Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
GABE
The day of the wedding, I drop Abbie off with Larissa, and then Hallie and I board the ferry to the mainland. During the drive, Hallie’s knee bounces with nerves, and I catch her chewing on her bottom lip, then scolding herself for messing up her lip gloss.
Caitlyn and Amara’s wedding is being held at a golf course about twenty minutes outside of Tobermory. I spot the odd golfer trying to make the most of the snowless ground when we first pull up, but otherwise, the place looks like it’s getting ready to shut down for the season.
The ceremony itself is short and to the point, but the main attraction is the reception afterward.
“Whoa,” Hallie says as we step inside the room. “It’s so beautiful.”
The whole place is decked out in fall colours—rusted oranges, golden yellows, rich greens. Different coloured mums dot every table at the centre. Caitlyn wasn’t kidding when she said she and Dana went all out with the planning.
The decorations are beautiful, but I find it hard to take my eyes off of Hallie.
She’s wearing a sage green dress with short sleeves that’s fitted at the top, and there’s a tie that cinches her waist, accentuating her curves.
The skirt flows down to her ankles, and the hem is ruffled.
Somehow, it feels exactly like her in dress form.
I set a hand on the small of her back. I can’t stop touching her today. “Let’s find our seats.”
We end up at a table with some of Dana’s cousins. Hallie is vague about her connection to the brides when asked. I can hardly blame her. Dana made her feel like a pariah the last time we saw her.
I was worried we’d have a repeat of the food situation and we’d have to dip out early, because like hell was I about to let Hallie pick apart a measly salad in place of a proper dinner for a second time.
Thankfully, though, Hallie gets served some fancy-looking eggplant thing that makes her eyes light up in excitement.
As Hallie eats and drinks, my attention snags on her left ring finger. I was a little surprised when she first pulled out the fake diamond for dinner with the Landells, but I quickly found that I didn’t mind the way it looked. Tonight, it keeps distracting me.
When the ring flashes at me for the tenth time, I can’t help myself. I take her hand, then press a kiss to the spot where the stone rests.
Her blue eyes go wide. They dart around the table before returning to me. “Gabe,” she breathes.
I lower our joined hands to my lap, running my thumb over her knuckles. “Yeah, Foster?”
She studies the gentle movement for a moment, then visibly swallows. “Nothing,” she whispers.
I wait for her to pull her hand back, but when she doesn’t, I keep dragging my thumb back and forth across her soft skin. Her eyelashes fan the tops of her cheekbones as she lets her eyes fall closed for a moment, sinking into the comfort I’m providing.
Eventually, we finish our food, and then the dishes are cleared away. While the dinner portion was served to us, the dessert is buffet-style. I can already tell Hallie is eyeing the cake from across the room, so we’ll definitely be stopping by the dessert table before the night is through.
The other people at our table slowly leave as they start to mingle. When it’s just Hallie and me, I turn to ask her if she wants to dance, but someone interrupts me.
“Hallie, Gabe, how lovely to see you again.”
We both look up to find Dana standing over us. She has a very distinct mother-of-the-bride air about her, and there is zero kindness in her gaze when it rests on Hallie. You would think she’d have more pressing things to focus on, today of all days.
I reach out and place a hand on Hallie’s thigh. I’ve got you, Foster.
“Hi, Dana.” Hallie pastes on a polite smile. “The wedding was beautiful, and so is the reception. You and Caitlyn did a great job with everything.”
“Yes, well, it was all quite expensive,” she says. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up about having the same kind of assistance with yours.”
What the fuck?
Hallie’s smile falters. “That’s fine. I’m not expecting anything.”
Dana nods. “Good. Managing expectations is wise.” She waits a beat, then says, “Enjoy the rest of the evening.”
When Dana is far enough away, I ask, “Are you alright?”
Hallie nods, but it does little to convince me. “Do you want to dance? We should dance.”
She’s out of her chair before I can reply, so I simply follow her. She stops at the edge of the dance floor, and suddenly, she looks unsure.
I hold out a hand. “Let me take your mind off things.”
Hallie sets her palm in mine, and I pull her close. With my arm around her, my hand resting on her lower back, we begin to sway like the rest of the couples occupying the floor. On the far side, I see Caitlyn and Amara sharing a dance.
“I might step on your toes,” Hallie warns.
I grin. “Do your worst, baby. I can take it.”
She shakes her head, making the waves of her hair flutter around her shoulders, but her eyes dance with laughter.
From across the room, I can feel Dana’s gaze on us. Suddenly, I want nothing more than to sell this thing for Hallie. I want everyone to see how happy we are. How happy I can make her.
“We haven’t talked about how far you want to take things,” I say quietly, for only Hallie to hear.
“How far?” she asks.
“Yeah.” I lick my lips, tilting my head closer. “You’re supposed to be my fiancée. We want to make it look real, don’t we?” I ask. “So do I have your permission to treat you like you’re mine?”
