Page 55 of Marry Lies
“So, how long have you guys been dating?” I ask, suddenly feeling like I’m intruding on a private date. Their chemistry is palpable.
“Three months and a few weeks,” Chase answers, his lips twitching up into a smile. “And…” he looks at Juliet. “We’re not dating anymore.”
“What?” I start, confused.
“We’re married,” Juliet answers, cheeks flushing. My eyes immediately go down to Juliet’s ring finger, where I see a gold signet ring with an engravedRset with tiny diamonds.
“That’s so exciting! When?”
“The same day you and Miles got married,” Chase says, grimacing. “I hope you don’t mind sharing an anniversary with us.”
I bark a laugh. “I hardly think Miles and I will be celebrating anniversaries,” I tell them.
Juliet tilts her head. “Are you sure about that?”
I take a long, long sip of my beer to avoid her question. I’m grateful when the server comes to our table to take our food order. His British accent catches me off guard, and we all agree on the bottomless basket of chicken wings.
“A fellow Brit,” I tell him after Juliet is done ordering.
He’s young—mid-twenties, probably, with shaggy blond hair. Attractive. He gives me a genuine smile before answering.
“Where are you from?” he asks, his northern accent prominent.
“London.”
He nods. “I can see that,” he says, unabashedly letting his eyes wander down my body. I realize that because my hands are clasped in my lap, he can’t see my wedding ring. “I’m from Yorkshire. What brings you to California?”
I’m too surprised to hear a familiar accent to think straight, which is why I say, “Oh, lots of reasons.”
He smiles wider. “Same here. It’s so different from England.”
“In so many ways,” I agree.
He smiles down at me. “Listen, I’m off at nine if you’d like to grab a drink.”
“I can’t. But thank you for offering,” I answer, giving him a gentle smile.
He looks disappointed, but he soon recovers. “No problem.”
After he takes our orders, Juliet starts to laugh. “If Miles had been here…” she trails off. Chase watches me with something bordering on amusement and maybe a bit of surprise.
Can they blame me? It’s the first timeanyonehas looked right at me since I married his brother.
I don’t say anything, because truthfully, I’m not sure what Miles would have done seeing someone hit on me. I haven’t seen one iota of jealousy from him, or even a sliver of interest in me.
Chase, Juliet, and I slide into a comfortable conversation after that. One large sharing basket of chicken wings and two beers later, I’m feeling much better about my situation. The more I drink, the less my eyes flick to the front door every time someone comes through. Chase and Juliet are doing their best to keep me distracted. I know their choice of establishment tonight was for me, too. I appreciate it. Between Liam, Luna, Juliet, and Chase, I’m starting to feel close to all of the important people in Miles’s life.
Everyone except him.
When I finish my second beer, I get up to use the bathroom. As I make my way down the darkened hallway, I run smack into the server. He ducks his head to let me pass.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there,” he says when I’m a few feet away.
I turn to face him, ignoring my nearly-bursting bladder. “No, you didn’t,” I tell him. “The truth is, you seem really nice. But I’m married,” I tell him, holding up my left hand.
Even as it leaves my mouth, it feels fake. The words taste like ash on my tongue. Because what Miles and I have is not a marriage.
It’s hardly a friendship most days.
