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“I don’t want to upset Amelia.” She turns to me.
“Why would you upset me?”
“Well, I know you’re mending a broken heart right now, but my love life is taking off, and the last thing I want is to make you feel worse.”
I grab her hand. “You should know me better than to think I could possibly be mad at you for being happy, Charlotte. I know what you’ve gone through to get where you are, and even though I’m not where I want to be, that doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate moments in your life.”
She fights back a few tears. “Okay. I just wanted to make sure.” She releases my hand and digs through her purse, pulling out a massive diamond ring and sliding it onto her finger. “Damien asked me to marry him after the Movers and Shakers dinner Thursday night, and I said yes.”
“Oh my God!” Noelle screams as Penelope yanks her hand toward her to inspect the ring. And my tears flow harder as a slice of jealousy races through me, but I still feel overwhelming happiness for my friend.
“Two-and-a-half carats, easy.” Penelope squints down at the diamond. “Fourteen-karat white gold. He did good, my dear.” She releases Charlotte’s hand and grabs her mimosa, taking a sip with a smile on her face.
“Let me see!” Noelle inspects the ring this time as Charlotte turns to me.
“I’m so happy for you, Char. I mean it.”
She reaches up and wipes a tear from my cheek, holding her palm there. “Thank you. And I know you feel like your future was ripped away from you right now, but I’m telling you—my gut tells me this thing with Ethan isn’t over yet, babe. Just give it time.”
“I appreciate that, but right now, let’s focus on the fact that at least one of us is getting our happily ever after.” I reach for my mimosa as the other girls follow suit. “To Charlotte and Damien. May you two know long-lasting love and happiness. And if you need a marriage counselor at any point, I know someone.” We all laugh in unison.
“To childhood enemies turned fake relationship turned lovers. What a romance novel in the making!” Noelle continues.
And, of course, in true Penelope fashion, she gets the last word. “To what every woman deserves: her king, a ring, and a good ding-a-ling.”
* * *
“Where’s Ethan?”
It’s Sunday night, and after brunch this morning and a nap this afternoon, that means I’m at my parents’ house for our monthly family dinner, minus my boyfriend because I haven’t told them that Ethan and I are no longer together.
“Um, he won’t be coming.”
“Did something happen with Oliver?” my mother asks, genuinely concerned.
“No. Something happened with us.”
She turns around and stares at me—and like the good mother she is, it doesn’t take her long to cross the kitchen and pull me into her arms once she realizes the meaning of my words. “I’m so sorry, Amelia.”
It’s been a few hours since I’ve cried, but the tears still flow pretty easily. “It’s okay. It’s better this way.”
“What happened?”
I fill her in on the conversation that led to our breakup, and all she does is nod her head along as I speak. “Well, you did the right thing. There’s no sense in wasting your life with someone that doesn’t want the same things as you.”
“I know.”
“In all honesty, I was scared this might happen once he told us he was divorced. You have to remember that not everyone has the same desire as you to work on the relationships in their lives. There are some people that never figure that out either, Amelia. And if I’m being honest, if it weren’t for your push when you were younger, I don’t know what would have become of your father and me.”
“Mom…”
She holds up her hand, cutting me off. “You deserve someone who will fight for you and with you for your relationship, sweetie. And I’m sad for you that he wasn’t it. It breaks my heart to know that you’re hurting.”
“I am, but I’ll be okay.” At least, I hope so, although that doesn’t feel very promising at the moment.
“Yes, you will because you are Amelia St. Clair, and only the right man will realize what a treasure you are when he has you. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn’t that guy. Or apparently he’s not ready to be him.” She sighs. “That was what I went through with your father when we separated, remember?”
“Yes.”
“I was so convinced he wouldn’t listen to what I had to say that we both just let our relationship dissolve. But ultimately, he also needed things that he was too scared to vocalize. There are so many facets to a marriage, Amelia…”
“I know, Mom.”
“You do, but you don’t. Counseling couples and being part of one are two different things, my dear.” She cups the side of my face. “But the reason I’m telling you this is that perhaps the timing just isn’t right. Your father and I experienced that, and once we agreed to talk—through a little convincing from you, that is—we figured it out. Maybe you two will too. I’d hate to see you throw away this relationship with Ethan that has clearly made you happy because you won’t communicate…”
“What about Ethan?” Nick walks into the kitchen from outside, draining the last of his beer.
And now I have to tell my brother too. “Um, Ethan and I broke up.”
“What?” He freezes in his steps. “Why? When?”
“It’s personal, Nick. I really don’t want to talk about it anymore…”
“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” His vision narrows from his accusations.
“God, no. Emotionally, yes. But not physically. You know him better than that.”
Exhaling, he breathes out harshly. “Fuck. Yeah, I do. But I swear, I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”
Smiling, I walk over to him and give him a hug. “That’s not necessary. We just wanted different things, Nick. His divorce is apparently something he’s not willing to work past, and if he can’t see that what we have is different, then I didn’t want to be strung along.”
“Shit.” Nick runs a hand through his hair. “I haven’t spoken to him in a while, but maybe I should give him a call, talk some sense into him. Would you be okay with that?”
“I know you’re friends, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t interfere. I don’t want him convinced that he should want a future with me. I want him to realize it on his own, if he ever does, that is.”
He studies me for a second. “You fell in love with him, didn’t you?”
Another tear trails down my cheek. “Yeah, I did. But he made it clear we didn’t have a future that included marriage, so…”
“Fuck. Come here.” He pulls me into his chest again, inhaling deeply as he holds me tight. “I’m sorry, Sis. He’s a moron if he doesn’t want to marry you one day.”
“Thank you.”
“Is there anything I can do to make this easier?”
“You can come with me to the L.A. Times dinner next week for that award. The girls will be there, but I’d love for you and Elena to come too.”
“I already planned on being there whether you wanted me to or not.”
“Then that’s all I need. I’ll add your name to my list.”
And with my family still by my side, I feel just an ounce better that everything is going to work out for me because of the people I have in my life, even though I wish one of them was the man I’m in love with too.
