Page 66 of Along Came Amor
So she stood there, pretending everything was okay. Pretending she was happy to be fixing chocolate fountains and painting patio chairs and watching other people’s children. Pretending to be Old Ava.
For how long?a tiny voice whispered in the back of her brain.
Shut the hell up, she told it viciously.
When she heard Jasmine say her name, Ava stepped forward,smiling and waving. Luckily, she didn’t have to say anything. She fixed her gaze into middle distance until all the people in front of her were a big, shapeless blur.
Beside her, Michelle and Jillian also waved when their names were called. Then Ashton took the mic to introduce his groomsmen.
Ava let her mind drift again, but then Ashton said something that pulled her out of her reverie.
“—my best man, Roman Vázquez!”
Ava’s Resting Pleasant Face cracked as she craned her neck to peer around her cousins.
No, this couldn’t be happening, he couldn’t be the same—
Holy shit.
She watched in horror as Roman—herRoman—jogged up to the stage. He held a phone to his ear and muttered something quickly before sliding it into his pocket. He gave Ashton a quick hug then turned to wave to everyone, flashing that endearing smile she knew so well.
Ashton continued speaking into the mic, but Ava didn’t hear any of it. The music began again, and she guessed that meant the introduction of the wedding party was over, but there was a rushing in her ears, and inside, her carefully constructed image of Roman was falling apart.
Roman, her perfect fling, a man who couldn’t possibly have any connection to anyone in her family...
Was Ashton’s best fucking friend.
Not only that, Roman was in the wedding party! As the best man! Andshewas the maid of honor, which meant...
She was going to have to walk down the fucking aisle next to him.
This was it. They were over. Because it anyone found out she and Roman had something going on, she would once again be left to deal with her family’s criticism when it ended.
God. She could hear it now.Ay bendito. Ava can’t keep a man, even when it’s only about sex.
Not that any of her relatives would use the word “sex.” They’d come up with some kind of inventive euphemism instead. She’d once heard Titi Nita refer to it as “playing hide the plátano.”
While Ava was quietly dying inside, Roman turned and spotted her. She knew because of the way his face lit up like a kid at Christmas seeing a pile of toys under the tree. She tried not to let that soften her heart and instead steeled herself for their interaction. He immediately started toward her, but then she saw confusion pass over his features—probably wondering why the hell she was here. Before he could say anything, Ava leaped forward with her hand outstretched.
“Hi there,” she said, smiling broadly. “I’m Ava, Jasmine’s cousin. Nice to meet you.”
Chapter 21
Roman shook Ava’s hand, bafflement swirling with elation as her words sank in.I’m Ava, Jasmine’s cousin. Well, that certainly explained why she was here, but he still had a million other questions.
“Nice to meet you too,” he mumbled. But before he could do anything else—like pull her in for a searing kiss or ask why she was pretending not to know him—a shorter woman with long dark hair stuck her hand at him as well.
“Michelle,” the newcomer said. “Also Jasmine’s cousin. And that over there is Jillian, Jasmine’s sister.”
As Roman looked between Ava and Michelle, something dawned on him. Ashton had often talked about “Jasmine’s cousin” without mentioning a name. But now he had the sneaking suspicion that every time Ashton had said “su prima,” he was talking abouttwo different people.
Ava wore a slightly panicked expression as she turned away to greet Ashton’s father, and Roman stuffed his hands in his pockets, puzzling it out. Ava clearly didn’t want anyone to find out they knew each other, but why should it matter? Did it have something to do with her family? He began to mentally file through everything she’d ever said about them.
Ashton clapped him on the back, making Roman jolt to awareness.
“You just made it,” Ashton said with a grin. “I thought I was going to have to drag you onto the stage.”
“Yeah, sorry, I...” Roman trailed off, watching Ava lean down to give Yadiel a big hug.
