Page 104 of The Wedding Menu

“It changeseverything.”

His fingers wrap around my arm, gently tugging me closer. There’s a stern but loving look on his face, the look of someone who’s not done fighting. Who’s not done trying. But I’m so done. I’m exhausted, defeated, and lost, and the one person I thought was my light through it all is just as stuck in the darkness as I am.

We hug silently for a long time. My chest spasms against his, but as his fingers thread through my hair, I’m slowly soothed. Until his lips brush the side of my head, and his arms lower around my back. Then he kisses my cheek, once, twice, the soft contact sending shivers down my spine.

Before tonight, I never thought I’d consider being with another man but Frank. Not for sex, not for more. But now? Pressed against Ian’s chest?

I pull back lightly, looking into his eyes. His lips are calling to me, and right now that’s as far as I want to plan. I want to kiss him. I want to feel everything he said, everything I know is true.

Tilting my head up, I rest my hands on his chest and rise up onto my toes, then lean forward until his breath mixes with mine.

“What the hell?”

We both flinch, backing away from each other before our lips so much as graze, and turn to Martha. She’s staring at me, wide-eyed, her face red and puffy. “Ma-Martha,” I breathe, my heartbeat spiking as I take a step back. “What are you—”

“Who is this?” she asks, aggressively walking closer as she points her finger at him.

Ian offers her his hand. “Nice to—”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Amelie? Frank leaves for six months and you cheat on him?”

“We—Ian is just a friend who—” I stutter. “Don’t make a scene. Frank knows.” I notice the tissue in her hand. “Wait, what’s going on? Why areyoucrying?”

She looks at Ian, her nostrils flaring, but her chin wobbles. “Trevor’s mom passed away. And of course now Trevor wants to postpone the wedding.”

Ian turns to me, eyes wide.

“Oh my God, M. What happened?”

“Don’t you dare change the topic.” She points at Ian and me. “You’re here with another man, Amelie. You were about to kiss! What the hell has gotten into you?”

Great idea, Amelie, asking Frank to keep this arrangement quiet. Leave it to me to look like the cheater in this damn situation.

Ian moves his hand up. “Martha, I assure you, nothing’s going on. Amelie and I—”

“Oh, you shut up!” she spits out. “What kind of man gets in between an engaged couple? Huh? Have you no respect?”

He smiles my way, unfazed by her screeching accusations. “Wait until she sees the wedding gift I got you. She’ll be crazy about me then.”

“What does he mean?”

“Just—” I groan, throwing Ian a glare. “Give us a second, M.”

“Yeah, I’m not gonna do that.” She crosses her arms, a challenging glare directed at Ian, who smirks down at her.

Grabbing his arm, I pull Ian back through the gate, but Martha follows us, muttering, “Like hell I’m giving you privacy.” I’d like to strangle her, but I ignore her and hurriedly walk Ian to his car.

His eyes lock with mine as he opens the door, and after throwing a look at Martha, he focuses on me again. I know there’s more he’d like to say, but his gaze tells me plenty. There’s a plea, a promise, a future in it. “I’ll call you. We can finish our conversation.”

Martha interjects again. “No, you—”

“Just shut up for a minute!” I shout just as Ian screams, “Will you fuck off?”

I’m pretty sure I’ve never screamed at Martha this way, or so her shocked expression suggests as she takes a step back.

Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention back to Ian, to his beautiful smile, his kind eyes. To the little strands of hair over his forehead, the shapely jaw I felt against my ear a minute ago.

He can’t call me because there’s nothing else to say. Because there’s something fundamentally incompatible between the two of us, and neither is willing to compromise.

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