Page 7 of Falling Hard
Demetria grabbed her purse. "We should get out of the way and let you two talk."
"Don’t let me rush you girls. You're free to stay and enjoy some champagne. The more the merrier."
My friends’ eyes widened.
"Oh yeah, Dorothy forgot to get any. We can't celebrate," I lied.
Luke's smile never left his face. "No worries. I figured a busy woman like you would forget to tell Dorothy. So I brought a chilled bottle; she’s opening it now. I know you too well."
I didn't forget. I just wasn't keen on celebrating him getting stolen out from under me.
Alex shook her head. "Maybe next time. You two celebrate your upcoming wedding. I have a man waiting for me."
Mei and Demetria giggled. Alex was the queen of putting men to good use.
"Lucky man," Luke said, then turned to see that the others were also leaving. "Guess there will be more for us."
Silently, I nodded and thought about how I'd get through tonight. Dorothy entered with the open bottle of champagne and glasses. Luke wasted no time lifting both from the tray. When he handed one to me, something electric passed between us. Startled, I looked up and caught him watching me. The bubbles in my glass weren’t nearly as dizzying as the nervous heat rising in my stomach.
"So, go ahead, let me have it."
I took a seat. "What do you mean?"
Luke stared at me. "Come on, I should've told you about proposing before I did, but–"
"Why didn’t you?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "She's not one of your favorite people. I just ... wanted to follow my heart for once."
"Your heart's leading you to Serene."
The corners of Luke's mouth turned upwards. "See, you've never even said her name correctly; it’s Solenne."
"Blame her parents for giving her a stupid name. What does that have to do with you not telling me, and what drugs are you taking that make you think there's anything special about her?"
I forced a neutral smile, though it was slipping around the edges. If any part of Luke's heart beat for that woman, it should be examined by a doctor.
"So, you aren’t happy for me?"
"I didn’t say that. You're my best friend. I have to make sure you're not making a mistake."
Luke took a sip. "Liv, we’re getting old, we can’t run around having fun forever. I'm ready. I know you aren't. You may never want marriage. Which is okay; we just want different things."
The words stung, even though that was likely not what he intended. It was as if Luke was filing us into separate boxes.
"Admit it, Liv, you hate everything about weddings. I'm surprised you haven't single-handedly cancelled Fox & Cie's wedding collection."
Desperately, I ignored how well he knew me and forced a smile. "What's so special about her? Is she that good in bed?"
Luke frowned, but I didn’t care. This was crazy.
"You've probably had underwear and toothbrushes in your life longer than that woman, and those you should throw away after six months; why's she staying?"
He chuckled. "Only you could compare my fiancée to dental hygiene."
"Luke, I'm serious. What would possess you ..."
"Love," he answered, his eyes shining, carrying a smile too wide to contain.
