“Yeah, I’m fine … just got a little sidetracked.”

This weekend has become a little more interesting that’s for sure; I just wish I wasn’t the center of the rift between the maid of honor and mother of the groom.

I take a long gulp of my wine, just as Jo says, “You know what we should play? Twister! It’s always more fun with a little wine in your system.”

“Oh yes!” Mia says matching Jo’s excitement. “I’m being in charge of the spin board!”

And with that, the tension at the table is diffused and we spend the next hour with our limbs spread out in the most unnatural positions.

I can hear noises. They sound like female moans coming from upstairs. I force myself up the stairs, the sounds only becoming louder and more frequent with every step I take. It sounds like someone is having sex … and it seems to be coming from my bedroom.

My heart races recklessly as I finally make it to the top step. My ears are pounding and my glands are dripping with sweat as I prepare for the scene that I pray I don’t see the moment I open the bedroom door.

Please, God … don’t let it be what I think it is. Taking a deep, calming breath, I slowly approach the bedroom door, my eyes filling up with unshed tears from the animalistic moans coming from the other side of the door, within the walls of my tranquil nirvana. The door handle rattles under my touch and after counting down to three—three times—I finally turn the handle and open the door.

The scene in front of me leaves me in a gasping state of shock.

My broken heart lays in a bloody mess beside my feet as I just stare ahead, frozen to the spot, taking in the love of my life having sex with another woman … but not just any woman … it’s Riley, his high school sweetheart.

Ashton doesn’t see me as he continues to pump in and out of her, but Riley does, and the evil smirk I see on her face tells me she’s enjoying witnessing my heartbreak as it kills me from the inside out.

My eyes shoot open, a gasp falls from my lips, and my heart is slamming inside my chest as the sinking sensation of heartbreak brings me out in chills. I sit up, running my fingers through my hair as I take in the darkness of my surroundings, trying to calm my speeding heart rate. I blink a few times through my blurred tears and I sigh a breath of relief when I realize it was just a dream. I’m still in Dallas, not at home ... it wasn’t real but fuck if it didn’t feel real.

Desperately wanting to feel Ashton’s comforting arms around me, I turn my body towards him, but frown when I see he isn’t sleeping beside me. I grab my cell phone from the side and my frown furrows deeper when I see that it’s 3:00 am.

Surely the guys must be back from the bachelor party by now?

Feeling parched, I decide to head on downstairs for a glass of water and go in search of my missing fiancé. He’s probably just passed out on the sofa or in the pool house with Tyler, but I’m struggling to shake the dream from my conscience. I need to see his beautiful face. I think it’s the only thing that will help calm me down.

I quietly make my way down the stairs, hoping not to wake anyone up. I’m in a world of my own as I turn the corner to the kitchen, but when I finally look up, my whole body freezes on the spot. My world spins on its axis as I see Ashton and Riley in a kissing embrace and the crippling heartbreak that I felt only moments ago comes back with a vengeance, but instead of it being a dream, it’s very much real. I choke on a silent sob and my bare feet stumble backwards until I’m running into the direction I just came from.

Once I reach my room, the dam finally breaks and the tears fall freely from my eyes as my heart cracks straight down the center, leaving me struggling to catch my breath.

How can this be happening to me?How could he do this to me? I finally found it, my happily ever after, and now it’s being snatched away from me by the woman I’m convinced is my karma in disguise.

Karma for what I did to Sebastian.

Karma for finally being happy.

Karma for simply existing.

Fuck. Is this what Sebastian felt when he witnessed Ashton and me kiss? The one kiss that almost ended it all for him?

As well as the pain ricocheting within every nerve of my body, a newfound hatred adds salt to the wounds, hatred for the pain I caused to the sweetest and gentlest guy you could ever meet.

I feel it; I feel the months of pain he had to endure because of my selfish decisions and I’m re-living it, his pain, his torture, his heartbreak.

I’ve always hated myself for what I did to him, but now the hatred has hit a whole new level … one that leaves me brutally raw.

I hate myself …

I fucking hate myself.

Angrily wiping away my tears as sobs wreck through me, and without switching the light on, I clumsily begin to throw my clothes into my suitcase. I struggle to see through my blurred vision and the darkness of the room, and have no idea what I’m actually throwing inside. Right now, I’m too angry to care.

I don’t bother to change out of my shorts and tank top pajamas; I’m more focused on getting the hell out of here, away from Ashton … away from Riley.

Once my suitcase is zipped closed, I hurriedly slip my feet into my Converse before exiting the room with my suitcase in tow. I almost lose my footing on the stairs as I rush down them, trying to navigate my phone through tear-filled eyes, searching through my contacts for Caleb, but failing miserably.

I growl frustratingly as I wipe my tears away, but it’s no use. I still can’t see shit as the tears continue to flow.

“Ava?”

My head snaps up at the sound of Ashton’s voice as my foot finally meets the bottom step. My jaw cracks from clenching down on my teeth as I see him coming out of the kitchen. I ignore him and angrily make my way towards the front door, but I don’t even get halfway before he’s hauling me towards him.

“Ava, what’s wrong?”

I force his hands off me, pushing him away. “Don’t fucking touch me!” I seethe as more tears fall down my face. Even through my constant tears, I can still see him flinch at my words.

“Baby, I don’t know what’s happened. Tell me. What’s wrong?”

“Don’t call me that! You don’t get to call me that anymore! I’m not your fucking baby!” My screams screech from me, and are likely to wake the entire house up, but I’m too far gone to even care. I feel his hands reach out and touch me, and I shudder from the contact. “Just calm down and tell me what’s happened?”

I pull away from him. I can’t bear his touch. “You! You are what happened. I saw you kissing her. Riley!” I scream, my tears falling even faster.

His face turns a ghostly white, and he runs his hands along his face. “Fuck!”

I drop the suitcase from my grasp, letting it fall against the wooden floor. It echoes loudly around the foyer, the sounds bouncing off the walls.

“You said you would never break my heart, that you would protect me until your last dying breath, and here you are kissing the girl who has had me in a fit of jealousy since the moment I met her. How could you do this to me?” I slam my fist into my chest as the realization of my words come crashing down on me, the crack in my heart deepening.

He edges towards me, his face serious. “It isn’t what it looked like. Please calm down so I can explain to you what happened. I swear to you I didn’t kiss her … I didn’t … I wouldn’t do that to you. I love you.”

I let out a jittery breath and my tears eventually let up, allowing me to wipe them dry with the back of my hand. However, the sobs continue to stammer from my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.