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He was going to be very pissed.
Because it had definitely happened. She remembered it all now.
Becca looked around at the table as Beau stomped out of the restaurant.
No one else was moving.
She really wished someone else was moving. But yeah, she was the one who needed to go after him.
“I’m going to…uh, yeah.” She had no idea what exactly she was going to do, but they got it.
She got to her feet and followed Beau out of the dining room. He was halfway down the hallway leading to the elevators.
“Beau!”
He didn’t slow down.
“Beau!” She started running after him. Something that her hungover body did not appreciate. She caught up with him and grabbed his upper arm, tugging him to a stop. “Hey!”
He turned on her. “What?”
“Maybe we should talk.”
“About what? We’ve talked. You know how I feel about this. I didnotwant to do this. I did not want to date. Move in together. Get married. And now here we are, in Vegas, and you talked me into it. The thing I most didn’t want. While I wasdrunk.”
Ouch. She understood that this was a shock. She understood that she should have probably put the brakes on last night. She understood that he was processing all this. She even kind of understood where he was coming from. But he didn’t have to be quite so adamant about being married to her being the most terrible thing that had ever happened to him.
“I’m sorry. Okay? I wasn’t totally sober either. And shouldn’t you be at least a little bit…I don’t know… happy? That when my inhibitions are down, marrying you is what I most want to do?”
He stared at her. “No.No,” he repeated with emphasis. “I amnothappy.”
“Why is that thought so terrible?”
“You know what’s so terrible? The fact that I am now going to have to tell you that I want to get this annulled. And that we are going to have to tell everyone in there, which is half the fucking town and most of our friends and family, that I want to get this annulled. I’m going to have to hurt you and a bunch of other people I love. I’m going to have to live with the fact that I am married to you—the thing I do want most—but that I can’tstaythat way. I’m going to have to be the asshole who breaks everybody’s heart.”
She stood there not sure what to say. “You want to get this annulled?”
“Yes. Vegas is set up for quick and easy annulments too. We can get it annulled before we even get back to Autre. Before our parents hear about this. Before my mother gets this in her head.”
Her heart felt like there was a fist around it, squeezing hard, not letting it beat correctly. She swallowed down the tears she felt clogging her throat. “You don’t think it’s worth trying? I mean, so we did it. So, it wasn’t exactly planned out and it was very spontaneous and we weren’t entirely sober, but we did it. Why don’t we just stay married? Let’s give it a try.”
He stepped close, grabbed her by the upper arms and stared into her eyes. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because if we go back to Autre as husband and wife, and you come into my bed as my wife, wearing my ring, you’re never leaving. And I will wonder every day for the rest of our lives if that’sreallywhere you want to be, where youshouldbe. Or if there is someplace else that’s better for you.” He let go of her and stepped back. He shoved a hand through his hair. “All I want is for you to be happy. I want you to have every opportunity, every chance to have everything you want and deserve.”
“And if that’s you?” Becca was aware that her voice was wobbly. That made sense considering she was on the verge of tears.
“If it’s me, and you can say that to me, standing up in front of the church, full of our entire town, all of our family, fully sober, after two years of living in Autre, then I’ll believe you.”
Well, at least it had gone from ten years down to two.
“Are you guys okay?” Owen came up beside them. Ellie was right behind him.
Beau nodded, still looking at her. “We’re fine. Becca and I are heading downtown.”
“What’s downtown?” Owen looked back and forth between them, obviously concerned.
