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Yep, her attention was had. Which was unfortunate. You’d think an engagement party that had caused an outbreak of botched wedding memories would douse her reaction to Justin, but he still left her feeling unsettled.
“We’re here tonight to celebrate Paul and Cheyenne’s engagement,” he continued, glancing to where the happy couple stood next to one another.
Riley’s gaze followed, taking note of Paul’s arm around Cheyenne’s waist, his hand resting at his fiancée’s lower back as she smiled up at him with her heart and a lifetime of dreams shining in her eyes.
Once upon a time Johnny had held her and she’d smiled adoringly at him, oblivious to his cheating ways.
Ugh. Riley fought a wave of nausea and finished off the champagne she wasn’t supposed to drink until after the toast.
Staring into her empty glass, she grimaced. Oops.
Moving away from the friends she’d been talking to, she grabbed another glass from a nearby tray to participate in the toast to the happy couple.
Relationships always started with smiles and happiness. It was what came later that brought tears and heartache. Grief. Humiliation. Pity.
Drinking champagne inappropriately.
Poor Cheyenne.
Cheyenne wouldn’t listen, though. Hadn’t Riley already tried to warn her friend to no avail that she was making a mistake? Cheyenne had hugged her and told her that someday someone was going to come along to heal all the wounds Johnny had inflicted.
Which was naïve and completely ridiculous.
Riley did not need or want someone to come along and “heal” her. She was healed—and she had learned valuable life lessons her friend had yet to experience.
Riley prayed she never would.
Tightening her hold on her new glass, she focused on where Justin was still talking, giving his toast to the couple. He was Paul’s best man and he was taking his duties seriously, delivering one heck of a spiel about love and commitment.
As if he knew anything about those things.
“So, let’s raise our glasses to Paul and Cheyenne, celebrate their love, and wish them a long, happy life together.”
Riley did wish that for her friend. She just didn’t believe it was possible. Still, she raised her glass, faked a smile as she clinked her glass against the nearby guests’ glasses, then took a sip. A long sip that almost emptied her glass.
When she looked back toward Justin her eyes collided with his blue ones, as they often did. Probably because he was wondering why she couldn’t stop looking at him.
Heaven help her, but it would be easy to fall into that man’s eyes and drown in their mesmerizing depths.
She ordered her own eyes to move, to look at the pretty landscape surrounding the porch, the ornate bushes, the small trees and colorful plants—anything other than Justin.
Her eyes refused to budge, preferring to submerge themselves in vivid blue.
Maybe he’d put a spell over her. Because not only would her eyes not avert, but her ability to fake anything vanished.
She knew it because she saw concern flicker on his face.
She didn’t want his concern.
She was fine.
Better than fine.
Only...
Only nothing.
Shunning the emotions rocking her, she clamped her armor and her fake smile back into place and raised her glass to him in acknowledgement of his toast.
