The sound of a toilet flushing jolts me out of my frozen stupor. I hurry toward the door, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. Although if anyone should be embarrassed, it’s the two women who are rude enough to talk about me in a public restroom at my best friend’s wedding.
I hear the lock on a stall door slide open just before the bathroom door closes behind me, and I hurry back down the hall. Only after I’ve put some space between myself and the bathroom does the panic set in.
My worst fears are coming true – people talking about my relationship, speculating and forming opinions on things that don’t concern them. I love this town, but I’ve already been the talk of it once. I don’t want that again, and it’s exactly why I’ve avoided getting into a serious relationship since then.
The worst part is that I know I shouldn’t give any weight to their words. Deep down I know that, but I can’t help it. It’s all too easy to let strangers in a restroom scare me off from dating again, and to believe that they’re right – that Declan and I don’t make sense together.
What will happen onceherealizes that?
I don’t want to think about it.
I make my way back into the ballroom, my eyes scanning the crowd for the man who deserves so much better than the basket case wrapped in a pretty package that I feel like tonight.
When I reach the edge of the dance floor and spot him standing along the opposite side, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he waitsfor me, my heart aches in a way I’m not prepared to deal with right now.
So I turn and I bolt.
CHAPTER 43
Declan
“You and Elsie, huh?”
I turn toward the unfamiliar voice and find a young woman who can’t be any older than twenty peering up at me. She looks vaguely familiar, though I can’t pinpoint where I’d know her from. It’s a small town, though; I could have seen her any number of places.
She grins when I don’t immediately respond. “I’m Georgia,” she adds, holding her hand out for me to shake.
“Elsie’s sister, right?”
I say it like I’m asking a question, though I already know the answer. Elsie told me all about her brother and sister, who are twins and attend the same college nearby that she and her parents also went to. I remember everything she’s told me. Every bit of her that she’s seen fit to give me has been carefully filed away and held close for safe keeping.
“That’s me,” Georgia confirms. She makes quick work of scanning the room before leaning in, almost conspiratorially. “Listen, I just wanted to talk to you real quick before Elsie gets back.”
I narrow my eyes, not sure I like where this is headed. “What’s up?”
“Just – be careful with her, okay?” Her quiet plea is the last thing I’d expected her to say. “She’s been hurt in the past, and I know she’s skittish, but I hear the way she talks to her friends about you when she thinks I’m not paying attention. Don’t let her scare you off, okay?”
I look into the earnest, concerned eyes staring up at me, marveling at how similar they are to Elsie’s. She might be Aiden’s twin, but the resemblance to Elsie is strong enough that I’m wondering how I didn’t immediately pick up on it.
“I won’t,” I promise her. It’s an easy promise to make. I meant it when I told Elsie I’m here to stay. She might not have known at the time exactly what I was promising her, but I meant it then, and I mean it now. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good.” Georgia smiles and squeezes my arm. “I’m rooting for you guys.”
Before I can say anything else, she turns and hurries back toward the tables.
I want to grill her for more information.Whohurt Elsie? What happened? Why does it make her pull back every time I try to get closer?
But it’s not the time or the place, and the kind of information I want to know shouldn’t be coming from Georgia, anyway. I wantElsieto open up to me, the way I did for her. It’s the only way this thing will work.
I scan the room again, wondering if Elsie slipped back into the room while I was distracted talking to her sister. It’s been long enough that she should be back by now. I’d be worried aboutwhether or not she’s feeling okay if I hadn’t seen the look on her face as she left.
She was running. From me.
I stuff my hands in my pockets and scan the crowd, and it’s then that I see a streak of orange hurry past the open door that leads to the hall. I don’t know where she’s headed, but I do the only thing I can do.
I follow her.
∞
