Fifteen minutes later, we’re still arguing.
“What do you mean? I’ve come all this way.”
“I didn’t ask you to come. Remember? I told you I needed to think and focus on this wedding. But you show up here and tell meyou’reready to get back together.”
“Keep thinking if you need to. Just know I’m here. Right in front of you. I rode in the car for three hours to see you.” He grips my forearms, his gaze more intense than I’ve ever seen. “We’re perfect together. You know it’s true.”
“Leo.” I pull my arms back. “We’re not perfect. We never were. Nothing is perfect. Love is messy, and that’s okay. But—”
“Okay, okay. Take some time. I can be patient.”
He keeps talking, droning on about our perfectness, not letting me get a word in.
I’ve always thought he was most handsome with this determined look. No doubt he’s handsome now. It’s a face that gets him far.
He’s used to everything going his way and people doing what he wants. He probably never dreamed I might reject him.
I lift my palm to him. “Leo, stop.”
He grabs my hand and kisses my palm as a new song begins. He grins. “It’s our song.”
I snatch my hand back. “No. Leo, it’s over. Completely over. I don’t need to think. We’re done.”
His smile fades. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do mean it. Accept it, please. We’re not getting back together.”
“But—”
“No buts.” I pick up my long skirt. “I’m going to find my parents. Have a nice trip home.”
I leave him standing there. Rejected—likely for the first time in his life.
I delete his ringtone and return to the pavilion. I find Hudson and Ava in a rare peaceful moment. No crowd of well-wishers surrounds them. I hug them both and congratulate them on how wonderful everything turned out.
“Well, almost everything,” Hudson must be ready to burst with questions. Only Ava’s holding them back.
I adjust one of the bobby pins securing my hair in place. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on. You knew I was rooting for Will.” When Ava nudges him, he clears his throat. “But I guess these things don’t always work out. That’s life.”
Ava smiles, trying to be upbeat. “So Leo. Where is he?”
I open my mouth. Close it. Cross my arms. “You think I got back with Leo.”
“Well, yeah. That’s what it looked like. Right? You danced with him instead of Will, all nice and cozy, and then you two disappeared for a while.”
“It was not cozy, and that’s just how long it took for his tiny brain to accept that I told him it was over. Forever.”
“Oh.” Hudson turns to Ava. “That’s—”
She frowns back. “Unfortunate. Should we—”
“Yeah, probably.” He pulls out his phone.
I splay my arms out wide. “I know you’re having some sort of couples-only silent conversation, but remember, I’m standing here.” I rise onto my toes and crane over the dancing mob again. “Where’s Will? I need to talk to him.”
Hudson makes a face. Ava ducks her head and fiddles with her hair.
