"There won't be any wedding. I'm sorry for your wasted time. It seems like the bride has changed her mind. Thank you." I swallow the bitter taste that formed in my mouth down.

I walk after my brother. But before I can find him, Damien comes after me and stops me. "Brooke, what the hell is going on?" he wonders.

I intertwine my hands together in front of me. When I told my brother the news, I felt a part of him slowly dying inside. I saw his look, that hurt, distant look with a straight face, battling with his emotions. It made me want to kill Victoria Bertley. "It seems like my brother's fiancée went away this morning with another man and forgot to tell us."

Damien's eyes are wide. "Oh, fuck." The priest looks at him in alarm. "Sorry." Damien gives him a charming smile. He grabs my elbow and leads me to the corner so we have more privacy.

"Look, I'm sorry I brought you here with me and you have to deal with this, but I need to go be with my brother now. I believe he's completely crushed. You can go home and I'll come home later and we can talk then," I explain to Damien, barely keeping myself together.

Damien looks concerned now. "I could wait for you, it would be no problem."

I shake my head and touch his arm. "Thank you. But I don't know how long it'll take. Besides, he doesn't know you so I don't think he'd be comfortable by you seeing him like that."

Damien nods in understanding. He suddenly shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders, letting his hands rest on them for a few moments. "Give me a call when you come back. Or better yet, come to my flat."

I give him a short nod. Damien leans down and kisses my cheek, squeezing my shoulder. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asks.

I chuckle. "Yes, I am going to be fine," I reassure him.

Damien grins and puts his finger under my chin, flicking it softly, playfully. He leans down. "See you later, Aligator," he says with a grin. He nonchalantly pecks my lips, like it's the most normal thing for him to do. Like we're a couple.

He leaves me standing there, shocked and confused. And so, so happy. Until I remember why I am where I am and remind myself that this is not a day for my happiness and that this will have to wait. I have to focus on my brother today. 

I go search for him. It doesn't really take me long because I knew he needed some time alone to think this through and I knew there's only one place in this church he could possibly go to. 

I find him sitting on the chair in a crouched position, his head in his palms. He's completely alone. It tears me to see him like that. The one person who I know deserves nothing but happiness.

I sit down by him and wrap my hands around him awkwardly. He doesn't move, he doesn't even acknowledge my presence. "She was a bitch anyway," I whisper into his shoulder.

Braden lets out a sad, broken chuckle. "God, Brooke ... I ... I don't know why she did it. I can't come up with any answers. I thought she loved me. I ... I really thought she was happy with me ... that she wanted to build a future with me. God," he's ranting. He leans back against the chair, looking up at the ceiling. 

I see he's got red eyes and I also see he's holding back his tears. I know he won't let himself cry. Because he's a man who's too proud. At least he's talking to me about it. 

"I know, Braden. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe God's giving you another chance because he's planning to send you someone who's going to love you the way you deserved to be loved," I try to reassure him, but I know I can't say anything right now to make this situation better. He's hurt. 

Braden looks at me, only redirecting his eyes, keeping his head in place. "I really wanted it to be her. God knows I wanted her to be the woman I'd share my whole life with and have a family with."

I try not to cringe at that. This is not the time to show my distaste for Victoria. But in this moment, if she appeared in front of me, I would not hesitate to put her in the hospital. I don't care if I do it in the church. I wouldn't even wait for Karma getting to her - and I know it's going to get her - I'd do it myself. 

What she did is unforgivable. And I wish it forever haunts her. I wish she's got trouble sleeping because of what she did. 

"I know you can't see it now and I understand she cut you deeply, but maybe one day, you'll be happy you didn't marry her. Maybe you'll meet the woman of your life and you'll be thankful you didn't take the wrong decision. Everything happens for a reason, dear brother."

Braden places his palms over his head and exhales loudly. "I would've given her anything she asked for, I swear I would." 

I lean my head on his shoulder. "Well, maybe she's not the right woman you should offer this to." 

Braden smiles sadly. "Are you trying to make me feel better or are you just using this to express how much you dislike her?"

I roll my lips into my mouth in guilt. "Both? Can I say both?" 

Braden huffs. "I'm really happy I have you as my sister," he admits.

My throat closes up on me and I have tears in my eyes instantly. "Oh, no. Don't do this to me, my makeup artist spent too much time to make my makeup perfect for today." 

Braden's face falls again. "For a day that didn't really happen," he says quietly. 

"You know what?" I point a finger at his face and narrow my gaze. "It's her loss anyway! She could've had so much love and live a happy life, but she decided to make a mistake and throw it all away. Believe me, she's going to realise what she lost, sooner or later." 

Braden shrugs and looks up at the ceiling again, intertwining his hands on his lap. "Or not. Maybe that guy she left me for can actually make her happy." 

