Chapter 9 #2
“I thought the wedding was tacky,” I said finally, turning to face her once I’d reached the comfortable little living area.
The whole cabin was rustic as hell, the couches faded and overstuffed, with old throws on the backrests and a coffee table that’d seen better days, but it felt homier than any other Pembroke house I’d ever been to.
“Beach weddings aren’t really for me, though.
I have no idea if it was what you wanted or not, but that’s my honest opinion. ”
She cocked her head. “Are you still trying to grovel? Because that six is about to turn into a five, and by four, you’re back on the porch.”
“Just hear me out.” I put my hands up to show her I came in peace. “I’m sorry, but I hated your dress too.”
Her blonde eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, please.” I scoffed. “Even a blind man would’ve been able to see how uncomfortable you were. The same goes for that contraption you wore to the bridal shower.”
She just stared at me for a beat, but then, unexpectedly, she laughed. “It was so uncomfortable. Both of them, actually. And the shoes? God, don’t even get me started on the shoes.”
“Next time, you should make better choices.”
“If I get to make any choices at all, you mean,” she said quietly, the amusement fading from her features. “I didn’t pick any of that stuff, Ryan. Not the dresses, the shoes, or the venue. None of it had anything to do with me.”
“I thought so.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. You looked so miserable that it was pretty obvious” I reached for one of the throws and started patting myself dry, not looking at her even as I carried on with my honest review.
“If you ask me, the entire situation was out of control. The press shouldn’t have been granted access to absolutely every area of the venue.
I mean, I had to physically block them from walking in on you getting dressed. ”
She flinched. “Really?”
“Yeah. There was so much security everywhere, but I don’t even know what they were doing. Your parents and Daniel’s parents were acting like it was some historic event instead of a wedding. It was like they didn’t even notice how much neither of you wanted to be there.”
Her eyes flicked back to mine. “Daniel didn’t want to be there either?”
I shrugged. “I can’t be a hundred percent sure. He didn’t say anything about it, but I think he was uncomfortable, too. Maybe not for the same reasons you were, but he didn’t exactly look like it was the best day of his life.”
She stared at the floor for a beat. “I’m still not going back, Ryan.”
“Yeah, I figured, but you should know what you’re in for if you don’t.”
“Marcus will fix it.” She glanced up at me again. “He always swoops in and fixes everything.”
I couldn’t stop the short clip of dry laughter that shot out of me. “Be realistic, Maggie. Your brother can’t fix this.”
“He’s the Pembroke heir. Damage control is his domain.”
“That doesn’t mean he has a magic wand.”
“He’ll figure something out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out if you’re not there, Maggie. Marcus has a lot riding on this arrangement in terms of your family’s public image and honestly? You owe Daniel a massive apology.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t owe him anything.”
“He didn’t choose this either,” I said. “You could’ve at least given him a heads-up about how you were feeling.”
“Why? He looked fine with everything.”
“Because he was fulfilling a duty to his family, Maggie,” I said, the words coming out a little harsher now.
My voice dropped several octaves as I looked back at her.
“Are you honestly going to stand there and tell me you’re washing your hands of all this?
Marcus will fix it. Daniel was fine. And you’re what? Innocent?”
“I didn’t have a choice, Ryan.” Her features hardened. “I’m not going back to beg for the forgiveness of a man I never said yes to or for permission from my family to make my own choices.”
“Then I’m done,” I said, making my decision right there on the spot.
“I’ve had it with all this. I was trying to help you, but I’m not your errand boy.
This isn’t even any of my business but I’ve been dragged into it anyway.
Constantly. But I’ve had enough. Good luck, Maggie. Seriously, you’re going to need it.”
I marched back to the front door and snatched my car keys up from the table, turning to the door just as the lights flickered. Maggie looked up just as they flickered again, and the next thing I knew, everything went black.
“Oh, come on,” I muttered.
Thunder rolled somewhere in the distance, and a second later, rain started hammering against the windows again. I dropped my head back and cursed but opened the door anyway and strode out onto the porch.
A power outage wasn’t going to change my mind.
“What’s happening?” Maggie asked, her voice so close that she’d obviously followed me out. “You can’t still be leaving.”
“I am.” At least, I was until I looked down the long driveway and realized a huge tree had fallen across it, taking down part of the fence with it.
Fuck. Maybe I’m not.
Leaving had just become significantly more complicated, and until I could get someone out here to come move that tree, I wasn’t going to be able to go anywhere unless I did it on foot. And even then, I would have to come back at some point for my car.
So for now, I was stuck. With Maggie Pembroke, the runaway bride, in a secret cottage no one knew about, in the middle of a storm and a power outage, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about any of it.