Page 135 of Love Arranged

Apparently Rosa’s blood pressure was through the roof, most likely because of me not telling her about the proposal beforehand. A fact Julian is all too eager to gloat about once Lily and I find him backstage.

“How could you not ask for her permission?” Lily’s eyes grow impossibly large.

“I didn’t know I was expected to.”

She bangs her head against my chest with a groan. “Lorenzo! No wonder she had high blood pressure.”

“Looking back, I could’ve gone about the entire night differently.”

“You think? I could kill you right now!” she whisper-shouts.

“Do you need a murder weapon? I’ve got a few tools in my truck that can do the job,” Julian offers, speaking for the first time since we joined him backstage.

I flip him off without breaking eye contact with Lily. “I didn’t realize her condition was so fragile.”

No wonder she wants to protect her mom from the Ludlows and the NDA they talked her into signing. If mymom struggled with stress that bad, I’d do everything possible to stop an episode too.

Lily frowns. “She’s not fragile, but I think anyone would have heart palpitations if their daughter got engaged out of the blue to a man they hardly know.”

I rub the back of my neck, suddenly self-conscious. “Now I feel like an ass.”

“You should,” Julian replies, still looking a bit green.

“Don’t you have a trash can to go heave into?”

“No, but do you want to lend me your favorite Ferragamos by chance?”

I’m about to reply when Willow gives us the signal.

I squeeze Lily’s hip. “Ready?”

With a nod, she slips her hand into mine, and together we walk toward the parting curtains. Everyone is seated at their assigned tables, obscured in darkness as Lily and I take the center of the stage.

A spotlight follows us to the microphone stand, and I reach for it with my free hand. I’m not the type to get nervous while public speaking, but there is a slight flash of panic at the idea of divulging my past.

I’ve never been the face of the Healing Hearts charity before. Like most of my work outside of running for mayor, I prefer to keep my personal affairs private, and the small team at Healing Hearts knows that. They’re committed to finding families who need support, so long as I keep supplying the funds.

Money can’t bring loved ones back, but it helps with legal fees, medical needs, and mental health services that can add up over time, which is why I’m here tonight.

I hit the crowd with a dazzling smile. “Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight to support Healing Hearts. Lily and I are happy to have you here.”

She dips her head toward the crowd and places a hand over her heart.

I physically force myself to look back at the ballroom full of people when I’d rather stare at her.

“When I started this charity two years ago, I had recently found out that I lost two family members due to a drunk driver.” My hand tightens around the microphone, and I banish the memory before it tanks my mood.

You’re doing this for them.

Lily peers up at me, but I keep facing the crowd. If I acknowledge the sympathy in her gaze, I’ll end up struggling to get through this speech, and it’s hard enough talking about my parents’ deaths as it is.

“Losing a loved one is one of the hardest experiences we can go through. Grief is a journey, and a never-ending one at that, and at Healing Hearts, we try to help families through the process by connecting them with services in their area and providing whatever funding they need. I’m aware that a lot of people don’t have access to the same resources as I did, so I’ve made it my mission to give back to those who are looking to heal.”

Lily places her hand right on top of my tux, right over my heart, which feels like it dropped to my stomach as soon as I started speaking.

“The silent auction will begin in an hour. So please enjoy the food, grab yourself a drink, and feel free to use the private car service we hired for the evening.”

A waiter rushes over to us with a tray, and I pass Lily a champagne glass before grabbing my own. We both hold ours up in the air.