Page 86 of Marry Me

“Did sheknowyou were crazy about her?”

Megan squinted. Her eyes still felt scratchy from the crying sessions that seemed to hit out of nowhere and did not at all go with the Megan Kinkaid brand. She’d resorted to wearing sunglasses any chance she could safely get away with it, opting for fashionably chic rather than emotionally crumpled. “Yeah, she knew.”

Kelsey nodded, moving her chef’s salad around with her fork. “Because you told her?”

“Because Ishowedher. She saw the effect she had on me. She had to. I lit up every time she walked in a room.”

“Words are different. You’re clearly in love. I know that because I have the past-you to compare to. Allison is new at decoding Megan.”

Megan sagged in her chair. She’d avoided the word for as long as she could because the concept meant she had so very much to lose. But hell. She’d lost everything now—what did pretense matter? “I am in love with her. And no, I didn’t say it. There was never the right moment to go there.”

“You were scared out of your mind.”

“Fine. I was scared.”

“My only point here is that maybe Allison would have done well with that information when she was navigating what had to be a slippery slope, balancing her newfound sexuality, her intense feelings for you, and her ex desperately needing her and probably laying it on pretty thick.”

The way Kelsey put it did make Allison’s plight sound especially dicey. “Which is why I chose not to complicate things further with declarations of love.”

“It’s interesting you used the wordcomplicate.” She delicately took a bite, somehow managing to hold on to her perfect lip gloss. “I would have gone withsimplify.”

Megan balked. “In what world would me declaring myself make it easier for Allison?”

Kelsey laughed. “It’s like you’ve never watched a romantic movie in your life. Love topples all. If you’d armed Allison with the knowledge that you loved her, maybe it would have seen her through this mess, helped her along. You sent her into a crisis with your relationship on less than sturdy legs.”

“No,” Megan said automatically. “Ally is where she wants to be, even if she can’t see that.”

“I know I always love it when people make decisions for me. So do you. We all adore it, really.”

Megan frowned because she damn near hated it, and Kelsey knew that. “Okay, that’s a semi-valid point, but it doesn’t change the circumstances.”

Kelsey set her salad to the side and picked up her sparkling water. “But you could have. Still can. If you can somehow find your swagger again.”

“No. That ship has sailed.” Megan stared out the window at the large number of people in business attire coming and going like the world was a normal place. Surreal, yet a reminder that her own pain was just that, hers to get over. She wondered about Allison’s day. It was weird not speaking to her for days. How was she? Did she understand why they hadn’t worked out? Was she back in Brent’s arms? Had she rebounded? Questions she’d likely never have answers to. She faced Kelsey. “And I will find my swagger.”

If only she actually believed that.

Chapter Nineteen

Could you hand me the Pledge?” her mother asked, pointing to the yellow bottle of cleaning solution. “I want to give the living room another once-over before the showing.”

“Only because you seem to really want this,” Ally said, passing her the bottle and the rag sitting next to it. “I, for one, would still like to find a way for you to keep the house.”

Her mother smiled. “I’ve made peace with it. Still lots of life for us to live out there, and a smaller place will probably do us good. A new adventure.”

Allison didn’t buy it for a second, and her heart sagged, heavy.

As her mother dusted with Allison pitching in on a nearby end table, she passed her a sympathetic look. “You feeling any better about the whole Megan situation? I hate seeing you so dejected.”

She wasn’t, but it had been nearly two months since Megan had handed her walking papers, and even though she still felt like a shell of herself, it was time she stopped dragging the rest of the world down with her. “No, I’m good. Feeling much more like myself these days. Just took a little time.” A lie. But the good kind. Her mother had too much on her plate to overcrowd it with worrying about her. Ally’d much rather that she focus on her father and their home and business. Ally would take care of herself.

Her mom straightened. “Well, that’s the best news I’ve had all week. Should we sneak some wine?”

Allison looked around the empty living room. “Is there someone who will have an issue with it?”

“No, but lately I’ve taken a great deal of comfort in pretending I’m getting away with something.”

“Well, by all means. Let’s ninja our way to the kitchen and break into the wine cabinet before they see us.”

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