“I don’t think you did it on purpose,” I said, confused about why he thought Imightthink that. “It’s fine. I’ll… I could just…”
I looked between Seth, Harvey, and the warm glow of the beer garden, all twinkling lights and outdoor heaters and people laughing.
“Hey,” Harvey said, leaning in to murmur in my ear, soft enough that Seth would’ve had to strain to hear. “You’re still here as my date. That’s what Liam’s gonna see.”
“Yeah?” I asked, unsure of what to do. I didn’t want to ruin Harvey’s night—or Seth’s, for that matter, by making him feel bad for putting me in an awkward position.
But I couldn’t admit to the lie just yet. Not when it was the first break I’d had from feeling raw and exposed every time I’d been in public since Liam left me.
Being fake-engaged to Harvey was like wearing a suit of armour. I felt safe and comfortable for the first time in a long time. I didn’t want to give that up.
“Yeah,” Harvey promised, so close to my ear I could feel his breath tickling the hairs at the back of my neck. “So unless you’re already disowning me…”
“I’m not,” I said, before Harvey could change his mind.
“Good,” Harvey straightened up. “We’ve only been engaged two days, it’d be embarrassing if you broke it off so soon.”
Seth looked so relieved it would’ve been worth it even if Ididn’twant to keep pretending.
“Okay,” I said, bracing myself. “I was promised there’d be food.”
Seth laughed, waving us toward the warmth, light, and happy murmur of people in the beer garden.
“Come enjoy yourselves! I have to mingle, but I’ll check in on both of you later to make sure you’re having fun.”
The brush of Harvey’s fingers against mine made me jump.
“Remember what you said to me the first time you took my hand?” he asked, voice still low and intimate and doing all kinds of things to the pit of my stomach.
I laughed at the memory as it sprang into my mind like it’d just happened last week.
“C’mon,” I said, going all the way back to being seven years old and finding a boy my own age in the yard next door like a gift that’d been left out for me by some kind of summertime fairy. “You have to see this frog.”
“Still remember that frog,” Harvey said. “Still pretty sure it was a toad.”
“Frog,” I argued.
“Then how do you explain the warts?” Harvey asked, leading me toward the other guests with his fingers wrapped around mine.
“It was a leopard frog, those were spots,” I said. “Jeez, Harvey. I didn’t make you watchnearlyenough nature documentaries.”
Harvey chuckled. “Maybe you’re right,” he said, turning and looking at me with soft eyes.
“Iggy!” A familiar interrupted before he could say anything else. “This the lucky guy?”
Wes. Of course he’d be part of Seth’s wedding party—he was his best friend.
And ofcoursehe knew about me and Harvey. The whole town probably did by now.
“This is the lucky guy,” Harvey said without missing a beat, breaking into a warm smile and barely glancing at Wes as he said it, too focused on me.
Who knew Harvey was such a good actor?
“Harvey,” he added, holding his hand out to Wes.
“Wes. We’ve heard all about you from Seth. You’re not nearly as tall as he makes out you are.”
“Right?” Harvey said, eyes lighting up with laughter as he slipped his arm around my waist. “I’ve been telling him that since we were fifteen.”
