Left at the Altar Read online

  LEFT AT THE ALTAR

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Alice Elizabeth Wenk

  Elizabeth was so nervous as she stood next to Jessica at the wedding that she could feel her hands trembling. Please behave yourself, Elizabeth silently begged her twin. Don't spoil this moment for Sue! This could be one of the last happy moments of Sue's life.

  Elizabeth turned her gaze toward Jeremy and saw something that caused her heart to constrict. He wasn't looking at Sue! He was gazing into the eyes of Jessica! How could he?! At his own wedding?! She looked at Jessica and saw that she was staring at him as well. Elizabeth knew her sister well enough to know that she was trying to send some sort of terrible message to Jeremy.

  Elizabeth didn't think her nerves could take much more of this. Suddenly, Elizabeth sensed Jessica's body tense up. Hurry up! Hurry up! Elizabeth felt herself break into a sweat.

  "If any man or woman knows of any any reason why this couple should not be joined as one under the realm of god, speak now or forever hold your peace."

  Elizabeth held her breath and closed her eyes.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 1

  "I've been dreaming of doing this again ever since the last time," Jeremy Randall said to Jessica Wakefield between long, passionate kisses. "I thought I would go crazy if I didn't kiss you again."

  "I know. Me too," Jessica said, her heart pounding. "I've been waiting for the moment when we could finally be alone together."

  Jessica was happier than she'd ever been. She was kissing Jeremy again, the most gorgeous guy she'd seen in her entire life. Her dream had come true. Jeremy really did care for her. It didn't matter that he was engaged to marry Sue Gibbons, the daughter of Jessica's mother's college roommate. Jessica didn't even care that they were at the engagement party for Sue and Jeremy. The sounds coming from around the Wakefields' house seemed light years away. She felt as if she and Jeremy were the only two people in the world.

  Ever since Jessica met Jeremy on the beach, weeks before, she had tried desperately to get him to admit his feelings for her. It was obvious to her, when they kissed on that first day, there was a chemistry between them that happened only once in a lifetime. When they first met, Jessica had no idea that Jeremy was on the verge of getting married to someone else. She just thought he was this magical, blond hunk who had appeared from nowhere to be with her. She had been horrified when she first found out that not only was he engaged, he was engaged to be married to Sue! But now, Jessica knew, not even that mattered. Like the song says, we were meant to be together.

  "I've been fighting my feelings for you every step of the way, but I realize now that that's impossible," Jeremy said, holding Jessica tightly. "You know what they say. Only the fool thinks he has a choice when it comes to matters of the heart. I guess I was being a fool."

  "I knew you felt the same way I did," Jessica said breathlessly. "You had to."

  Jessica felt like she could stand in the garden, kissing Jeremy, for the rest of her life. She never wanted to leave his embrace.

  "Jeremy! Jeremy!" The sound of Sue's voice wafted through the party crowd, just barely reaching them where they stood concealed behind the rosebushes.

  Still, Jessica refused to let go of him. Maybe it's just as well that Sue finds out the truth about us, Jessica thought. This whole engagement is a lie anyway. There's no way he can marry Sue now that he's finally faced his true feelings for me. The sooner she finds out, the better.

  "Jeremy! Jeremy!"

  "This is a great party," Enid Rollins said to Elizabeth Wakefield. Enid was Elizabeth's best friend, after her identical twin sister, Jessica.

  Elizabeth stood at the refreshment table staring off into space while Enid popped another California roll into her mouth. "This sushi spread is totally awesome," Enid said between bites.

  "Earth to Elizabeth," Enid said, waving a hand in front of Elizabeth's face. "What planet are you on?"

  "Oh, sorry," Elizabeth said absently. "Did you say something?"

  "I was just talking about the food. Your parents really went all out for this party for Sue," Enid said.

  "I know. Have you seen Jessica?" Elizabeth asked with a worried expression on her face.

  "I saw her dancing with Jeremy about ten minutes ago," Enid said.

