I get the distinct feeling that someone is watching me. Not all these people. Not Denver. Someone whom I actually care about. I tear my eyes from the woman who’s ready to swoop in and takemy place, scanning the endless sea of people and looking for one person.
My eyes land on a familiar, grumpy bearded man. In one hand, he has a giant drink for me and in the other he has one of those filthy cages stuffed full of budgies.
He rescued some of them.
For me.
And I’m on the wrong side of the stage with the wrong man.
I burst into tears.
“I think that’s a yes!” someone shouts.
It’s most definitely not a yes.
A second later, Elias is gone.
Chapter 22
Elias
What the Helsinki?
Was that the boyfriend? The one she broke up with? Why is he here?
Worse, why was he proposing to her while she was on a date with me?
The Styrofoam cup of sweet tea gets crushed in my fist as I scramble away from the scene. I can’t look at her with him on his knee in front of her. It’s too much. I knew she’d go back. I flunking knew it.
I drop the ruined cup and fling the tea off my hand. At least now I can use both hands to hold onto the cage filled with budgies. They flutter and holler. I’m probably a villain in their eyes. Little do they know, they’re about to get the royal treatment when we get back home.
I’m rescuing them.
And you’re running away from her.
But she was crying. Someone said she’d said yes. Those were happy tears. I watched too many old romance movies with Goldie to know the grand gesture gets the girl in the end.
I’m such an idiot.
My chest hurts. I know I eat my fair share of fried foods, but I seriously hope I’m not about to keel over with a heart attack. This sucks.
I nearly trip over a little girl chasing a budgie with clipped wings trying to snatch it up before it gets stepped on. She manages to snag him before a burly guy crushes it underfoot.
I hate this.
I hate how all these people behave like monsters when it comes to these innocent little birds.
We have to do better.
My mom sees me and frowns at the look of distress on my face. Everyone heard Denver proposing to Nora. Everyone I care about also knows I like Nora. A lot.
This is embarrassing as fudge.
“I’m leaving,” I growl out as I pass her by. “Tell Dad I’m sorry. I can’t.”
The urge to escape and hide is so overwhelming, I can hardly see straight. It’s what I did when Goldie died. I hid in my house and wallowed in my pain alone.
When I reach my truck, I place the cage in the passenger seat and then fire up the engine. Earlier, I hadn’t been in a hurry, but now I’m crawling out of my skin to escape this place. Luckily, most of the traffic is incoming, not outgoing. Once I get out of the parking lot, it’s smooth sailing home.
