Page 32 of Marry Me

Kelsey nodded. “If she wants things to work out with Brent, it was probably wise.”

Megan turned the glass in her hand. “I tell myself that, too. This is for the best, but a big part of me wishes things were different.”

“How serious is this?” Kelsey took a moment. “Are you in love with her?”

“No. I don’t know her well enough to say that, but I have a feeling if we’d been given that shot, I could have been.”

“Still hurts like a bitch. As someone who’s been in that kind of triangle, I can attest to how much it utterly sucks to be the one to bow out.”

“But it’s the right thing to do, so I will. Just has me here, you know?” She touched her heart and fought against the threatening tears. She was not a crier and didn’t plan to start now. Hell, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried. “Your alcohol is making me mist up.”

“Yep. That’s totally the bourbon. Not your own damn broken heart.”

Megan raised her glass and they cheered.

“Now what?” Kelsey asked.

Megan stared at her. “I don’t know. I guess I lose myself in other people falling in love from the time I get up until I go to bed. Attend their weddings, give them the most glorious days of their lives, send them off into the sunset, and try not to think about my own very empty path.”

Kelsey nodded dryly. “Good plan.”

Chapter Seven

And apparently the store on Windsor is killing it, out of nowhere,” Brent said, completely on a high from work. “Smashing goals and records. We implemented one of those BeLeaf In Yourself loyalty programs, and people are going nuts for it. My idea, so I was nervous.”

“That’s awesome. I know you were worried about that store.” Allison was listening, but finding it hard to engage. They sat at his kitchen table, which was now littered with the remains of their Mexican takeout.We never cook, she thought distantly.

“The fucking management couldn’t get it together. Glad to see them on the upswing. Stronger displays, too. They’re stepping up, and it makes me want to expand the loyalty program to my other stores. Just gotta convince my father.”

Megan nodded along as Brent described everything that was happening at BeLeaf these days in specific detail, all the while knowing in her heart she had something bigger to talk about and waiting for her moment. She’d considered shelving the details of her and Megan kissing a few days back and moving forward with life. It didn’t work. That’s not who she was. She knew she had to come clean with Brent and make sure he had all the information, or it would sit on her chest like a rock. She’d never been a dishonest person and didn’t intend to start now.

“The thing about the Laurel Crest store, though, is they don’t have a human presence. You walk through the doors, and no one greets you. There’s very little warmth. A real culture problem we can’t seem to get in front of because of turnover in the store. They’re cursed.”

“I kissed Megan Kinkaid.” Okay, that wasn’t how she’d plannedto break the news to him, but there was only so much grocery talk she could sit through before the information came bursting forth from her conscience.

“What do you mean? In greeting? Like the store? Is that why you said that?” He stared at her with his brow dropped.

“No.” She took a moment. “I don’t know how to explain it other than to say I’m attracted to her, whether I want to be or not, and when I told her she shouldn’t plan our wedding anymore, I also kissed her. She kissed me back. I’m so sorry.”

He looked off at the wall and then back to Allison. “This is so random. So out of the blue. I don’t even know where to go with this.” He stared at the kitchen table and then back at her. “You’re intowomennow? Since when?” There was no anger or accusation in his voice, only the piecing together of a shocking puzzle.

“Yes, but until now I didn’t know I was. This is all very new. We’ve spent some time together, and I slowly started to realize there were these feelings I couldn’t explain, but they were there, and as I said good-bye to her, I had a moment of utter weakness and acted on them.”

“Huh.” He sat back in his chair.

“Brent, I’m sorry. I don’t know if anything like this has ever happened to you, but if it has, maybe you could try to understand. I hope it doesn’t change anything, but I also think it’s something we need to talk about.”

“I made out with my assistant last year.”

“Wow. Okay.” She paused. “We were together last year.”

“I know. And I should have told you about it, but I thought it would just hurt you, and I had no interest in the woman. I see now that I should have said something.”

On one hand it felt like a slap across the face, but on the other, she was relieved. She wasn’t alone. “So you have been there. Developed feelings for someone.”

He blew out a breath. “We were at a gathering one night. There was booze. It happened. I wouldn’t say I had feelings for her. That’s only been you.”

“I see.” Her mind scrambled to understand and figure out how she should feel, but all she could focus on was where all of this left them.

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