My throat went dry and I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t find words that wouldn’t give away too much, wouldn’t reveal that I stopped pretending weeks ago. That every smile I gave him was real, every touch genuine, every moment together something I treasured.
So instead, I leaned into him slightly, let my head rest against his shoulder, and whispered, “No. It doesn’t.”
His arm tightened around me, and we stayed like that through the rest of the ceremony, wrapped up in each other while the bride and groom promised forever.
PART III
“Because I wanted the first time I touched you like this to be somewhere I could take my time. And I’m going to take all the fucking time, Paige.”
21
TAKE MY TIME
DEREK
I was sure weddings were designed to test a man’s self-control because mine was hanging by a damn thread tonight.
Paige stood beside me, her hand looped through my arm as if we were the picture-perfect couple we had been pretending to be for the sake of my family.
Except nothing about her felt pretend.
Not the warmth of her palm on my skin or the soft scent of vanilla and lavender clinging to her hair. And especially not the way her silky lilac dress hugged her curves and made every man in the room forget their vows.
And definitely not the way my body reacted every time she looked at me.
My pants felt tight for the entire ceremony, and it seemed like my body had forgotten that I was not a teenager anymore.
The reception hall was decorated with golden lights, live violin music, and too many people who had known me when I was the awkward kid who couldn’t say his own name without stuttering.
“He was always getting into trouble,” one aunt said with a laugh. “His stutter never stopped him from talking back to his teachers.”
“He punched a boy in eighth grade for making fun of Paige,” Mom said, appearing beside us with Lily still happily attached to her hip. “Got suspended for a week and I wasn’t even mad.”
Paige looked at me, and I averted her gaze. “You did?”
I shrugged, clearing my throat to avoid embarrassment. “Tommy’s older brother. He called you—” I paused and smiled at her. “Let’s just say he deserved it.”
She blinked as my mom continued talking to the aunt and walked away when Lily seemed mesmerized by the dangling lights.
I was glad she had taken a liking to my mom.
It seemed like a perfect night.
Until my father walked over to us.
“Derek,” he called out, his hand sliding off the waist of his newest wife. She looked at least fifteen years younger than him, dressed in rhinestones and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Didn’t expect you to show up. Thought you’d choke on your words while introducing your… girlfriend?”
I felt Paige stiffen beside me.
My chest tightened with old, familiar humiliation. He never missed a chance, not even tonight.
I clenched my hand, hoping I could be the bigger person and walk away from him, ignoring his harsh words, but they had bothered me ever since I learned how to speak.
Paige stepped forward, surprising me. “Oh, please,” she said, a saccharine smile planted on her face. “If I had a son who grew up to be a brilliant, accomplished attorney, I would brag about him. Not mock him. Especially when I’ve collected more spouses than he has stumbled syllables.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
I blinked at her in awe.
