Page 43 of The Heart Remembers

“What are you doing here?” I ask, questioning everything as we broke up, and he told me he wouldn’t be attending the party even before our separation happened. He didn’t want to take a week off to vacation with my family.

“There’s something I want to ask you,” he says, and the combination of words lifts the fine hairs on my neck. He reaches for both my hands, and I’m aware the music has changed. It’s another song I recognize, one that begs the girl to . . .

Oh, no.

Levi’s fingers dig into my back, but I can’t take my eyes off Derek, whose glare shifts to Levi and then back to me.

“Maybe we should go outside,” I suggest, needing to separate Derek from Levi and figure out what the heck he’s doing here.

“I’d like to talk here.”

No. Not like this. Not now.

“Derek, outside,” I whisper, looking over my shoulder. I feel Levi’s absence before I see him step away from me. His hand is gone from my back, and he’s somewhere behind me.

“This is what you’ve been wanting, right, babe?”

I glance around the dance floor, noticing people stepping back, giving us some space as we are center stage under the dim lights. My eyes seek Levi, realizing all the reasons I’m searching for him. I don’t want this with Derek, but Levi’s back is to me. It’s strange how much I miss his presence and plead with him in my head to turn around. The wrong man is walking away from me.

“Katie,” Derek says my name sharply, dragging my attention back to him. He squeezes both my hands. “I don’t want to let you go.”

Derek moved out after we broke up. He’s been staying with a friend until we can sort out what’s next. I like the apartment, but I don’t need to keep living there. I need a fresh start.

I watch, mouth agape, as Derek lowers to one knee before me. The circle around us grows larger. The murmurs and gasps are like an echo ricocheting across a mountain. I can’t breathe.

Derek reaches with one hand into his pocket and pulls out a small black box. Bitter giggles ripple up my throat, and I choke on them. I remember the earrings he gave me two weeks ago, and the anticipation in my belly before I opened that jewelry container. Right now, my stomach feels like a brick dropped within me. I want to look up. I want to scan the crowd again for Levi, but I keep a forced smile on my face as Derek looks up at me.

“You wanted this here before all the people most important to you.”

He snaps open the box, and inside is the most gorgeous ring. The diamond is large, the silver band gleams, but I don’t reach for it. His words are unsettling.

I wanted this . . .

“Did you know I had a car accident today?”

“Ah, no.” Derek looks left to right to see how close our audience is and if anyone heard my question. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say through gritted teeth, noticing concern isn’t etched in his face. Not like the face of another man who couldn’t take his hands off me once I entered this barn. “Have you thought about me these last two weeks? Really thought about me? About us?”

I’m still smiling, but my cheeks hurt. My teeth holding in place to keep my lips open.

“Yes. That’s why I’m here.”

Why he’s here is because he thinks this is what I want? I’d want this moment to be what he wants as well. Only, I don’t want Derek.

“Derek, do you really want to marry me?”

“Isn’t that why I’m down on one knee?”

He glances to his side, and I realize this seems like it’s taking too long. People are holding their breaths and hands clasp over chests, waiting for something to happen. My eyes shoot up, scanning the crowd for my father. His sight locks on me as my mother stands under his arm. She’s chewing at her lips, and Dad’s jaw is clenching. His head moves just the slightest bit.

Left. Right. Don’t do it.

My body begins to shake as I peer back at Derek below me. My heart hammers. This moment should be magical, but I’d stopped imagining a proposal from this man two weeks ago when he’d given me earrings. I’d like to think they were a decoy for this plan, but something tells me they weren’t. Derek had no intention of offering me a proposal.

What changed for him?

“We were together for four years, but you haven’t called me in two weeks. You haven’t even tried to reconcile with me,” I remind him.