Page 80 of The Wedding Engagement

Chapter

Twenty-One

Arran narrowed his eyes ashe concentrated on the canvas. “Mountains or beach?”

“That’s an easy one,” Liv replied. “Mountains.”

He smiled. “Same. Your turn.”

Liv thought for a moment. “Okay…when you’re out at a restaurant, is it starter or dessert?”

He slowly lifted his gaze from the canvas in mock disapproval. “That’s not anorsituation. I’d want both.”

She grinned, pointing her finger at him. “Correct. It was a trick question, and you passed. Your turn.”

Smiling, he went back to the painting. “Scones or cake?”

She huffed out a breath in mock exasperation. “That, Mr. Adebayo, is a silly question.”

He met her eyes. “But what about those wee cakes we had at our afternoon tea? Surely some of those rivaled the scones.”

She pursed her lips. “Nothing can rival scones.” Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling a message, but she ignored it. “Scones rule.” Her phone buzzed again twice in succession.I’m popular today.

“Fair enough,” he replied.

“What about…Han Solo or Luke Skywalker?” Her phone buzzed yet again, and this time her curiosity won out and she reached into her pocket to retrieve it.

“Luke,” Arran replied, continuing to paint. “The Force is strong with that one. Plus the poor guy had major daddy issues.”

Smiling, Liv unlocked her phone. But the expression froze on her face as she registered the sender of the messages.

“What’s up?” Arran asked, looking at her with a frown.

She ran her eye down the stream of texts, her blood freezing in her veins and the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. For a moment she couldn’t speak.

He put his brush down and came to sit next to her, wiping his hands on a cloth as he went. “It’s not him, is it?”

She nodded, her mouth dry. It was impossible to read the messages out loud, because just glancing through them made her feel sick. So she showed him the screen. He closed his warm hand around hers, and they held the phone together as they read through.

I’m sick of your disrespectful attitude.

It disgusts me. Ignoring my needs constantly. It’s so selfish.

When I message you I expect a prompt reply. You can’t be that busy with work.

You’re only a glorified baby sitter after all. Not much brain power needed for that.

I want to know the date for your brother’s wedding and I expect an answer from you. Today.

Arran slid his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close and kissing the top of her head. She closed her eyes to counteract the burning sensation within them, her hand with the phone flopping into Arran’s lap, where his hand closed over hers.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

She turned her face into his chest, trying to swallow the painful lump in her throat. “I should’ve blocked him.”

He lifted his other arm to circle her, pulling her right into him and holding her tightly. “Shall we block him now?”

She attempted to summon the power of logic. “Yeah. Could you do it for me, please? I don’t want to look at it again.”

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