Avoiding eye contact with Jon isn't easy as I walk up the aisle flanked by the beautiful Bella twins. He nods at me slightly and I nod back, taking my place beside Colby as he watches me. "You look beautiful Chloe" Colby whispers, looking me up and down. "I'm one lucky guy." "Yeah, you are" Jon snorts. "Just you remember that." Colby glares at him but before he can say anything the vicar starts talking. His first few sentences sound like gibberish to me as I look at Jon out of the corner of my eye. Then it's the one sentence everyone waits for at a wedding. "If anyone here knows of any reason why these two people cannot be joined in matrimony" he says. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace." There's a few nervous shuffles, coughs, and the sound of people turning around to look around the church. And then Freya stands.
"What the hell?" I whisper, looking nervously at Nikki. She glares at Freya but she's pretending not to notice. Jon sees me getting worried and frowns. I shake my head as Colby looks at me, then Freya, then Nikki. "I'm sorry Chloe" Freya says, her voice shaking. "But I do. I can't let this marriage go ahead. It has to stop. Now." "Freya" Hunter warns. "Think about it, think about what you're doing. Once this is done, you can't go back on it." She nods, glancing back at him. "I know, Hunter" she says quietly. "But I need to do this. Father, you have to stop this wedding. I have a reason." "A legitimate reason?" the vicar asks as Colby looks at me. I glance at him quickly then glance at Jon, who's busy studying the flagstones in the floor. "Yes" she says, determination in her voice. "A very legitimate reason." "Then speak up, child" the vicar says, calling her to the front. She walks slowly, every step she takes sending daggers straight to my heart.
"Chloe" she says, looking at me before holding my hand. "I'm sorry, but I can't keep this to myself anymore. It's been eating away at me, and I can't do this. This marriage, it can't go ahead..." "I'm going to have to ask you to explain yourself" the vicar says. "If this marriage isn't going ahead..." "It is" Colby growls, looking at me. "No matter what she has to say, we are doing this, I'm marrying Chloe." "With all due respect Sir" the vicar says. "This decision is now out of your hands. Now, child, think about what you have to say, and just say it. Nobody will judge you." She nods, squeezing my hand as she looks pointedly at Jon and then Colby. "Ok" she says finally. "The reason why this marriage needs to be stopped, is..." "Sorry" Renee and Nattie say, bursting into the church. "Car was late. What's going on?" "Shhhh" people hiss at them before turning their attention back to us.
They've given Freya the break she needed. With all the attention on her, she was beginning to question her decision. Now though, with time to collect her thoughts, a look of determination crosses her face and she stands up tall. "Screw it" she says loudly, putting her hand over her mouth quickly. "I'm so sorry" she whispers, looking up at the vicar. He nods, smiling at her. "Well?" he asks. She nods. "This marriage cannot go ahead" she says loudly. "Because I've been sleeping with Colby for the past three months." Woah. What? "Wanna run that by me again sweetheart?" Nikki asks, just as confused as I am. Apparently, Colby doesn't want her to repeat it. "Freya" he warns. She shakes her head. "No more, Colby" she says, looking up at him. "I can't do it to Chloe, letting her feel the way she does about somebody who doesn't feel the same way..." "But I do!" he yells. "We were a stupid mistake!" "So it's true?" Jon asks quickly. Freya nods. "Of course it's true" she says. "And I couldn't sit there and let her marry him, knowing there's somebody out there somewhere who could love Chloe so much better than Colby can. You deserve better Chloe. I'm sorry." She turns and runs out of the church, everyone watching as she goes.
"Chloe" Colby whispers. I look at him quickly. "Don't you dare tell me she's lying" I whisper back. "I'm going after her." I start to walk away from him and he grabs my arm, spinning me around to face him. "You're going nowhere" he warns. "I've wanted to do this for so long" Jon growls, spinning Colby around to face him and punching him to the ground. "Go find her" he says, looking at me. I nod quickly, running back down the aisle and pushing the door open quickly.
I don't need to look far. She's waiting for me by the wedding car. "I'm sorry" she says, looking up at me through teary eyes. I shake my head and hold her hand. "Don't be" I whisper, hugging her. "I have a feeling you've just done me a huge favour." "Jon?" she asks quietly. I shake my head. "Jon and I are over" I say. "We never started, really. I mean, I was marrying Colby, falling in love with Jon was wrong." She shakes her head. "I saw it last night" she says softly. "He's totally in love with you Chloe." I smile. "I'm in love with him too" I admit. "But me and men, well, let's just say I'm steering clear of the opposite sex for a long time." We laugh and hug again as Jon walks over to us with Nikki. "What do you want us to do with the guests?" Nikki asks softly. "Tell them to go to the reception" I say straight away. "Make sure they have a good time. I'm going to the house to pack. I'll come say goodbye before I leave." "Leave?" Jon squeaks. I nod. "I have nothing here Jon" I say, looking him square in the eyes. "No family, no home, nothing. I'll think things through over the next week and decide if I've even got a career. But for now, I'm off on my honeymoon." Nikki grins. "I'll help you pack" she says, linking her arm through mine.