Chapter 15 #2
“Oh no, I’m good,” I say, fumbling to move around him and get to my nude-colored pumps. “Oh, sorry, just need to reach those.”
“These?” he asks, bending at the waist to pick up the shoes.
“Yup, those. Plan on wearing them unless you want to wear them.” I look up at him and swallow hard when I see his brow is raised in a cute, quizzical way. “Do you?”
“Do I want to wear your shoes?”
I laugh because, Jesus, am I nervous now. “I mean, of course you don’t. You would be at a high risk of rolling your ankle again if you did.”
“Yeah, rolling an ankle is the reason I don’t want to wear your shoes,” he says in a joking tone.
“Right . . .” I slip my shoes on and meet his eyes. Pull it together, Blakely. But I can’t. I’m all shaky and jittery inside and can’t stop myself from blurting out, “I’m nervous.”
His brow pinches. “Nervous. Why?”
I shake my hands out. “I don’t know.” Actually I do know.
It’s you, you’re the reason I’m nervous.
But I know I can’t say that to him. “I’ve never done this before.
This fake dating thing. I’m nervous about seeing Perry.
I don’t want him cornering me to talk. I don’t want people asking me questions. I don’t—”
His fingers fall on my lips, silencing me. And as the room goes quiet, our eyes connect, his hazels to my greens.
Slowly, he lowers his fingers. The air around us feels thick like it’s trying to pull us together.
Gently, he says, “Let me worry about Perry, and you worry about enjoying your friends getting married.” He entwines our hands together.
“As far as the fake dating, that’s easy, just pretend you’re into me.
” Pretty sure I don’t have to pretend that.
“Hold my hand, lean into me, dance with me. Unless you find me so repulsive you can’t do those things. ”
“I d-don’t find you repulsive,” I say. Quite the opposite actually.
“Then you should be good.” He tugs me toward the living room, but I pause to pick up my phone and put it in my clutch before we keep heading toward the front door. “You ready . . . babe ?”
And goosebumps just broke over my skin. . .
He winks and, dear God in heaven, help me get through this night .
We move past the couch and because I’ve clearly lost all faculties, I call out, “Bye, Sherman.” The plant now has a permanent scarf around the base of his pot and a picture of my dead cat next to him. I think it’s cute that Halsey rolls with it and doesn’t mind the new additions.
Halsey pauses to glance at me with a humorous twitch to his lips. “Do you always say goodbye to him?”
I press my hand to my chest. “Of course. Don’t you?”
He peeks over his shoulder at the plant and then back at me. “No.”
“Well, looks like the nanny has become more of a mom. Maybe I need to take custody.”
“If he starts wilting when you’re gone, then maybe you will.”
I smirk and let Halsey guide me out the door. This man’s dry sense of humor. Interestingly, the nerves slip from my shoulders.
The job.
The stress of Perry.
The awkwardness.
It all slides away as Halsey takes my hand and leads me to his car. He really is a wonderful man.
Maybe this will be a fantastic night after all.
“Oh God, there he is,” I say as I spot Perry out of the corner of my eye.
The wedding was breathtaking. The venue is an old, renovated warehouse with the original brick painted white.
All the ducts are exposed, giving more height to the ceiling, but they’ve been painted black and have scattered bulbed lights under them.
The dim lighting and original hardwood floors give it a romantic feel.
Arlene and Marco easily spent around one hundred thousand dollars on flowers because rows and rows of pink peonies are draped everywhere. Down the wall, from the ceiling, gathered into vases surrounded by votive candles floating in water, and strung together in rows draped over every doorway.
Never in my life have I ever been to a wedding like this, so romantic, intimate, but also large with so many guests.
And of course, Marco had to meet Halsey right away, and when I say right away, I mean before the wedding. Slipping him in as a guest was no big deal. Guess it pays to be one of the best hockey players in the game.
Now that the ceremony is over, I sit on a stool in front of a high-top table while Halsey stands next to me. He slips his arm around my waist and leans in close to my ear, the move once again creating a wave of goosebumps. That’s how it’s been through the whole ceremony.
He’s put his arm over my shoulder, held my hand, and spoken closely to my ear as if it’s just the two of us in this room. He’s invaded my senses with his touch, his mouthwatering scent, and his whispers.
He’s pretended to be madly in love with me.
He’s protected me.
Paid attention to me.
He’s claimed me.
“Where’s Perry?” he asks, his lips almost touching my ear.
I compose myself and say, “Brown suit by the bar. Brown hair.”
