Page 26 of Broken Vows

“And now, you’re having cold feet,” I say, gently, waiting for a brace in her shoulders, but she only deflates. “You went from not feeling any excitement at all to cold feet. Why do you think that is?”

Well, look at me go. I would’ve made a good therapist after all had Theo not destroyed those dreams.

She keeps her eyes on her hands. “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, I love Theo. He checks all the boxes. Smart. Good looking. He’s a doctor. Gives back to the community.” My breath locks. She needs to do this on her own, to have agency in this decision, but she needs to hurry the hell up. I’m just leading her to what she already knows is the truth: she is too goddamn good for him.

“I tend to be, I guess more… flexible. And Theo’s just very intense sometimes. He likes control. A lot of control.” She says this with a little chuckle, but heat barrels through me.

“Wait. Does he ever…” I don’t want to say it. Theo is a lot of things, but…

Her head snaps up. “Oh God no. No. He’s a good man. He would never, ever hurt a woman. Ever.”

I can see it in her eyes. She’s telling the truth. But he doesn’t get a gold star for the bare minimum of not laying a hand on a woman. He still ruins people’s lives. He still destroyed mine all those years ago. And if Annabelle stays with him, he’ll ruin hers, too.

“I’m just not sure what to do here.” Her voice cracks. “I keep thinking about what you said. If someone has cold feet, there’s probably a reason why.”

And there it is. I’m not trying to exploit her pain, but she has to see this. She’s kind, generous, the sort of woman who could spend her days sailing on yachts and shopping, yet instead chooses to run a non-profit. We’re currently sitting at a four-star hotel—at best—and she has not made one snide remark, not even a single scoff, about having her wedding at a place like this.

Run, Annabelle. As fast and as far as you possibly can.

“So, what are you going to do?” I ask.

A long moment passes. Concern flickers across her face. This could all disappear if she just left him. Once she has distance, the fog he’s wrapped her in would lift. “I honestly don’t know,” she says. “My grandmother is having some health issues at the moment. She keeps asking me to come join her in Italy.” She worries her lip, visibly conflicted. “But with the wedding and everything,” she says, sliding her chair a little closer to the table, “I just don’t know if it’s feasible for me to leave.”

I place a gentle, reassuring hand over hers. “It is absolutely feasible. I can handle the logistics. We can do virtual site visits, daily updates, video calls—whatever you need.”

The words tumble out before I can stop them.

And then it hits me. If she goes to Italy, it leaves me alone with him. I don’t want that. Not at all.

But I want even less for Annabelle to stay and quietly ruin her own life.

Across the room, Theo is already at the counter, saying something to the barista that leaves her giggling, cheeks flushed enough to be visible from here. Good. Hopefully his flirting will keep him occupied for a few moments longer. Annabelle is on the verge of a breakthrough, and I can’t risk him undoing it.

“It can be really hard when family is so far away and you can’t be there for them.” Time is running out when I see the barista snapping the lids onto the cups, peeking glances at Theo every chance she can. Even though the thought of being alone with Theo—of planning this wedding—makes my chest tighten, I know I have less than two minutes left to give Annabelle the encouragement she needs. “My father passed when I was ten.”

Annabelle’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“That’s okay,” I say. The memory still hurts, but I push through knowing that this will help Annabelle find the freedom she deserves. “The cancer took him quickly, which was a blessing in disguise given the pain he was in. For a month, I stayed in bed with him, watching cartoons while he slept.” I pause. “Even now, I don’t take that time for granted. I’m grateful I didn’t hesitate when it mattered.”

Theo grabs the drink carrier from the counter and storms towards us. My pulse thuds heavy in my ears as I say, “Sometimes a little distance and time with family can bring you the clarity you need.”

Before Annabelle can respond, I glance at Theo and interrupt with a grin, “Oh… wow. I can smell those coffee beans from here. Thank you, Theo.”

His gaze flicks between us, sharp and assessing. He clocks the way Annabelle’s shoulders are drawn in, the tension she hasn’t quite masked.

“What did I miss?” Theo asks pleasantly—too pleasantly.

“Just boring girl talk,” Annabelle says quickly, forcing a smile. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Theo hums, low in his throat. “Ah. The most dangerous kind.” His eyes settle on me, deliberate. “I should’ve known.”

“Relax,” I say lightly, despite the growing unease settling in my stomach. “We were talking about family.”

“Thank God I arrived in time, then,” he jokes. His tone is easy, but his body tells me that he doesn’t find the humor in this conversation.

We make small talk while we finish off our drinks and then Theo gets up to toss our empty cups into the trash, gesturing towards the exit. “Shall we?”

As we rise to follow, Annabelle lingers just long enough to catch my hand. Her fingers squeeze tight. “You have no idea how much our chat means to me,” she whispers.