Her fingers tighten on my shoulders, and she inhales an unsteady breath. “What would being yours look like, exactly?”
I tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, delaying as I debate with myself over how to answer that question. With the truth, I decide.
“I wouldn’t let you walk home from work. I’d pick you up every time. I’d always let you and Abbie pick the music, even if I can’t stand the songs. I’d learn new recipes so you’d always have something you could eat. And I’d watch 10 Things I Hate About You on repeat, just to see you smile.”
“That doesn’t sound any different than what you do now.” Her voice is quiet.
“I would feel lucky as hell to be with you, so I would hold you close every chance I had,” I continue, demonstrating by tightening my arm around her waist, pulling her flush to me. She nods, and I continue. “And, most importantly, I would kiss you. All the time.”
I might be pushing my luck here, but… fuck it .
It’s faint, but I swear I hear her breath hitch. I wait for her to protest. She doesn’t.
“What do you think, Foster? Can I kiss you to prove that you’re mine?”
I’m walking on a tightrope with no safety net below me. All that stands between me and certain death is the beauty in my arms. She can sever that rope with a few sharp words.
Hallie’s lips part. “We, um, want it to look real.” She nods, resolute. “Treat me like I’m yours, Gabriel.”
The room full of people around us ceases to exist. In this world, it’s only me and Hallie. With tunnel vision, I cup her cheek, tilt her head, then bring my lips to hers. She feels warm and soft. Her perfume invades my nose, rendering me powerless.
Hallie Foster has left me irrevocably defenseless, and I don’t think she even knows it.
So many times, I’ve thought of kissing her.
What she would taste like. If she would gasp in surprise, then lean into it.
Nothing prepared me for how it would feel to have her melt in my hold as the tension seeped from her body.
How it would feel to have her press herself closer, until her soft curves were all I knew.
Hallie Foster has left me defenseless, but truthfully, I don’t give a shit.
I want to take this further. Back her against the wall so I can properly explore her mouth. Map her waist and hips with my hands. I want to feel her long hair threaded between my fingers, wrapped around my fist. I want to watch her come undone, and then do it all over again.
Reluctantly, though, I pull myself away. She blinks dazedly, and I find a small sense of satisfaction in that. In putting that look of sated confusion on her face.
With my thumb, I wipe away a smudge of lip gloss on the corner of her mouth. Then I lick the taste of it off my own lips.
Her gaze dips to my mouth. “I…”
“Mm,” I hum. “Strawberry.”
She shakes her head, as if to clear it. “You kissed me like you’re trying to win something.”
You , I want to tell her.
“Come on,” I say instead. The song has ended now, and in its place is something more upbeat. “Let’s go find some cake.”
I take her hand in mine. She still has that slight look of confusion on her face, so it takes her a second, but then she lets me lead her over to the dessert table.
By now, the room has grown relaxed as people have indulged in more drinks and sweets. Both Hallie and I have stuck to water, but she has no qualms about grabbing a generous slice of cake. I do the same.
We retake our seats and start on our dessert. I can’t help watching the way Hallie meticulously licks the buttercream frosting off her fork. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she does it on purpose simply to torture me.
We’re finishing off our slices when Caitlyn finds us. She sits in the empty chair beside Hallie. “Hi! I’m so glad you could make it.”
Hallie beams, and this time, her smile is genuine. I know she’s still nervous, but at the core of it, she’s happy to be part of her sister’s big day.
“Congratulations,” Hallie says. “Your dress is stunning. Amara’s, too. And this place looks amazing!”
“Thank you. I definitely wasn’t one of those girls who always dreamed about what their wedding would look like, but once the theme hit me, I had to make it perfect.”
I chuckle. “I’d say you definitely succeeded in that.”
She smiles. “Now, not that I don’t love chatting with you, but I actually came over here for a reason,” Caitlyn says. “You can say no, but I was wondering if you’d come take a picture with us.”
Hallie’s eyes widen in surprise. “ Me ?”
Caitlyn laughs. “Yeah, you. We got a bunch earlier with Mom, Dad and Bryan, but I’d like some with you, too. If you’re alright with it.”
Hallie turns to me, and I nod encouragingly. Most of the time, she knows what she wants to do, she just needs a little nudge. A bit of reassurance. I’m glad I can be that for her.
“Sorry to steal your fiancée away, but I promise to return her soon,” Caitlyn assures me.
“Good.” I grin. “Because I’m quite fond of her.”
Hallie stands from her chair, setting her napkin on the table. There’s a momentary pause, where it seems like she’s making a decision. Then she bends and plants a quick kiss on my lips.
“I’ll be back,” she murmurs, pulling away before I have time to respond.
I fight the urge to drag her back to the table and ask for a proper kiss. Because I know that soon, we won’t be pretending anymore, and I won’t have another opportunity to taste her the way I’ve been craving for years.