Page 189 of No Headlines Please

"Which is…?"

"It's like everyone expects Maddox to blame himself for what happened. Honestly, it doesn't seem fair."

"I'll tell you what's not fair. It's ditching someone at the altar."

At the image, I tried not to wince. "Look, I know it's awful. But it happens."

"It happens?" she said, like I'd just shrugged off a murder.

"I'm not saying it's nothing, but…" I struggled to put my thoughts into words. "Let's say you discover you're totally incompatible, or your ethics are different, or someone was keeping secrets, isn't it better to walk away before you're actually married?"

Her mouth tightened. "Fine. But why wait 'til the day of the wedding?"

It was a valid question. And I couldn't help but recall what Maddox had told me months ago about his cancelled wedding. The way he'd described it, he'd discovered some things last-minute that had made him balk at the very end.

Plus, he'd made it fairly clear that he'd had deeper doubts all along.

Or maybe that was just selfishness talking.

Not on his part.

On mine.

And of course, everything felt easier when I pushed aside his controversial past and focused on the present.

The Maddox I knew?

He wasn't the guy in the headlines.

He was unlike anyone I'd ever met.

I might be falling for him.

Or maybe parts of me already had.

But forget how I felt. Didn't everyone deserve a second chance?

Across from me, Tessa said, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"If he had to end it, why not do it sooner?" Her voice sharpened. "Like…before Sloane was in her dress and the church was full of people?"

I felt like I was arguing with the internet.

I wanted to tell her what I knew – that Maddox had learned a few things just before the wedding. But it wasn't my secret to tell. Plus, the details had been just a little fuzzy.

If things between me and Maddox ever got serious, it was something we'd definitely need to discuss. But a conversation like that wasn't going to happen today.

In spite of last night, we weren't even a couple. Not officially.

Tessa was still staring like I'd completely lost my mind.

I asked, "What's gotten into you, anyway?"

"Nothing. I'm just concerned, that's all."

"Maybe, but this isn't you. My whole life, you've never acted like this – not even once."