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Back First Comes Love Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. First
  2. Love Connection
  3. Zero
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. One Month Later
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Six Months Later
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-one
  27. Twenty-two
  28. Twenty-three
  29. Twenty-four
  30. Six Months Later
  31. Twenty-five
  32. Twenty-six
  33. Twenty-seven
  34. Twenty-eight
  35. Twenty-nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-one
  38. Thirty-two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. I Have Never
  41. One
  42. Two
  43. Three
  44. Four
  45. Five
  46. Six
  47. Seven
  48. Eight
  49. Nine
  50. Ten
  51. Eleven
  52. Twelve
  53. Thirteen
  54. Fourteen
  55. Fifteen
  56. Sixteen
  57. Seventeen
  58. Eighteen
  59. Nineteen
  60. Twenty
  61. Twenty-one
  62. Twenty-two
  63. A Christmas Date
  64. One
  65. Two
  66. Three
  67. Four
  68. Five
  69. Six
  70. Seven
  71. Eight
  72. Nine
  73. Ten
  74. Eleven
  75. Twelve
  76. Thirteen
  77. Fourteen
  78. Fifteen
  79. Sixteen
  80. Seventeen
  81. Eighteen
  82. Nineteen
  83. Twenty
  84. Twenty-one
  85. Twenty-two
  86. Note from the Author
  87. Sneak Peek – To the Stars and Back
  88. Two
  89. Three
  90. Four
  91. Also by Camilla Isley
  92. About the Author

“If there is anyone in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may speak now or forever hold your peace…”

“STOP,” I yell at the top of my lungs, surprising even myself. “I can’t do this,” I whisper. Aw, it feels good to say it aloud. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

The minister stares at me in shock and there’s a collective intake of breath from the guests. I look at Richard, petrified. I can already see the sad drop of his brows and read the resigned pain in those beautiful eyes. I can’t stand that I’m the one who’s doing this to him, so I look away. The door, I need to get to the main door. I want to run away and never stop running. I gather my skirts in my hands ready to make a run for it, turn toward the chapel’s front door, and my heart positively stops as I spot Jake standing in the middle of the aisle, looking at me as if seeing me for the first time.

Just like that, the rest of the world disappears, and it’s just the two of us, staring at each other. I take in all the details of the face I know so well. I see the boy who stole my heart so many years ago standing before me. My first love, my first everything. The only man I ever truly loved. And I do know him, and he does know me. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, I can read it in his eyes. In a moment, everything changes. My heart swells in my chest, suddenly too big, too full of love to be contained. I look Jake in the eyes and a million unspoken words fly between us, the whispers of our past and the promises of a future together.

Jake’s lips curl up in an uncertain smile, hopeful maybe, before he says, “You sort of stole my opening line there.”

Something half-way between a sob and a chuckle escapes my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Richard moving a step backward. I dare to look at him again and find his features set, resigned.

“Is this the bloke you told me about the first night we met?” he asks.

“Yes, Richard. I-I’m so, so truly very sorry…”

“It’s not your fault. I knew you weren’t ready to marry me. I could tell from the moment I asked.” His shoulders sag. “I just hoped that if I made it perfect for you, you’d eventually want it as much I do. But you don’t. You never have.”

“Oh, Richard.” I hug him tightly. “One day you’ll make one girl really lucky,” I whisper in his ear. “I’m just not that girl.”