Page 132 of Butter My Biscuit

“Ahh,” I say, nodding and leaning my head against the wall. “That’s who you were waiting for.”

“Hush.”

I watch him scan the room and wonder if he’s looking for her too.

“He looks good,” I say.

He’s wearing a sports jacket that fits him perfectly with dark-washed jeans.

He walks over to the open bar.

Then, the door swings open again, and I see him.In his navy suit.

All the air in the room evaporates as I try to figure out how to avoid Harrison all night so I don’t say something stupid. Because when he wears that, I can’t hardly form a coherent sentence. Every single time he’s had it on … I’ve ripped itoffhis body.

“I should go double-check everything,” I tell Remi breathlessly. “Can you give these to Stephanie?” I hand her the bouquet, desperately needing to walk in the opposite direction.

If Harrison scans through the people long enough, he’ll spot me staring. He always finds me in a crowded room. No matter what.

As soon as she sees Harrison, she turns to me and says my name. But I keep moving away, feeling as if my heart is going to pound out of my goddamn chest. I find an empty hallway and stand there, holding my chest, telling myself I can do this.

My phone buzzes in my hand, and I flip it around.

Harrison

Where are you?

When I go back into the room, he’s sliding his lips across Stephanie’s. He’s laughing and smiling, and that’s when I decide to ignore his text. Then, I duck behind the faux walls, where we set up a makeshift area for the waiters and food service. My head is still spinning so I go to the restroom to calm down.

“How’s everything goin’?” Fenix is at the sink, washing her hands. She looks at me in the mirror.

“Great. Everywhere I turn, there are Valentines.” I smile, and it’s genuine.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of us.” She grabs a paper towel. “You did a great job decorating. Bet my brother is happy he has you as his best friend.”

“He’d better be,” I tell her. I can say that I’vealwaysbeen there for Harrison … until the very, very end. The thought makes a lump form in my throat.

I go into the stall, needing her not to see the look on my face.

“Are you okay?” I hear Fenix ask, seeing her feet on the other side of the door.

“Sometimes, I need to escape,” I admit.

“This isn’t right.” I see her weight shift from one leg to the other in her boots. “You should be out there with him. That’s the way it was always supposed to be.”

I turn around and open the stall door, meeting her eyes. “He made his choice. Now,wesupport it.”

“You love him though. And he loves you. And it’s more than that.”

“Fenix,” I beg, knowing I can’t have this conversation right now. Orever.

“No lying or denying. I know the rules of your dumb promises.”

“I gotta go,” I tell her, then walk out of the restroom.

If I run into one more Valentine, I might scream. Two down, eight to go, including him. Then, there are his parents and grandparents.

I look at my phone and notice another text message from Harrison. I open the preview.

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