Page 93 of Runaway Bride’s Husband

When he didn’t deny it, I searched his eyes, wanting so badly for him to stop me and tell me I was making a terrible mistake. I didn’t say it out loud, but if he just told me that he wanted me, that he loved me, and that he couldn’t stand the thought of watching me walk down the aisle to another man, I would forgive him for taking the money.

If he had said any of those things, I would have chosen him in a heartbeat. Ryan had to know that too, but maybe he didn’t, and honestly, that was the cruelest part, the fact that he just stood there and didn’t do or say a single thing.

Instead of arguing, or reaching for me, or asking me to stay, or even offering a fucking explanation for sleeping with me while he was being paid to bring me home, he just gave a small, tired smile and this stupid little nod.

“I hope you’re happy, Maggie,” he murmured finally. “I hope you and Daniel are happy together too. I think you made the right choice.”

That was the final nail in the coffin of my hope, so I turned toward the door to leave, knowing that Ryan had done everything he’d promised. This was where he got off this crazy ride he and I had been on together. He’d come through in every way he’d said he would, planning the wedding I’d wanted and finding my castle—and my dream dress.

The impossibly beautiful, vintage yellow dress I would never even get to wear. He had even given me the puppy I’d wanted, fulfilling every ridiculous promise I’d made him swear to.

All of them except the one I hadn’t been brave enough to ask for.

“Maggie,” he said, stopping me halfway to the door. When I turned to face him again, one more silly flare of hope sparked to life inside me, but it fizzed out when I realized his expression had changed in the last couple seconds. He looked angry now. Properly pissed off. “Why would you invite me?”

He sounded so bitter that I cracked. “Because I miss you, Ryan. Is that what you wanted to hear? I wanted you there because I miss you and I couldn’t imagine going through that day without you.”

Ryan’s eyes snapped back to mine and his expression shattered, the anger giving way to pain. My heart started hammering when I realized he might finally say it. That this might be the moment when he crossed the room, kissed me, and told me to stay, but he didn’t.

So I left.

I walked out of his apartment without the puppy, leaving the man I loved who didn’t want me staring at my back until I slammed the door behind me. Once I hit the elevator, I waited for those doors to slide shut before I lowered my head into my hands and just focused on my breathing.

Before I went back into the real world, I had to gather myself and I knew that. I couldn’t be seen stumbling down the street in a fit of tears. As it was, my reputation was hanging by a thread. Most of the people in my parents’ high society circles already thought I was a spoiled little lunatic for taking so long to put the wedding back on the books.

While I didn’t really care about that, my family did. More importantly, Daniel did and so did his family. I had chosen to go through with this wedding, and that also meant that I had to step fully into the role of his future wife.

Ryan and I were over. He would be a wonderful husband someday, devoted, thoughtful, and annoyingly good at remembering all the little things. He was going to make his future wife very happy, and while I was devastated that it wouldn’t be me, it was time to face the facts.

I was becoming Mrs. Daniel Hawthorne, and I couldn’t do that while I was stuck on Ryan Thayer.

CHAPTER 41

RYAN

On my next trip to Chicago, I showed up to Jane and Alex’s house for dinner with the yet-to-be-named puppy by my side. God only knew how that had happened.

Well, technically, I knew how it had happened. Maggie and I had gotten into it when she’d come to pick him up, but then she’d stormed out and left him behind. I’d considered texting to ask if she was coming back for him, but in the end, I’d decided against it.

If we were going to share custody, we’d have to figure out a set schedule for handovers and perhaps make some ground rules like promising not to talk to each other while we handed over the leash, but for now, the puppy and I were in Illinois and Maggie would have to wait until we got back before she saw him again.

I couldn’t very well leave him alone in my apartment and I’d waited around for a while for her that morning, figuring she might storm back in to grab him, but nope. So that was how I’d ended up bringing the puppy to dinner, but in the greater scheme of things, I had no idea how I’d gotten myself into this whole situation where I was now, with a puppy that didn’t belong to me, heartbroken over a woman who didn’t belong to me either, and about to sit down to have a meal with a family who was going to have questions I couldn’t answer.

Yeah, I’m doing just great.

Even so, I knocked on my sister’s door, waiting less than half a second before it flew open and Cameron grinned at me from the other side. “Is that a dog?”

“No.”

“It looks like a dog.”

“It’s a very high-quality toy,” I said solemnly. “He’s very realistic. Would you believe he even farts?”

“That’s because he’s a real dog, silly.” Cam dropped into a crouch and chuckled as he took the puppy’s face in his hands.

“Are you sure it’s a real dog?” I asked, laughing as I ruffled his hair and stepped past him into the house. “That wasn’t what was advertised.”

He giggled, drawing the puppy into his arms and scooting into the house. “I’m sure. He’s so cute. When did you get him, Uncle Ryan?”