Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“It’s not a joke,” I said, wishing like hell I could also say, Of course it’s real.
“I just don’t understand, Way. I’ve been waiting for you to come talk to me. To confess the truth. How long are you going to keep this up?”
I pulled my hand out from under hers and crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Eden, I’m going to keep this up as long as the man will have me.” And that was the god’s honest truth.
She huffed out a laugh. “Be honest. There has to be an explanation. You don’t go from proposing to me Saturday morning to marrying him Saturday night. Something happened. Did he put you up to this?”
Her voice had gotten louder as she’d spoken, but I didn’t realize it until I noticed the people around us staring. Aunt Blake stepped over from a nearby table. “Eden, let it go. Those two boys are in love. I know what love looks like, and Silas Concannon is one hundred percent in love with my nephew. If you’ve seen them together, you can’t help but realize it.”
I tried to beg her with my expression to stop, to end this humiliating show in front of half the town, even though it was kind of her to step up. I hated knowing Aunt Blake was defending me today but might possibly learn the truth in a matter of days. I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t want her to regret going to bat for me.
“It’s nobody’s business,” I said, feeling the sweat trickle down my back. “I’m sorry if you are upset by it, but my relationship, my m-marriage, is between me and Silas.”
Eden tried reaching for my hand again, but I refused to uncross my arms. “Babe, I’m concerned about you because I care. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
For the first time in weeks, I remembered when Silas had first met Eden at Three Daughters. Silas had told me that day that Eden might still say yes to marrying me… if I wanted her to. Fool that I was, I’d actually told the man that I didn’t know if I was in love with her or not.
Even then, I’d known the truth, though I hadn’t been ready to admit it to myself. What I’d felt for Eden was a decade of friendship and familiarity, weighed down by the town’s expectations. I’d expected we’d end up together, so when she’d taken that option off the table back in Vegas, I’d been disappointed. Maybe even a little bit… lost.
I saw those same feelings mirrored on her face now.
But that quick sting of disappointment was nothing compared to the blind panic that gripped me when I thought of Silas turning me down and walking out of my life, possibly for good.
So while I sympathized with Eden a little bit…
“Not sure accusing Way of a sham marriage in front of the whole town is the proper way to show someone you care.” My aunt made a huffing noise.
At least Eden had the decency to look regretful. “I’m sorry, Way. I didn’t mean—”
I shoved my chair back and dropped some cash on the table to go with Foster’s. “I gotta go.”
Leaving without making sure everyone was okay was hard as hell, but I did it anyway. I needed to meet with the AdventureSmash team and check on a few details at Lake Sports, but then I needed to talk to Silas. And I didn’t just want to talk to him to tell him about my feelings. I wanted to… make it special. Make sure he knew that despite the exhibition, despite everything that needed to be done over the next few days, he was my top priority.
I wanted to tell him I appreciated him, that I was grateful to know him and incredibly lucky to have had his help. But more than that, I needed him to know I was in love with him and wanted to find out if there was any chance at a real future between the two of us.
The walk back to the office took forever since the sidewalks were full of people, locals and tourists alike. Thankfully, Bernice had the day well organized, and we jumped right into it, approving last-minute permits, payments, and other requests before the ten o’clock meeting.
The meeting ran better than I expected. The AdventureSmash team was thrilled with our resourcefulness and commitment to the event’s success.
“This is looking really good, man,” Robbie said with a grin. His teeth were bright white against his suntanned skin. “I was out at Three Daughters and saw a shit ton of climbing routes I’d love to explore for future races, and our socials have been insane with requests in the area. Trail runs, too. You’ve got a gem here. If only you had an airport with commercial flights, you’d be overrun half the year.”