  "That's what I was afraid of," Elizabeth muttered. And I haven't seen them since. Elizabeth was horrified but not surprised that her sister would be sneaking off with Jeremy at Sue's engagement party. Couldn't she just show a little restraint on this one occasion? Elizabeth thought. Elizabeth was accustomed to Jessica's outrageous behavior, but getting involved with an almost-married man really took the cake.

  For the thousandth time, Elizabeth marveled at the fact that they were even related, much less twins. True, on the outside, the twins were completely identical. They both had golden-blond hair, green-blue eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean, and dimples on their left cheeks. But that's where the similarities ended. Elizabeth was every bit as popular as her sister and liked to have as much fun as the next person, but she had a serious streak. She liked to spend her free time reading, and during the school year, working on The Oracle, the Sweet Valley High newspaper where she was a writer. She had plans to be a professional writer when she got older.

  Jessica, on the other hand, was more interested in clothes, boys, parties, and gossip than in school. Jessica was the first to admit that she was boy crazy, but this latest infatuation—or whatever it was—worried Elizabeth. Jessica had jumped into this thing with Jeremy with her eyes closed—the usual way she did things—but Elizabeth was afraid this time her sister was in way over her head.

  This won't go any farther if I have anything to do with it, Elizabeth thought as she walked out to the garden. Elizabeth was thinking about all the people who would be affected by Jessica's actions. Sue would be devastated by Jeremy's betrayal, and Elizabeth's parents would be hurt as well. And no matter what the outcome would be, Elizabeth knew that Jessica would suffer a terrible heartache. She was determined to do anything to keep her sister from being hurt the way she herself had been hurt after she'd fallen in love with Luke in London just a few weeks earlier.

  "What do you think you're doing?" Elizabeth exclaimed as she pulled her sister away from Jeremy as they kissed in the backyard behind some hedges.

  "I think it's pretty obvious what we're doing," Jessica said crossly. "The question is, what do you think you're doing?"

  "May I remind you that there are seventy people in that house, including your fiancée, Jeremy, who are all here to celebrate your wedding," Elizabeth scolded them. She wiped the lipstick off Jeremy's mouth and pulled the shoulder strap up on Jessica's sleeveless dress. Elizabeth looked all around to make sure nobody else had seen what she'd seen.

  "Elizabeth's right," Jeremy muttered guiltily. "Your parents were really generous, giving this party for Sue and me . . ."

  "I don't care if she's right or not," Jessica said, her face turning red with anger. "The point is that what we're doing is our business."

  "No, in this case it's not just your business," Elizabeth said hotly. "It's Sue's business, and Mom and Dad's business, and the business of every guest inside that house who brought a gift for Jeremy and Sue."

  "You know, ever since you got back from London you've been a total control freak. Maybe you should go upstairs to your room and read some more pop-psychology and figure out why you're so concerned with everyone's problems except your own," Jessica said.

  Elizabeth felt as if she was about to cry. Maybe she was being a little bossy but it was only out of love for her sister. She didn't want what had happened to her in London to happen to Jessica. Not only had her heart been broken, but she'd become totally mistrustful of men. Luckily, Todd was still on vacation when she got back, so she'd figured she had some time to get herself together before he returned to Sweet Valley. She'd immersed herself in several different self-help books that talked about how to stay strong and hold on to one's self in a relationship. She'd also joined a primal woman seminar that had enabled her to start feeling stronger. She was trying to use that new-found strength to keep her sister from falling into that abyss of heartache she knew too well.

  Elizabeth looked at her sister, who was looking back at her with pure resentment. I just don't want you to get hurt, Jess, she wanted to say. I don't want you to lose control the way I did in London.

  "There you are!" Sue said excitedly to Jeremy as she appeared around the rosebushes. "It looks like you're having your own party out here with these two pretty girls." Sue walked up to the three of them and put her arms around Elizabeth and Jessica's waists.

