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“I wasn’t fucking devastated,” he hisses behind me, as his fingers dig into my waist. His grip is almost painful now. I coverhis hands with mine, trying to ground him, to remind him I’m here.
“But then,” Gordon’s voice brightens, “Amelia came into his life. And I saw a change in my son that I never thought I’d see again. So, thank you for making my son’s eyes light up again, Amelia,” Gordon raises his glass, and the room follows suit. “To Westley and Amelia.” He takes a sip of his champagne and says, “And we want to offer you our home on July the twenty-fourth for your wedding.”
I gasp.
“Bastard!” West hisses behind me.
“What do you say, Amelia…West?”
As applause fills the room, West spins me around to face him. His eyes are intense, filled with an emotion I can’t quite place. He cups my face in his hands and kisses me hard, right there in front of everyone.
Then, without warning, he drops his hands, shoving them into his pants pockets. “I need some air.” And he strides away, leaving me wondering what the kiss was about.
Make believe?
And since when did we agree to get married?
With West missing for twenty minutes now, I expect he’ll be throwing up somewhere.
Or telling his father there is no way he is pushing a wedding date on us.
I hope so because being a fiancée is one thing, but being his wife is on another level.
“Oh, Amelia, it’s going to be absolutely magical!” Arabella, West’s sister, gushes. Her platinum curls bouncing as we twirlacross the dance floor. “The Hamptons’ house is the perfect venue. Have you seen it yet?”
I shake my head, trying to keep up with both her words and her steps.
“It’s breathtaking,” she continues without missing a beat. “Right on the beach, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the Atlantic. The sunrises are to die for. It’s not as glamorous as living in Manhattan, but you’ll love it.”
As we spin, I catch a glimpse of West across the room, deep in conversation with his father. His jaw clenches, his posture rigid. I wish I could read his mind or his lips.
“The house has this massive wraparound deck,” Arabella’s voice pulls me back. “Perfect for the ceremony. You’ll be saying your vows with the ocean as your backdrop. Can you imagine anything more romantic?”
I force a smile, my mind reeling. This is moving too fast, spinning out of control like this dance.
“And the gardens!” Arabella exclaims. “Mom’s pride and joy. They’ll be in full bloom in July. Roses, hydrangeas, lavender... It’ll smell divine.”
Her enthusiasm is infectious, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she chatters non-stop about the wedding. She twirls me again, and I stumble, feeling dizzy from more than just the dancing.
“Oh!” Arabella suddenly stops, gripping my arms. Her eyes are wide with excitement. “I almost forgot! Will you let me be one of your bridesmaids? Please? I’ve always wanted a sister, and now I’ll finally have one! And Mom told me you’re an only child, so we’ll have each other. And as Dom will be West’s best man. It’ll be perfect.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. How do I respond to that when this wedding won’t happen? West will have to put a stop to it.
I try to catch my breath as Arabella’s excitement washes over me. But before I can formulate a response to her bridesmaid request, she’s already tugging on my arm.
“Come on, you have to talk to Mom! She’s been dying to discuss wedding details with you.”
They’ve talked about this before today.
I stumble along behind her, my head spinning. “Arabella, wait—”
But she’s already pulling me through the crowd, weaving between guests. We come to a stop in front of Catherine, but she’s engaged in conversation with other women.
“Mom!” Arabella chirps. “Look who I found!”
Catherine turns, her eyes lighting up as she sees me. “Amelia, darling! We were just talking about you.”
I force a smile, feeling overwhelmed. “Mrs. Davenport, I—”