His stare raked over my face, drawing goosebumps to my skin because, for a second, it was the only thing that felt warm.
“I had no idea,” he continued in that low, unbroken tone. “I swear to you, Daisy. I had no idea he was going to do this.”
I saw the pain that ravaged his face, a mirror for the wreckage in my chest. Maybe he hadn’t known, but then why had he been so absent the last five months? Ever since Todd had told him about the baby, about getting married, Max had been distant.
“Hold on,” Max growled. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard that sound from him before. Releasing me, he yanked open the door and called into the hall. “Lou!”
I rose and went to the window, like I could see where Todd had gone, like I could spot him on the horizon and direct someone to go get him. My runaway groom.
The whirring brought a wave of nausea this time. This couldn’t be happening. We were going to have a baby. I’d pulled out of school. Moved out of my apartment a week ago. Moved my stuff into a house Todd’s parents had gifted us. We were going to work through this. We were going to get married and figure everything out. We were?—
“Hey, what’s up?”
I turned to the gentle-eyed innkeeper, who’d graciously allowed us to plan a wedding here that was now falling apart.
“I’m going back to get Todd. Can you stay?—”
“Todd’s gone.” There was no hiding it, no point in hiding it.
“What? Where?” Lou pushed up her glasses and looked to Max. “Why?”
“Todd…he sent Daisy a note saying he wasn’t coming,” Max replied gruffly. “I’m sure it’s just cold feet. He wasn’t feeling well this morning. I just…I need to talk to him.”
He wasn’t feeling well?I didn’t know whether I wanted to laugh or scream. I was the one who was pregnant. I was the one who’d tried to be gentle with Todd since we found out about the baby. I was the one who’d given him plenty of outs when his drinking seemed to get worse, when he was the one more likely to be found nauseous in the morning than I was. He was the one who insisted he wanted this—wanted marriage. Who wanted me to drop out of my program. To move into one of his parents’ numerous homes.
At every turn, I asked if this was what he wanted or what his parents wanted. Maybe I was to blame for believing his answer. Now, I felt like a fool for not seeing what was right in front of me. The drinking. The distance. Spending so much time with his friends. With Max. With Scott.
“Don’t you ever depend on a man, Daisy. Ever.”
As intensely as devastation had come over me, anger swept through and took its place.
“I’m coming with you.”
Max’s eyes bulged. “Daze?—”
“He’s my fiancé. I’m not—” I let out a weak laugh. “I’m not letting you go alone, Max.” My hands went to my stomach. This wasn’t about the wedding. I didn’t care about the wedding. I cared about our daughter. “It’s not just me he’s choosing to walk away from.”
Max’s mouth drew firm, turmoil charring his irises from green to mossy gold. “All right.”
I moved between them into the hallway, my eyes averted. I needed to get outside. I needed fresh air.
“Daze,” Max called after me, but I kept moving, the vise around my throat so tight I felt like I was being held underwater.
I made it to the front walkway, gulping in the warm, sea salt air, when Max finally caught up.
“Daisy.”
I spun, finding Max right in front of me. He was gorgeous when he was frustrated and now sexy when his expression was stern. After four years, I already knew there was no emotion that didn’t look good on this man.This was just the first time I’d let myself admit it.
“You need shoes.”
I looked down, my bare toes peeking out from under my dress…and my stomach. In a few more weeks, I wouldn’t be able to see them at all.
“Oh.” I shook my head, thinking if Cinderella were missing her prince, that glass slipper would be the least of her problems too. “My sandals?—”
Max lifted up my pair of purple slides in one hand. “Lou pointed me in the right direction.”
“Thank you.” This time it wasn’t my voice that raised an octave, but my heart as Max went down on one knee in front of me.
