“Don’t disappear on me,” I hear myself say before she is too far away.
She doesn’t look back.
I lean against the nearest table and watch her laughing too loud when Lily hugs her. It’s breathless, the same way she sounded against my mouth minutes ago.
God, that kiss.
Her lips were softer than I expected, and I’d had expectations, not that I’d ever admit that out loud.
I can still feel the scrape of her nails against my shirt, see the look in her eyes right before I moved closer, like she was about to jump and needed to know I’d catch her.
Dragging her upstairs right now would be easy. Reckless, sure, but worth it.
She’s not there yet. Not quite where I am. Push now and she’ll run.
And I hate that I know that.
Still, every muscle in my body is one bad decision away from doing it anyway.
“You’re looking awfully smug for someone who hates weddings,” says a familiar voice near my shoulder, cutting straight through the fantasy and my rapidly escalating hormones.
Ben.
I straighten. “Just enjoying the view.”
“Mm-hm.” He crosses his arms, giving me that lazy, knowing smirk that says he’s already five steps ahead. “So, I take it you approve of Lily’s partner choice for you this weekend?”
I meet his gaze but don’t answer.
His smirk turns into something closer to a grin. “You seem… invested.”
I let the silence stretch until it’s uncomfortable.
Then, almost tentative, like he’s testing me: “Are you gonna tell her?”
My chest tightens.
I look at him, not angry, not amused, just letting him see every unspoken thing running riot in my head.
Ben’s grin fades into something gentler. He claps me on the shoulder, lingering for a beat, and there’s sympathy in his eyes I don’t want but can’t shake off.
“Best of luck, mate,” he says quietly, before strolling away like he didn’t just lob a grenade and leave me holding the pin.
I watch him go, then find Hayley across the room, laughing with Lily, throwing her head back, like she hasn’t just wrecked my entire night with one kiss.
If I blink, she might disappear.
So, I don’t blink.
Chapter 18
Not My Era
Hayley
Lily is half-slouched against a table, barefoot and flushed, her hair falling loose like it gave up hours ago. When she spots me, her face lights up.
“There she is! Cheese Queen of the Realm!”