  Elizabeth felt her stomach do a back flip. Poor Sue is definitely going to suspect something. "Hey, Sue," Elizabeth said in an overly cheerful and excited voice. "We were just out here, um, looking for some more flowers to bring in the house. But, there are just roses out here, and we already have enough roses, so, well, I guess we can go back inside now." Elizabeth was talking so quickly that she b
arely even knew what she was saying.

  "Well, that was sweet of you guys," Sue said, smiling. "Jeremy, honey, I want you to come and meet Father Bishop. He wants to get to know us better. He is going to marry us, after all."

  "That's right!" Elizabeth said quickly, looking pointedly at Jessica. "He's going to marry you, because you are getting married, since you're engaged and all. You two lovebirds just go on ahead, and Jessica and I will be right in." It's a good thing I got here when I did, Elizabeth thought as Sue linked arms with Jeremy and kissed him on the cheek before taking him inside to meet Father Bishop. But if I have to go through any more close calls like that I'm going to have an ulcer at the age of sixteen!

  Jessica's heart sank when Jeremy went with Sue into the house. "Don't say anything," Jessica said curtly to Elizabeth.

  "Don't say anything about what?" Elizabeth asked.

  "Anything about Jeremy going inside with Sue," Jessica said, gazing listlessly in the direction of the house. "He has no choice. I know he'd rather be with me, but it's his duty to go with Sue. Poor baby." Jessica let out a heavy sigh.

  "Poor baby!" Elizabeth repeated incredulously. "What about poor Sue?"

  "I'm not in the mood for this now," Jessica said.

  "Look, Jess, I don't mean to be bossy, but I just don't see how this situation can end without you getting hurt," Elizabeth said gently. "Not only is he about to marry Sue, he's twenty-three and you're only sixteen. It's a huge age difference. I just don't think you've thought this through."

  "Sometimes in life you can't think," Jessica said. "Sometimes you can only feel. What I feel now is that I'm totally crazy about Jeremy, and he's finally admitted that he feels the same way about me. There's nothing you or anybody else can say to change the fact that Jeremy Randall and Jessica Wakefield were meant to be together. So just please leave me in peace."

  All Jessica wanted was to be alone and remember every single detail of her last moments with Jeremy before Elizabeth so rudely interrupted them.

  "Elizabeth! Jessica!" Mrs. Wakefield called from inside the house. "It's time to make the toasts! Come inside!"

  "You go on in," Jessica told Elizabeth as she plopped into one of the lounge chairs by the pool. "I'm going to sit this one out."

  "Oh, no, you're not, missy," Elizabeth said, pulling Jessica off the chair. "You're going to wipe that love-stricken expression off your face, march inside that house, and act normal. Jeremy is marrying Sue, not you, so start facing reality!"

  Not if I have anything to do with it, Jessica schemed. Jessica didn't set out to fall in love with a man who was engaged to be married. It just happened that way. It's not my fault this happened. But now that it has, it's too late to stop our love from running its natural course. And if nature needs a little coaxing, then I'll just have to do whatever I need to do to keep it moving.

  "I'd like everyone to raise their glass to Jeremy and Sue," Alice Wakefield said to the guests who were assembled in the living room. Mrs. Wakefield was still a beautiful woman and Elizabeth thought her mother looked more radiant than ever in the pink chiffon dress she was wearing for the occasion. "I want to wish them every happiness in the world. I only wish Nancy, Sue's mother and my college roommate, could be here tonight to share in this joyful event. I know Nancy would be thrilled that her beautiful and intelligent daughter has found the perfect match. She would agree with me that not only are they very much in love with each other, but that they are truly meant to be together."

  "She's wrong," Jessica said under her breath but loud enough for Elizabeth, who was standing next to her, to hear. "He and I are meant to be together."

  Elizabeth didn't know if she was more worried about Sue or her mother hearing Jessica's outburst. Elizabeth glanced around the room at the sumptuous spread and all the flowers her mother had arranged. Mrs. Wakefield had supervised every last detail of the party. Elizabeth knew that Sue's wedding was super-important to her mother because of her friendship with Sue's mother. When Nancy Gibbons died, Mrs. Wakefield had stayed in bed crying for days. Elizabeth knew their mother would be horrified if she found out about Jessica's feelings for Jeremy.

