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I felt Marcus tense beside me, and Bill looked to Ash wearily. Danny looked amused at her mother’s words, and Axel played with a little rattle in his highchair.
Ashleigh turned her eyes to Marcus. Her eyes glistened as unshed tears brimmed her lids. When I looked to Marcus, he actually looked pained. I placed my hand on his knee, trying to grab his attention but, when my hand made contact with his leg, he flinched.
“So, you are really going to go through with it?” Ashleigh looked around the table. “Do any of you have no shame? What about Sarah?”
“What of Sarah, Ash?” It was Danny who piped up. “She is in his past, and he needs to look forward to the future. Don’t you want him to be happy? Maddie makes Marcus happy.”
“No, she doesn’t!” She slammed her hand on the table grabbing some attention from around the restaurant. “She is not meant for him. You all know that Sarah wouldn’t want him with her.”
“And how would you know what Sarah wanted?”
“Because I was her twin!” She stood abruptly from her seat. Lara looked panicked, unsure of what to do next. Bill looked like he was done with the conversation as he sipped on his beer. Danny looked bored of the conversation.
It was only Marcus who looked like he was worried about Ashleigh. He also stood from his chair and was about to walk over to Ashleigh, but my hand shot out and stopped him. He stared down at me, giving me a look that said to let him go. That wasn’t happening.
“Look, Ashleigh.” I stood up as well. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but Marcus is marrying me and that is the end of it. If you don’t like it, then tough.”
“You don’t get to speak!”
She moved so quickly; I barely had a chance to register anything. She grabbed Lara’s wine and threw it at my face, but she also threw the glass along with it. It knocked me on the side of the head.
I hissed out in pain, as I heard audible gasps all around the table and restaurant.
“Ash, calm down,” Marcus tried to speak to her softly but the time for reasoning was over. She had crossed a line, and I was about to show her just who she was dealing with.
I climbed over the table and threw myself at her, tumbling to the floor. I pulled my hand back ready to punch her in the face, but a strong arm held me back. I looked up to find Marcus standing over me.
Ashleigh took my momentary distraction as her chance to grab onto my hair and pull it hard. I ripped my arm out of Marcus’ hold and went to go and remove her hand. She started flailing like some kind of possessed hobo and kicked me right in the gut, knocking the wind right out of me.
Marcus grabbed Ashleigh, and Bill pulled me to my feet. I heard the cries of a frightened Axel in the background, and some of my anger dissipated. He didn’t need to be seeing grown-ups fighting like this.
“You’re crazy!” Psycho Ash screamed for the whole restaurant to hear. “You are a freaking sociopath. How do you just attack someone like that?”
Is she serious?
“You started it,” I shot back. “You are the one who thinks she has a chance with my man! Newsflash, honey, he doesn’t want you, and never did want you. You were second best to Sarah and now you are second best to me.”
“Shut up, Maddison!” I was surprised that it was Marcus’ voice that boomed throughout the entire restaurant.
“Me?! You are telling me to be quiet when she attacked me. Need I remind you, I am your fiancée, Marcus, not her.”
“Maddison,” he warned.
He wasn’t reprimanding her nor was he defending me, and it pissed me off. It also bothered me that he was doing this not only in front of his family but in front of the whole freaking town as well. Now, everyone was going to have something to say come tomorrow.
“Why don’t we just sit down for a little bit, Maddie, sweetheart?” Lara stepped closer to me, but I shook my head. I pulled myself from Bill’s grasp and stormed out of the restaurant.
A part of me had thought that Marcus would run after me, but he never did. He chose to stay with her inside the restaurant.
When the outside air hit my face, I let out a sigh of relief. The beads of sweat that had formed on my face slowly began to cool with the cold breeze. I walked down the sidewalk away from the restaurant. I needed to create some necessary space between Marcus and me. It was the audacity for me.
I could feel the tears brimming my eyes already. I hated that I was crying over that waste of space of a man. This was exactly why I knew entertaining any sort of fluttery feeling for Marcus was bad. It made me become like this, and I hated it.
I wasn’t some sappy girl.
Dinner was a bust, and there was no way I could sit at a table with Ashleigh and play fake friends. That just wasn’t my style. But I needed my keys which were in my bag, which I had left on the table.
Begrudgingly I made my way back to the restaurant. The sun was beginning to set beyond the horizon and the temperature was falling. I was about to turn the corner to the restaurant entrance when I heard two familiar voices.
