don’t let Antonio ruin that.” She squeezed Brooke’s hands. “The two of you are ready to be together. Take time to process if you must. But tell Luke how you feel. Start working on building a future with him.”

  “I should go see him?” Brooke asked.

  “You should go see him.”

  “I want to see him.” Brooke felt her heart lighten at the realization. Antonio’s betrayal hurt—probably would for a while. “Seeing Antonio with that woman only confirmed my decision—it didn’t make it.”

  “Then go see Luke,” Zoey said. “Tell him you love him. He’s waited a really long time to hear that.”

  Brooke gave Zoey a quick hug. “Thank you.” She grabbed her purse and headed to her car, calling Luke as she walked.

  “Hello?” Luke’s voice sounded strange. Was he drunk? But no, his words weren’t slurring.

  “Hi, Luke.” Brooke said the words cautiously. She needed him to be strong right now. Her Luke. The Luke who wasn’t grieving. Maybe she should wait and do this tomorrow.

  No. If I don’t do it now, I might chicken out. And he hasn’t had a drink in weeks. He’s different now.

  She cleared her throat. “Can I come over? We need to talk.”

  “I’m actually not home right now.”

  “Oh.” Maybe he was out with Andi. She slumped against the car door, not sure if she should get in.

  “Don’t freak out, but I’m at the hospital.”

  Brooke let out a gasp. She fumbled with her keys, dropping them once before getting in her car. She started the engine and whipped out of the parking lot as she listened to him explain that he’d been hit by a bicyclist. Pain killers, she realized. He was drugged, not drunk.

  “I’ll be right there,” Brooke said. She was maybe ten minutes from the hospital.

  “I should be home soon.”

  “I don’t care. I’m coming to the hospital.” No one could keep her from him now.

  “I love you, Brooke.”

  Brooke stopped, her heart pounding. Here it was—the moment. She could take a chance on Luke, or she could lick her wounds in solitude. “I love you, too.” She heard an intake of breath on the other end of the line, but she ended the call before he could reply and focused on her driving.

  Brooke quickly parked and raced into the hospital lobby. “I need to see Luke Ryder,” she breathlessly told the receptionist.

  “Brooke?”

  Brooke turned around. Andi stood there, smiling uncertainly.

  “Hey,” Brooke said. She reached for her engagement ring to twist around and around, but froze when she touched nothing but bare skin.

  Andi’s eyes followed the gesture, and she broke into a smile. “You broke up with him.”

  Brooke nodded.

  “You’re going after Luke.”

  Again, Brooke nodded. This is soooo awkward.

  Andi threw her arms around Brooke’s neck in a tight hug. “You two will be so happy together,” she said.

  Brooke blinked, then returned the hug. “What about you two?”

  Andi laughed. “I already broke up with him.”

  “You were serious about that?”

  Andi laughed again. “The press has been getting pretty bored with our relation
ship. A breakup is just the thing to spice it up.” She grinned. “I’ve got my own secret romance. Oh, don’t look so surprised. Luke can tell you all about it.”

  Brooke laughed. “I’ve really been off my game to not notice that.”

  “You’ve been preoccupied.” Andi gave Brooke another hug. “He’s a good guy, and he loves you very much. You two will be so happy together.” She pointed down a hallway. “He’s right down there. I think they’re about ready to let him go home.”

  “Thanks,” Brooke said. She walked down the hallway toward the ER. She told the receptionist who she was, then followed the woman back to a triage room. She stopped outside the partition separating his bed from others, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Then she walked in.

  Luke’s eyes lit up when she entered and his mouth quirked into a grin. “Hey.”

  Brooke leaned down, giving him a hug. His arms wrapped around her, and she closed her eyes. “Look at you,” she whispered. She pulled a chair close to his bed and sat down. “You’ve done it this time. How are you feeling?”

  Luke reached out for her hand, and she let him take it. “Fine. My arm’s still numb, and they gave me some pain meds for my shoulder and ankle.” He peered closely at her. “How are you? You look …”

  Brooke laughed, hiding her head against his chest. “I know, I’m a mess. It’s been quite a day.”

  Luke ran his finger over her knuckles. His hand froze. “Brooke, where’s your ring?”

  She lifted her head and locked her eyes with his. “There’s not going to be a wedding anymore. At least not to Antonio.”

  His hand tightened around hers, his eyes alighting with concern … hope. “What happened?”

  “I went to his apartment to tell him we needed to call it off.” She took a deep breath. Here it goes. There would be no turning back now. “I didn’t think it was right to marry him when I’m so desperately, head-over-heels in love with you.”

  Luke sucked in a sharp breath. “You love me?”