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“Aye, you’re on fire today, ain’t you?” Ollie tosses a pencil at Robert, who dodges it and seems entirely unfazed.
I ignore my friends’ chattering.
I need to know how Molly feels, even if the truth ends up breaking us apart. My pulse erupts in my veins. As much as I wanted to believe it, years of therapy haven’t quite fixed my feelings of inadequacy. Not when I’m faced with falling in love again. I’ll likely have to work on this for years to come.
But I want to be enough for Molly. Desperately.
“After the Winter Ball, I’ll tell her everything,” I say, more to myself than to my friends.
“What happens if it’s a deal-breaker?” Ollie notices my distraught expression.
Would she shuck me out of her life as easily as Laura did?
Maybe there’s a way for Molly and I to work through this, except I can’t get my hopes up. “Then we get married, split her trust, and get divorced.” The words feel hollow, meaningless. “The original plan.”
Ollie frowns. “Messy stuff.”
“It is.” The strain of my worries presses down on me. “I’ll wait for her parents’ approval first.”
I don’t have it in me to face two rejections.
“What if they say no to your marriage?” Ollie asks, his voice hesitant. “Would you consider being with Molly without their permission?”
The question catches me off guard, and I pause to consider it. “I don’t know if that’s up to me.”
What would happen if we were to just run away together?
I’d take care of Molly. Maybe not to the standard she’s accustomed to, but I’d provide for her, always. Give her anything she’d like, even if it meant stuffing my house with tulle dresses and silk pillowcases.
I want to be with her.
“Aye.” Ollie nods. “The things we do for love.”
Love. That’s what this is becoming, isn’t it?
It’s been so long that I can barely remember what it feels like. But Molly’s been reminding me of all the different ways love can take over your life. “We haven’t exactly said that we—”
“You don’t have to say it. It’s written all over your face.”
“What do you know about love, Ollie?” I slump deeper into my chair. “Didn’t you leave a girl back in Scotland and never look back?”
“He did,” Robert confirms.
Ollie’s face blanches. “No.”
“Right, it’s normal to carry around pictures of your first love in your wallet,” I deadpan.
That seems to annoy him even more. “It’s for safekeeping. Case she goes missing.”
“You haven’t seen her since you were, what, a teenager? Doubt she looks anything like that battered photo.” I chuckle.
“Some best friend you are.” He feigns annoyance, but there’s a grin spread across his face.
Chapter26
Molly
“I’ll be home late,”Matthew says softly over the phone. On the line, children’s laughter booms before a door opens then closes.
