Page 115 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding

A place to get her thoughts and emotions in check.

Then she would need to go back to the party and fake it for another couple of hours.

She found herself in a square of hedges with a giant weeping willow in the center. She was about to sit down, when she heard the crunch of twigs and leaves, telling her she wasn’t alone.

A part of her hoped it was some animal, not a vampire or human looking for her.

“There you are,” Victor said, making her turn around to find him making his way toward her. “I was worried when Lucy came back without you.”

She really needed not to think too deeply into that.

“I just needed some air.”

Victor moved closer, his head tipped to the side as he searched her face. “What’s wrong, Pandy?”

“Nothing. I’m fine. Just needed some space.”

“From the party?” He moved closer. “Or from me?”

“It’s not that.”

“It feels like that,” he said. “It feels like you’ve been pulling further and further away from me for a week or two now.”

“No, I’ve just been—”

“I know you’ve been busy, but it’s been different. Since the flat,” he said, making her insides wobble. “It seems like you’ve been going out of your way not to be with me.”

What could she say to that? It was true. She’d been mostly keeping in touch by text. Even when he’d arrived this afternoon, she’d let Lucy greet him while she pretended to need extra time to get herself ready for the little gathering for the bridal party.

“Pandy, if you’ve changed your mind …”

“I haven’t,” Pandora was quick to assure him. Because she was sure that the only thing more painful than being near him but not being able to have him the way she wanted, was not being around him at all.

“I know some of your family still hasn’t come around,” he said.

That was still somewhat true. Sure, her aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, and father had all come around now that the big day was nearly here.

As for Ophelia, well, Pandora had seen some change after her mum realized that she was never going to be with Elias, that she was committed to her fiancé.

And, quite frankly, she didn’t really care what Bellatrixand Ambrosia had to say about it, since they’d both done some shady things to try to thwart her relationship.

“It’s not that,” Pandora said.

“Then what is it?” Victor asked, stepping closer, coming under the tree with her. “Why are you keeping me at a distance?”

“I …” She trailed off, not sure what to say, if she had another lie in her.

“Pandy,” Victor said, reaching out, his fingers gently taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger to lift her face to his. “Talk to me.” His thumb shifted up, starting to trace lightly underneath her lower lip.

The touch scrambled her brain, made it impossible to filter her thoughts. So what came out was the question that had been eating away at her for weeks.

“Was any of it ever real for you?”

“Any of what?” he asked, brows scrunching.

“Never mind,” she said, trying to duck her head, but his fingers tightened on her chin.

“Any of this?” he asked.