Chapter 11 Koren
eleven
Koren
Whoever came up with assigned seating clearly doesn’t understand that some complexities can’t be put on paper.
Like ex-fiancés with soft lips who look unfairly hot in a groomsman’s tux.
I tuck my arms tight against my body, avoiding any chance of elbow rubbing.
Every time his knee bumps mine, I passive-aggressively clink my fork against the table.
I stare at my fork, half-wishing I could “accidentally” jab his knee with it.
When his leg knocks into my knee a fourth time, I blurt, “If you bump me again, I’m going to stab you with my fork. ”
He gives me a quiet side-eye. He’s extra jittery and his bobble knee never stays in one spot.
I glare at it bouncing up and down, and I do my best to slide to the other edge of my chair.
With a huff, I check the time on my phone.
We’ve only been here ten minutes. Everyone is eating and laughing, and we haven’t started speeches yet.
What I wouldn’t give for a robust case of food poisoning right about now.
I mean nothing that would hurt Kaci or Jackson and ruin their special day, but enough to send me to the bathroom for the rest of the night.
Again, his knee bounces into mine, and I stiffen, pulling my shoulders back.
And then.
It happens.
I knew something was off with my dress straps the second I put in on. The gap was too wide, like it was already giving out. With the faintest sound of fabric ripping, the strap aborts its mission and snaps.
I freeze with my fork midair.
Apparently, Elijah has super hearing for wardrobe malfunctions, as his head immediately turns toward me. “Whoa!”
I grapple for the top of my dress and turn sideways in my chair so I’m not facing the entire room. White-knuckled, I hold onto my dress, making sure it doesn’t fall and hiss, “Don’t even think about looking this way.”
“I’m not looking.” He wags his head back and forth.
My gaze locks on the exit that is all the way on the other side of the room. I seriously have to get up and strut out of here with my hand over my boob. Like that’s not going to attract any attention.
Sweat trickles down my lower back as I weigh my options.
I can’t sink into the floor.
Nor can I fly out of the window.
There aren’t any other options!
Then, in one terrifyingly smooth movement, Elijah shrugs out of his suit jacket and carefully drapes it over my shoulders like I hadn’t just threatened him with my fork two seconds ago.
His voice is quiet. “It’ll be okay. We’ll walk out together.
The wedding planner has to have a sewing kit for emergencies like this. ”
Swallowing, I can’t resist looking at him.
I hate how handsome he is while I’m struggling to not be a hot mess.
I hate how gentle and sweet he sounds when all I want to do is hate him.
I hate how natural it feels to pull his jacket tighter around my shoulders and melt into the breezy beach scent.
I hate how it feels like no time has passed, and that there’s some invisible pull from deep within my body that wants to lean toward him for protection.
“I’m fine.” I stare straight ahead. “This whole day is cursed.” My chest tightens.
Not just because I’m still struggling to hold up my dress but from the emotions spiraling through me.
As much as I tell myself I hate Elijah, he’s been by my side all day.
I want to roll my eyes. I want to scream.
Instead, I slowly push back my chair, plotting my exit.
But then he says something senseless. “I’d still marry you.”
I blink hard. My pulse thunders in my ears, causing them to heat to new extremes. “What?”
His fingers fidget with his cuffs. “I don’t think either of us will ever make sense of it all.
The more I think about it, nothing that happened was really our choice.
Everything they said. Everything they pushed.
I think if we sat down and rehashed everything we were told about each other, we’d find out we were set up. ”
My brain scrambles to catch up with the truth crashing into me like a wave, while I wiggle and tug at my dress again.
Why is he saying this now?
And there he sits with the softest eyes I’ve ever seen. It is not helping. In a final plea for help, I whisper, “Well, if you can get me out of here without causing a scene, I’ll let you talk for two minutes.”
With that, he offers his arm one more time. I hook mine through his, clutching my dress up with the other hand, and we quietly slip out the exit.