  "Shhhhh," Elizabeth commanded nervously to her sister. "Do you want everyone to hear you? I seriously think you're losing all sense of reality."

  "I have never had a better sense of reality than I have at this moment," Jessica said as her eyes shone brightly and she looked directly at Jeremy. "I can't remember the last time I ever felt so awake and aware of my feelings. The only thing standing in our way is Sue. Sometimes I wish she would just disappear."

  "Jessica, that's a horrible thing to say!" Elizabeth said.

  "Well, it's how I feel," Jessica said.

  "It's not like this is the first guy you've ever thought you were in love with," Elizabeth said as she looked around the room to make sure no one could hear their whispered but urgent conversation. "Just a few weeks ago in London you were saying the same thing about Lord Robert Pembroke. And what about poor Sam, and Aaron, and the dozens of other guys you've been wildly in love with?"

  "Except for Sam, everyone before Jeremy was a child," Jessica said gravely. Sam Woodruff was Jessica's serious boyfriend who had died in a tragic car accident earlier that year. Elizabeth knew that Jessica would always have a special place in her heart for Sam. "I was a child. For the first time in my life, I feel like a woman."

  "But you're only sixteen," Elizabeth said. "You're still young."

  "Stop saying I'm sixteen," Jessica said. "I know how old I am. Age has nothing to do with love. Look at Romeo and Juliet. They were like thirteen or fourteen. They were so in love that they died for each other."

  "Well, we're not talking about Romeo and Juliet," Elizabeth said. "We're talking about Jessica Wakefield, sixteen-year-old girl with a whole future in front of her, and Jeremy Randall, twenty-three-year-old engaged to marry Sue Gibbons in a couple of weeks. Now, I know you like a challenge and you always want what you can't have. But in this case, you have to think about all the other people involved. This is one competition you have to let go of."

  "This isn't about wanting what I can't have," Jessica said. "This is about true love."

  Elizabeth stared silently at Jessica. It was true that Elizabeth had heard her sister say that she'd found the man of her dreams hundreds of times in the past. But this time, Jessica was so adamant it scared Elizabeth. She'd never seen Jessica so serious about anything in her life. What if she really is as in love as she says she is? What if this really is the love of her life? Elizabeth worried. She looked across the room at Sue's happy, naive face then back at her sister's serious, lovesick expression. Even if she is really in love, this can't continue. Too many people would get hurt. Especially my sister.

  "If I could have everybody's attention again," Alice Wakefield said to the guests who were talking excitedly after her toast. "Now my daughters would like to say a few words on behalf of the happy couple."

  "Not this daughter," Jessica said loud enough to provoke a poke in the ribs from Elizabeth. "Ouch! You don't honestly expect me to give some speech right now, do you?"

  "I guess not," Elizabeth conceded. Elizabeth didn't even know how she would manage to say anything halfway convincing, considering the circumstances. What could she say? Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to propose a toast to my sister, Jessica, who has fallen in love with Jeremy?

  "Elizabeth? Jessica?" Mrs. Wakefield asked expectantly, smiling in their direction.

  Elizabeth glanced at her sister, who looked as if she had lockjaw. Then she took a deep breath. "Ladies and gentlemen," Elizabeth started. She heard her voice shaking. "My sister, Jessica, and I would like to propose a toast to Jeremy and Sue."

  Elizabeth turned to smile at Jessica to give the impression that this was in fact a shared toast. To Elizabeth's horror, Jessica was running out of the living room and up the stairs.

  "Please excuse my sister," Elizabeth said, trying with all her might to force a giggle. "She's not used to drinking champagne."

  The laughter that filled the room brought Elizabeth temporary relief and enabled her to get through the rest of her toast.

  "As I was saying," Elizabeth continued. "We feel as if Sue is a new sister and that Jeremy will be a new brother. . . ." At that moment Elizabeth heard the sound of a door slamming upstairs.