Kelly snorted. “A prank? This isn’t high school, Eric. This is her wedding!”

I cut her off. “Mark, you’re telling me you had nothing to do with this? Because this note, these flowers, they’re messing with my head. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for hours!”

“I was asleep,” he said, looking at his phone. “I didn’t even see your calls. Carly, I would never do something like this to you. You have to believe me.”

Kelly put a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go back to the hotel, okay? We’ll figure this out in the morning.”

The next morning, after my bridesmaids went down for breakfast, I stayed behind in the hotel room to finish getting ready. I needed a quiet moment to clear my head. The wedding was in just a few hours. Then, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was one of the girls, I called out, “Come in!” but when the door opened, it was Eric.

“Eric? What are you doing here?”

He closed the door behind him, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Carly, I need to tell you something,” he said quietly.

Something about his tone made me uneasy. “What is it?”

He avoided my eyes, his gaze drifting to the floor. “I sent the flowers.”

For a second, I just stared at him, trying to process what he’d said. “You…what? Eric, why would you do that?” My voice came out louder than I intended, filled with disbelief.

He sighed, leaning against the doorframe like he couldn’t bear to stand up straight. “Because, Carly… I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for years.”

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. This was a joke. It had to be.

“I thought… if you saw that Mark wasn’t right for you, maybe you’d finally realize it. Realize that I’m the one who…”

He stopped, rubbing the back of his neck like he regretted every word coming out of his mouth. “I know this sounds crazy, but I couldn’t just keep pretending anymore.”

I felt like I’d been punched. Hard. “Eric… you’re my future brother-in-law. Mark’s brother. Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“I know, I know. But I had to try. I thought….” His voice cracked. “I thought if I said nothing, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

My hands shook as I stood there, trying to comprehend the level of betrayal. “You sent me that note the night before my wedding? You thought ruining the biggest day of my life would somehow make me choose you?”

His face fell, and he looked more desperate than I’d ever seen him. “Please don’t tell Mark. I know it was wrong. I don’t want to ruin your day… I just couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. How could I not tell Mark? How could I pretend this never happened?

“Eric, you need to leave,” I said, my voice cold. “Now.”

He hesitated, then nodded, leaving without another word. The door closed behind him, but the tension in the room stayed.

I spent the next hour in a daze, trying to figure out what to do. But I knew keeping this from Mark wasn’t an option.

When Mark arrived to pick me up for the ceremony, I took a deep breath and pulled him aside. “Mark, we need to talk.”

He frowned, concern all over his face. “What’s wrong?”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. “Eric… he’s the one who sent the flowers last night. He — he told me this morning that he’s in love with me. He’s been in love with me for years.”

For a second, Mark just stood there as if the words hadn’t registered. Then, his face twisted in anger. “Eric did what?” he practically shouted, his eyes darkening. “He said that to you?”

I nodded, my stomach churning. “He asked me not to tell you, but I couldn’t keep it from you. Not today.”

Mark stormed out of the hotel without another word, heading straight for the venue. I followed behind him, my heart racing. Eric was already there when we arrived, lingering awkwardly by the entrance.

Mark didn’t hesitate. He marched right up to him, voice low but deadly. “You’re not welcome here. You’re not coming to this wedding, and if you ever try something like this again, you’re out of my life for good. Do you hear me?”

Eric, looking pale and panicked, tried to explain. “Mark, it was a mistake. I… I didn’t mean to…”

“No,” Mark cut him off, his voice firm. “You crossed a line. Now get out.”

Eric’s eyes darted between us, but there was no saving it. He turned and walked away, and just like that, he was gone.

Despite everything, Mark and I got married that day, and it was beautiful. But during the vows, there were moments where my mind flashed back to how close I came to losing it all.

After the ceremony, Mark pulled me close, his voice soft but steady.

“We made it through this,” he said, looking into my eyes. “And nothing… no one… is going to come between us again.”