I blame it on Knightdale being a small town. Not enough variety.

I pull my phone out of my clutch, debating if I should call Cole.

No. Don’t be desperate.

He knew how important being here was to me and he still chose not to come.

“Be right ba—”

Words jam in my throat, and for a minute I think I must be seeing things because Cole Covington is standing in front of me.

Looking more gorgeous than any guy has any right to.

I want to pinch myself to make sure it’s real. “You’re here.”

He sucks in a breath. “I’m here.”

“I thought you weren’t—”

“Who’s your friend, sugar?” Abbott drawls, slinging an arm around my waist.

Abbott’s been calling me sugar ever since I can remember, but I don’t have a chance to explain that to Cole—or remove Abbott’s arm—because Cole’s fist goes flying into his nose.

“I’m her motherfucking boyfriend, sugar.”

Chapter 78

Cole

I probably shouldn’t have punched him.

But he shouldn’t have put his arm around my girlfriend’s waist and called her sugar.

He fucked up my woo.

A few people gasp and rush over to us.

“Someone get some napkins and ice,” Sawyer yells, dropping to the floor beside Abbott.

She looks up at me. “Are you crazy?”

Yeah, crazy about her, but I don’t have a chance to say that because Abbott’s gushing blood so fast it’s dripping down his white suit shirt.

More people crowd around us.

“Oh, my goodness. Is he okay?” some woman calls out.

“Should we take Abbott to the hospital?” another woman yells.

“Who punched him?” a man asks.

Sawyer glares at me…looking more pissed than I’ve ever seen her.

Shit. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to come here and be the knight in shining armor.

Not the villain who ruined the wedding.

But that’s what I do.

Even when I try to do the right thing, I always end up doing the wrong thing.

And fucking up everything.

Through the chaos, Oakley grabs me. “Run.”

So I do.

Chapter 79

Cole

“Abbott is a stupid fucking name,” I mutter before I take a sip of my water.

I wish it was something stronger, but the hotel bar IDs and I don’t have my fake.

The reception ended about an hour ago…around the same time they carted Abbott off in an ambulance because he was feeling dizzy.

I wanted to make things right with Sawyer, but she was too busy with Abbott, her sister having a meltdown over the fight, and cleaning up.

Plus, the look she gave me when I tried to approach her made it clear I was the last person she wanted to talk to.

So here I am, in the hotel bar. Feeling sorry for myself.

“Stupid name or not, you still shouldn’t have punched him,” Jace says. “You know Sawyer would never cheat on you.”

I do, but I wasn’t thinking rationally.

The possessive arm around her waist was a not-so-subtle warning for me to keep away from his girl.

Only Sawyer isn’t his girl. She’s mine.

However, in that moment, all I could think about was losing her to some asshole who fit the perfect description of the guy her parents wanted her to settle down with.

“I fucked up.” I swallow the rest of my water and ask the bartender for a refill. “I keep fucking up.”

Jace squeezes my shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you. Just give her some time to cool off.” He rises off the bar stool. “I’m fucking shot, man. I’m gonna head upstairs and get some sleep.”

After an impromptu thirty-eight-hour road trip, he deserves one.

“I’ll be up in a little while.” He’s about to leave, but I halt him. “Thanks for…you know.”

Bailing my ass out. Like he always does.

He knocks his fist against mine. “You’re my brother, asshole.”

With that, he takes off.

“Drinking your sorrows away at the bar, huh?” Sawyer’s father drawls as he takes a seat at the empty bar stool beside me.

I shake the ice in my empty glass. “Water.”

“Good. Hopefully that means you won’t be knocking anyone else out tonight.”

Here we go.

“If you’re expecting an apol—”

“For punching Abbott Carney? Hell no. I’ve wanted to do that ever since Sawyer came home crying because that son-of-a-bitch kissed her but pretended it was Catherine.”

“Yeah, she told me about that.” My hand tightens around the glass. I should have done more damage. “Asshole.”

His eyebrows rise. “He ain’t the only one.”

“Can I get you anything?” the bartender questions as she hands me my water.

“Bourbon.”

“Sure thing.”

He takes a long sip from the glass she hands him before he speaks. “Why didn’t you just come here to start with? And don’t you give me no baloney about a hurricane.”

Fucking hell. “Because I’m an idiot.”

“Well, hot damn. That ego of yours can be pushed aside after all.” He studies me for a solid minute before he says, “I can’t believe your stupid ass drove thirty-eight hours.”

“I had help,” I admit. “My best friend Oakley and my brother Jace split the drive with me.”

He nods. “Sounds like you got some stand-up people in your life.”

I do.

A long sigh leaves him. Like he’s resigned. “I’m pretty sure I already know the answer, but why did you end up coming? Sawyer was disappointed by your absence, sure. But she wasn’t so broken up about it, she wouldn’t have forgiven you…eventually.”

“That’s just it. I didn’t want to make another mistake that she’d have to forgive me for.”

Because I love her.

And I’m so tired of being a fuck-up.

He takes another lengthy sip of his drink. “Hell, boy. Making mistakes is a big part of loving somebody.”

“I don’t follow.”

“You think love is perfect? Like one of those fairytales?” He shakes his head. “Hell no. Love is hard…difficult. It’s dealing with someone’s shit day in and day out but never giving up on them because your heart won’t let you. It’s having a million reasons to leave them…but always having one good reason to stay.”

I guess I never thought about it like that before. I never thought about it at all.

“How do I fix this?”

“Young man, do I look like a therapist with all the answers? I have no idea.” He downs the rest of his drink. “But I reckon you should probably start by talking to her instead of me.”

The man has a point. “Good idea.”

Another resigned sigh. “You’re a real asshole, Covington.”

And here I thought our conversation was going so well.