Subtly, Halsey looks over my shoulder, and I know the minute he spots him because his hold on me tightens. It’s as if he’s warning all men in the building that I’m not to be touched, let alone looked at. “He’s headed over here.”
“What?” I panic. “Seriously?”
He smooths his thumb over my hip. “Blakely . . . I’ve got you,” Halsey says as if this is no big deal.
He lifts his beer to his lips and takes a larger gulp than what he’s been nursing.
When I asked him if he was going to drink tonight, he said since it wasn’t a game night, he thought that he would .
. . despite possibly having a game tomorrow.
He’s not sure if he’ll play, but we’ll see.
I don’t blame him for the liquid encouragement. I need it too.
“Hey, Blakely,” that familiar voice says from behind.
Here we go.
I plaster on a smile and turn toward Perry.
In the month or so I haven’t seen him, his hair is longer, his beard is shaved, and he’s tanner.
Probably that Australian sun he’s been soaking up.
Whereas Halsey has sharper, more precise features with his carved jaw and sinful eyes, Perry is the boy next door with a rounder nose and youthful cheeks.
Comparing the two side by side, I can see Perry’s appeal—he’s a good-looking man—but Halsey has the face and body of a man you’d find on a magazine cover.
“Hey, Perry,” I say. Just as he goes to lean in for a hug, Halsey steps in and holds his hand out for a shake.
“Halsey, nice to meet you.” Perry abruptly steps back and looks Halsey up and down. Perry’s six foot wilts under Halsey’s six foot four.
He stumbles for a second, but Perry takes Halsey’s hand and shakes it.
“You must be Perry,” Halsey says as I watch his grip grow tighter on Perry’s hand.
Perry’s jaw firms up as he nods. “And you’re . . . you’re . . .”
“Her boyfriend,” Halsey says, the title sending a chill up my spine.
Perry’s brows rise as he looks at me, and I know what he must be thinking.
Wow, that was fast.
That or . . . was she cheating on me, and that’s why she didn’t move with me?
I’m about to set the record straight when Halsey says, “New boyfriend. Still fresh.”
“Oh, I see.” Perry releases Halsey’s hand.
“Well, I guess congrats. You’ve got a good one.
” Perry gestures toward me as Halsey moves to my side and wraps his arm around my waist again.
And then he does something unexpected, he leans into me and presses a kiss to the top of my head as he squeezes me tight.
“A really good one.”
Perry clears his throat, obviously caught off guard by this new development. Well, I was caught off guard too. Looks like we’re both feeling the same way. “Hey, boss, think I can talk to Blakely for a second by myself?”
Halsey shakes his head. “Nah, we’re good.”
The shock on Perry’s face almost makes me burst out in laughter. There’s no way he expected that response.
“We’re actually going to dance, so if you’ll excuse us . . .” Halsey helps me off the stool and connects our palms, hand in hand, but Perry steps in front of us.
“Only for a minute.”
“I’m sorry, but what did you not understand when I said we’re good?” Halsey asks, his voice turning menacing.
Perry’s eyes narrow. “I’m not trying to start a scene. I just want to fucking talk to her.”
Keeping his expression neutral, Halsey replies, “And I said we’re good. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of me.”
“Blakely, surely you won’t let this asshole stop you from talking for yourself? When have you ever accepted that?”
He’s got a point, but I can’t help but love the freedom of not having to deal with this, of leaning on someone else to protect me, to keep me safe from whatever Perry has to say.
Because I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to know what’s on his mind because, whatever it is, it can’t be good for me mentally.
And Halsey seems to get this without me saying a thing.
Strange as it seems, I feel like I’ve already mourned losing Perry.
Seeing him feels uncomfortable, but I’m certainly not pining for him.
Which I’m glad to know about myself. I’m okay without him, after all.
Something he didn’t think I would be. Interesting. Yay for me.
Halsey steps in close to Perry and says in a dark voice, “Calling me an asshole is not going to guarantee you leave this wedding unharmed. She asked me to speak for her tonight because she’s mine, so like I said, whatever you have to say, you can say to us both.”
Mine.
That one word vibrates through me as the tension between Perry and Halsey grows.
Perry would never have taken this tact. He would have told me to talk to the guy so we don’t create a scene. Not Halsey. He said he’d shield me, and he’s keeping to his word.
“Fine,” Perry says before looking me in the eyes. “Blakely, I’m moving back to Canada and want you back. I made a huge mistake, and as we speak, my things are being shipped here. I got our apartment back, and now I need to find a way to earn your forgiveness.”
I blink.
A few times.