Page 116 of Only Be Mine

“Everyone’s expecting us,” I said. “Can we… can we talk about this later?”

He studied me for another second, then smiled. The version of him everyone liked.

“Of course,” he said. “You just caught me off guard.”

Relief loosened something in my chest.

He offered his arm and I took it.

Outside, the limo waited - white, polished, and perfect.

Trevor waved to the guests as he held the door open for me, smiling easily, the picture of a groom who had everything exactly as it should be. Once inside, the door shut with a soft, final sound.

The noise disappeared all at once.

Silence filled the space between us, thick and unfamiliar. The car lurched forward, smooth and steady, carrying us away from the church.

Trevor leaned back, loosening his tie just slightly as he exhaled.

“What’s been going on with you, Cate?”

I stared out the tinted window, watching the crowd blur into colorless shapes.

“What do you mean?”

“The rehearsal dinner. The distance. The dress.” He shook his head, not angry, just puzzled. Like he was trying to solve something that didn’t quite make sense. “I just don’t understand.”

I swallowed. The champagne sat untouched between us, bubbles slowly fading.

“I’m sorry,” I said. The words came automatically. “About last night. I didn’t mean for things to get… messy.”

He nodded. “I know.”

He paused, taking a deep breath.

“But I need you to talk to me,” he continued. “I can’t fix things if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Fix things.

The phrase settled somewhere heavy in my chest.

I turned toward him, forcing a smile. “Nothing’s wrong. I just needed… time.”

He studied my face for a moment longer than necessary, as if weighing my answer. Then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead - tender, familiar, unmistakably possessive.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly.

His eyes dipped briefly, evaluative, before he smiled again, reassuring and sure.

“We’ll be fine.”

Chapter 41

Cate

Present

It wasn’t long before the limo turned onto a long, winding driveway and slowed to a stop beneath a wide, white canopy glowing with soft light.