Looking everywhere but at him feels silly now, so I suck it up and meet his eyes, a little relieved when he’s not still looking at me the same way Titus looked at Mariah. I give him a small smile. “That was fast.”
“That’s what she said.” He tips his head toward the open doorway. “She being Maren.”
I laugh. “What is it with the two of them?” I find myself moving toward Tobias without really meaning to. “Did they have a thing and it ended badly?”
“Pretty sure Trevor hasn’t had any ‘things’ in a while.” Tobias reaches out, snagging my hand as soon as I’m close enough to touch, pulling me close. “We think that’s why he’s so pissy all the time.”
“Hmm.” I look up at him, lifting a brow. “Is that your way of telling me if I hear stories about what an asshole you used to be, there’s a reason for it?”
“I always looked like a delight compared to Trevor, so I don’t think you have to worry about defending my honor.”
“I would, you know.” Music carries in from the main partof the house where everyone has moved to, and I find myself swaying along with it. “Defend your honor.”
“Aren’t you a prince charming?” Tobias links his fingers with mine, tucking our joined hands close to his chest as he moves with me, dancing to a song no one else likely notices.
“I do what I can, princess.” I feel weirdly light. Like a weight has been lifted.
Definitely not the way I imagined today going.
Not the part where I smiled walking into the room. Or looking down the aisle to see the face of the man who makes my heart skip a beat. I certainly didn’t expect to be standing with that same man on the altar, dancing to a string version of “The Night We Met”.
I thought I never wanted to experience another wedding. That I would never even consider moving down that path myself.
But I think if maybe the man waiting for me looks at me the way Tobias does, I would have a tough time saying no.
“Are you guys coming?” Maren comes to a stop in the doorway, propping both hands on her hips. “Mariah wants cake, and she’s not cutting it until everybody’s there.”
I turn to my friend. “Cake first?”
“Do you want to be the one to argue with a pregnant lady?” She shakes her head. “Because I sure as heck won’t.”
She’s got a point. And cake does sound really good.
“You can come back in here and make out later.” Maren waves us on. “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Tobias shoots me a grin as we follow her out of the room. “I think she missed her calling as the head of crowd control.”
“I think she missed her calling as a celebrity gossip journalist.”
Tobias and I tuck into a spot at the edge of the kitchenwhere the food and cake are set up. I catch sight of my friend through the small crowd. “Does it look like Maren is plotting something?”
Tobias looks from the cake knife gripped in her hand to where Trevor is standing close by. “You don’t think she would stab him, do you?”
I tip my head, considering. “Nowhere lethal.”
Tobias chuckles. “That’s fine. He probably deserves a little jab or two.”
Tobias wraps an arm around my back, pulling me against him as Mariah and Titus take their place behind the double tiered caramel cake. He leans down, voice low enough only I can hear. “How are you doing? You holding up okay?”
“I actually am.” I watch as Titus carefully places a bite between Mariah’s lips. “It’s so different, it doesn’t even feel like the same thing.”
“I can imagine.” He presses a kiss to my temple as Mariah tries to work a bite that’s a little bit too big into her new husband’s mouth. “If you get to a point where you’re ready to go, just let me know.”
I shake my head. “I think I’m okay.”
It’s true. For the first time I really feel like I’m okay.
I still have a lot to deal with, including the feelings of blame I still try to put on myself, and the lawsuit Matt refuses to drop. But those things seem smaller today than they were yesterday.