I sit up straight now. "Well, then you know she didn't really love you. And why would you even want to be with a woman who doesn't love you?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

Braden closes his eyes. "She made me believe she loved me. I don't understand what went wrong. Why would she do this?" 

"I don't know, man. People are really weird," I say.

Braden bursts out laughing. "I swear you can make someone laugh when they're right on the verge of tears, Brooke." 

I grin at him. "It's just a talent I seem to have," I say playfully. 

He looks at me with deep sincerity. "Thank you. But I think I'll head home now. I want to be alone now to think everything through."

I nod in understanding. I would've done the same. "Don't think too much," I tell him. "But it's not like you do much of that anyway."

Braden laughs. "Thank you. Just what I needed."

I pat his shoulder affectionately. "You're welcome. I'll check up on you tomorrow if not sooner," I promise him.

Braden grins playfully. "You don't have to act like a mother. I'll be fine."

I give him a look that tells him I know he's trying to bullshit me.

"Okay, I'll go wallow in sadness and feel like the world ended for me today. Is that what you wanted to hear?" he wonders.

"No," I admit. "But it's the truth at least."

Braden nods solemnly. "If anyone's looking for me ... you don't know where I am," he tells me.

"Where are you going?" I ask in alarm, standing up, too.

"Home. For now. If this won't be sufficient, I'll go away for some time. Just to, you know ... forget everything."

My God. I feel so bad for him. I know I can't do much to help him but it pains me deeply to see him hurting.

I give him a bear hug. "You have to tell me if you decide to go somewhere," I tell him seriously.

"I will," Braden promised with a broken voice. And I know this is time for me to go and leave him to deal with this in peace.

I call myself a taxi. On my way home, the only thing I can think about how much I just need to see Damien right now and seek his comfort.

I started to depend on him. I started to trust him and I started to believe he's not hanging out with me just because he wants to sleep with me.

Maybe I'm still a challenge for him, but I feel the things between us have changed. I believe there's something deeper and more meaningful between us. There's not just only physical attraction between us anymore.

His words all these weeks proved this to me. I could talk to him about everything, I could say anything to him, knowing he'll understand and react in an appropriate way.

We came to understand each other. Trust each other. And I started to depend on him.

The things that happened to me, the girls weren't the first ones I thought about telling them about it. It was Damien.

He came to mean so much to me. It scares me but it also excites me because I have never experienced such strong feelings for someone. Especially not in such a short time.

Today was a clear indication how fast a person who means so much to you can easily be the person who takes everything from you at the same time, leaving you empty.

But I guess this is not a day for me to learn from others' mistakes. It's apparently the day I'll put my feelings first and my fears last.

I walk up the stairs, past my flat, double cursing that I have to walk that many of them. I stop right at Damien's door, still wrapped in his jacket, still smelling his cologne, when I knock.

Damien opens the door in mere seconds, dressed in old jeans and a simple blue shirt. We look at each other, turquoise eyes to my brown ones, without any words being spoken between us.

Damien opens the door wider and simply say, "Come here."

And I swallow the distance between us with my feet, going straight for him and wrapping my arms around him.

He's not prepared for my so called attack, but he catches me and wraps his own arms, squeezing me tightly against him.

And I didn't know how much I needed a hug until I felt Damien Knox strong arms around me, wordlessly telling me that everything is okay because he's here now with me.

I also realise that this feels more like a home to me than my own flat does. It's at this moment that I realise I've been homesick my whole life. Because home isn't four walls. It's a feeling you belong somewhere.

It's two arms wrapped around you, telling you, "Honey, you're finally home."

"You said you're going to be fine," Damien says in a way of greeting.

My mouth forms a smile against his shirt. He smells divine. Of his cologne mixed with his unique smell that makes me crazy. I don't know if it's even possible for me to get even crazier about him.

This is such a dangerous feeling I'm dealing with. But I'm taking my chances today. I need this.

"I am now," I say against his perfectly sculpted chest that can be felt under his thin shirt.

Damien brushes my hair back, carefully going through my curls so he doesn't mess them up. The gesture is gentle, loving almost.

Damien closes the door with his foot and I release him. I walk forward, deeper into his flat.

"You know ... I've been thinking ..." I tell him, trailing my fingers against the table as I walk around it in the living room. Damien still stands by the door, with his hands in his pockets, watching me intently.

His eyes are piercing into mine and I can read the want in them.

I came up with an idea today. I'm finally giving in. To him.

I walk towards the door of the room he uses for photographing all those models, my heels clicking on the floor. I stop in front of the door and face him.

I take his jacket off and let it slide on the floor. Damien follows it with is eyes before lifting them up to me in a question. I reach behind me. "I want you to photograph me." I pull the zipper of my short, elegant dress down and let it fall off me, piling on the floor around my feet, leaving me standing in front of Damien in ridiculously high heels and a set of lingerie that was made to seduce a man.

Damien's eyes flash dangerously and he starts walking towards me, taking long, fast steps.

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