Page 114 of Holiday Romance
“No way.”
“What?” Andrew asks, confused.
“Noway,” she repeats. “You’re engaged?”
“What?” Colleen shrieks as I almost die of mortification.
“We’re not engaged,” Andrew says quickly, but Hannah’s not listening, already ecstatic.
“Oh my God, you definitely are!”
“No, we’re—”
“Congratulations,” Christian says loudly, smirking when Andrew glares at him. “Brilliant news.”
“Christian—”
“Where’s the ring?”
“There’s no ring. We’re not engage—Mam, stop it. We’re not engaged. Hannah!”
Hannah drops my left hand where she’d been trying to look for a diamond. “Well, you should have said something.”
“You want me to announce every time I’m not engaged to someone?”
“No, but—”
“What did you want to say, Andrew?” It’s Liam who interrupts and thank God he does, because my heart is beating so fast, I’m starting to get dizzy. I calm down when the table falls quiet again and I give Andrew an encouraging nod when he glances at me.
“I just…” He takes a breath, dragging his gaze away from me to look at his family. “I’ve given up drinking,” he says. “I’m sober. Not just for Christmas or for January… but forever, if I can.”
Silence.
Christian is the only one who doesn’t look stunned, as if he already suspected it, and, as a result, he’s the first to speak. “That’s great, Andrew,” he says, unusually serious. “Well done.”
Liam and Mairead quickly chime in with similar words of support, but Colleen just smiles at him, looking confused.
“But you don’t have a drinking problem.”
“I do, Mam,” Andrew says. “Or at least I did.”
“But you’re not—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself, son,” Sean says quietly. “It’s nobody’s business except your own. I’m very proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Andrew murmurs as Hannah leans around me to smile encouragingly at him.
“Your skin is going to lookamazing.”
“What’s wrong with my skin?”
“It’s a bit dull,” she says solemnly, and Andrew rolls his eyes.
Colleen however still seems upset, her gaze flitting around the table as though she doesn’t know where to look, and Andrew’s leg tenses beneath my hand as she stands.
“Well,” she says abruptly, and, before anyone can stop her, grabs two bottles of half-finished wine from the table.
“Hey,” Christian complains as she takes the glass from his hand next.
