The guests burst into applause just as Lance locks lips with Elizabeth, and I force my face into a smile so wide it hurts. I’msohappy for them.
But I absolutely hate myself right now. And I cannot stop wallowing in these horrible thoughts.
As the newlyweds make their grand exit, Riley turns to me, her voice low and urgent. “Don’t chicken out. I’m serious about it making you feel better. His answer will help you make a plan.”
I try to laugh, but it comes out as a strangled wheeze. “If I don’t talk to him, you can disown me.”
“Oh, I plan to,” she says. “But not until after we destroy the open bar.”
I feel a pang of relief at her joke, and then together, we follow the wedding party out of the building. Wes is waiting on the steps, talking to someone’s grandmother and making her laugh so hard she actually has to hold onto the railing.
Ugh.He’s magnetic, that’s his whole thing. But when his eyes catch mine, the smile flickers for a millisecond, and I wonder if he’s thinking about our conversation from the car, or if he’s already filed it away with the rest of my emotional clutter.
He falls in step beside me as we walk to the reception hall, looping his arm through mine. “You survived,” he says, voice warm against my ear. “You looked great up there. Not even a single wipeout, even with the shaking knees.”
“Miracles do happen,” I mutter, feeling the tightness in my chest return as we approach the banquet room. The doors are thrown open, and people pour in, hunting for their place cards.
Wes steers us toward the seating chart, his hand warm and reassuring on my back. “Let’s find our table and then hit the bar with Riley, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I force my voice to stay light.
We end up at one of the middle tables, sandwiched between a pair of professional wedding criers and two men who look like they’d rather be anywhere else. Wes is in his element, launching into a story about the time he almost got arrested in college for streaking across the dorms, and everyone laughs on cue.
I sip my wine and try not to think about the fact that I don’t remember that happening at all.
As the cake is being wheeled out, Wes leans over and nudges me with his shoulder. “Hey, you seem weird right now. You okay? Or is this still about what happened in the car?”
I open my mouth, tempted to blurt out the truth, but then say the opposite of what’s really going on. “I’m good,” I lie, and then immediately hate myself for being such a coward.
He gives me a look, not quite buying it. “You sure?”
I nod and then focus on the cake like my life depends on it.
After dessert, the DJ cranks up the music and the dance floor erupts. Finally, people get up and start to wander. Wes immediately hops up to hit the dance floor with his buddies without saying a word to me, and I head straight for the bar.
I need liquid courage. Pronto.
Riley meets me there, already sipping her glass of wine. “I can tell you still haven’t done it. You had the perfect time, too.”
“Nope. I would’ve been trapped there with him had he turned me down,” I breathe out, just as the bartender hands me another glass of red. “I’m going to need at least three more of these, and then maybe I can talk to him.”
“Absolutely not. You donotneed to be a drunken mess when you talk to him,” she snorts, grabbing my arm and dragging me away. “I’ll help you rehearse.”
I let out a groan. “Oh, please don’t make me…”
“We’re doing this.” She drags me onto the patio where it’s quieter, the summer air thick with honeysuckle. “Okay,” she says, turning to face me, her expression entirely serious. “Let’s do a dry run. Just tell me what you’re going to say.”
My shoulders slump. “This is so dumb.”
“No, what’s dumb is putting it off. Practice.Now. I’m Wes.” She pretends to slick back her hair, and then wiggle her eyebrows at me.
I roll my eyes, but I know she won’t relent. “Hey, so, my lease is up in a month, and I can’t really afford a new place right now, and I was wondering if, maybe, I could move in with you?”
Riley purses her lips. “No. Way too needy. You sound like you expect him to say no.”
I throw my hands up, spilling part of my glass. “Ugh!Because I do!”
She sighs. “Still. This man loves you. Feed off that, not your dire financial situation.”
