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“Austin? What exactly is the problem?” My tone is raised, the exhaustion of barely any sleep last night testing my patience. “He’s here. It’s his dad's party. You didn’t return my call yesterday, so there was no conversation between us where I could bring it up.”
Austin releases an ugly laugh; its intent is not humorous or to lighten the mood. “The problem is that he is your ex-boyfriend. And we haven’t even addressed why the two of you were together just then?”
“That was years ago, okay,” I remind him, then intake a sharp breath. “We’ve both moved on. I’m engaged to you. I don’t understand why you need to make it a bigger deal than it is?” I say, trying to defuse the situation, and convince myself it’s nothing.
“Why won’t you answer me?”
I gaze at Austin, placing my hands in the pocket of my shorts. If he wants an answer, I’ll give him one. But as far as I am concerned, I have done nothing to break his trust nor compromise our relationship.
Except for that almost kiss.
“We went to eat breakfast. That’s it. It was early, so we walked to the café not too far from here. If you can’t trust me, then I have no words to make you change your mind.”
Austin runs his hands through his hair, letting out a sigh.
“You’re right,” he mumbles, lowering his head. “I’m sorry, it’s been a long flight, and I’ve had a tough week.”
He reaches his hand out for me, and I touch his fingers for him to pull me into a deep kiss. I don’t pull away, but it doesn’t feel right to be kissing here. I give it a moment before I place my hands on his chest to create some distance between us without offending him.
“Why don’t we spend time together, just the two of us?” I suggest, playing with the fabric of his shirt.
“No, we came here to spend time with your family,” he demands, catching me by surprise. “And that’s what we’re going to do.”
My parents enter through the front door, surprised to see Austin beside me. Of course, Mom is quick to welcome him, as is Dad. When I look closely at Dad’s expression, he appears somewhat amused by Austin showing up. Mom, on the other hand, gives me a probing gaze though keeps her thoughts to herself.
Ava returns, offering to show Austin to our room. I tell them I’ll join them in a few minutes, wanting to stay back with my parents for a moment. The second they turn the corner, I tug on Mom’s arm in a panic.
“What the hell do I do?”
“Millie, don’t panic. You’re all adults.”
“Have you met Will?” I question with a strained voice. “He isn’t exactly a patient man, and my engagement is not exactly something he’s accepted. Now Austin is here. Austin is just as competitive. How am I supposed to be in the same room as an ex-lover and new fiancé?”
Dad is suppressing his laughter, though I have no idea why he finds this amusing. I, for one, don’t. My lips press together while I watch him, crossing my arms in disbelief.
“Why is this so funny?”
“You said you had it all under control, Amelia.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Until this happened!” I turn to face Mom again. “C’mon, Mom, what do I do? You’ve been in this situation. What did you do?”
Mom purses her lips, trying to keep her smile at bay. “You don’t want to know.”
“No, tell me, please?”
“No, honey, it involves your father and his um…let’s say need to satisfy his urges.”
The penny drops, as does my stomach. Why, oh why—did I poke the fucking bear?
“Right, please don’t say anything more about that,” I mumble.
“Look, Millie. The truth is that you’re engaged to be married to Austin. You need to respect that commitment,” she says softly. “Yes, I realize I am a hypocrite for giving you this advice, but if I could turn back time, I would have ended my engagement before anything happened with your father because Julian was owed that respect. As for Will, he is a grown man who will make his own decisions no matter what anyone else says. You just need to make sure your actions and intent are clear, whatever they may be.”
When it comes to discussing Will, Dad’s face lowers to avoid the conflict. His opinion on the matter still stands, but nevertheless, I ask the question of him.
“What do you think, Dad?”
Dad lifts his gaze to meet mine. “I agree with your mother. You’ve committed to one man, and you need to honor that. If you have any doubt as to whether that is what you want for the rest of your life, then you need to be honest with yourself.”
