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“I remember when we were kids, Jessa put Stonehenge on her bucket list. Along with driving around the Big Ben, all of which she got from watchingEuropean Vacation.”
The corner of Jessa’s mouth quirks up at the same time Benedict places his arm around her. The gesture is enough for my stomach to harden, but I fight it off. If he wants to parade his affection, then I’m more than happy to bring up the past, all of which doesn’t involve him.
“Are you sure that was me?” she questions jovially. “More you, I had Oktoberfest and drinking beer.”
“From memory, you wanted me to dress up in Lederhosen.”
“Oh yeah, maybe we did watch the Griswolds too many times.”
Benedict drinks his wine, then pours himself another glass, bored by our trip down memory lane.
“Those movies are horrid,” Benedict grumbles, rolling his eyes. “Entitled Americans traveling through Europe? I can’t think of anything worse.”
“They weren’t entitled,” Jessa argues back. “And as an American, I take offense to that.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you’re nothing like them.” He brings her close to kiss her cheek. I purposely turn away, pretending to be distracted by someone at the next table over, this close to leaving this fucking dinner. “Please tell Andy and Anastasia about how we met.”
“Yes,” Anastasia responds cheerfully. “Please do.”
I purposely place my arm around Anastasia, touching the tip of her exposed shoulders with my fingers. If they want me to sit through this, then time to play a game Jessa will absolutely hate. Jessa instantly notices the gesture, pursing her lips with wide eyes.
“Well,” he begins with a smug expression. “It was two years ago in the middle of a torrential storm. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Then, of course, I run into the most beautiful woman. We were both soaked, so I took her back to my flat to dry off and—”
“We got engaged, then had Bentley,” Jessa finishes off.
Anastasia laughs. “Between us adults, I’m sure you taking her back to your flat wasn’t just to dry up.”
A slight growl escapes my throat. All my muscles begin to tighten as a burning sensation spreads all over me. I can’t fucking sit here any longer, watching them across from me like I stopped loving her all those years ago.
Like she means absolutely nothing to me.
I was wrong to think I can move on.
Abruptly, my chair scrapes along the ground when I push it back. “Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.”
The anger drives me to walk away without even turning around, escaping to the restroom to calm the fuck down. My hands rest on the basin, willing the rage consuming me to slow because the thought of going out there and facing them isn’t worth it anymore.
I thought I could be the bigger person and remain friends, but the more this goes on, I realize I can’t torture myself any longer. I’m the only one with everything to lose here. My fucking heart is on a tightrope, ready to fall without a goddamn safety net beneath it.
Just like it fell two years ago, smashing into pieces when I found out she was engaged.
Slowly, I inhale a deep breath to release, then open the door the same time Jessa pushes me back into the men’s room.
“What the hell are you doing in here?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Spain with Anastasia?”
I tilt my head, furrowing my brows. “Because I didn’t think you would care.”
Jessa crosses her arms beneath her chest, pushing her tits up, catching my attention.
Now isn’t the time to think about it.
“I care, okay?”
A sinister laugh escapes me. “Why the fuck would you care, huh? You’ve got your husband. I mean, lust at first sight, right?”
“Andy, please don’t—”
