When he reappeared at my side, I caught him staring at me. I looked down at myself.
“What? Is it too much?”
“Rose.”
I met his piercing gaze with an arched brow and waited for him to go on, but he just stared. Starting to feel worried, I tried to pull down the tan lining underneath my dress.
“No. No, it isn’t,” he whispered. “You look incredible,” he said, and my eyes snapped up to his.
This time when he offered his hand, it was a welcome distraction.
“I…you look incredible too, Jack. You always do,” I murmured feeling myself blush a little.
He opened his mouth to say something, but right at that moment, an older man put a hand on his shoulder and drew his attention away from me.
Jack introduced us, but after the initial shock of hearing Jack had gotten married, the guy wasn’t really interested in me. They started talking about a company I believed Jack was representing. Keeping the fixed smile on my face, I tuned them out, taking the opportunity to look around the room.
When I spotted two tables full of kids toward the back of the room, I couldn’t hide my curiosity. Some of them were talking to each other, while some of them just stared around in wonder. Their clothes didn’t fit in with this snazzy crowd, so I doubted they belonged to anyone who was in this room. It looked like each table had one adult sitting with them.
As Jack finished his conversation with the guy, Ken something, I leaned closer to him so nobody could hear us. He leaned down at the same time to make it easier for me, and my nose got a pretty good whiff of his cologne when my nose bumped his neck. It was the one I hated because it made me go all wonky around him—not a good look. “What charity is this event for?” I asked, managing to focus after the initial shock of the smell.
“An organization that supports foster kids.”
I pulled back and looked up at him in surprise. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“I didn’t?”
Slowly, I shook my head.
“I thought I did. Is that a problem?”
My entire childhood spent with the Colesons was rough. I was unwanted. For a kid that age, that knowledge was a hard pill to swallow. I knew what these kids were going through, how alone they felt, how abandoned and sometimes worthless. I’d always have a soft spot for kids and probably would have for the rest of my life.
Steeling my voice, I whispered, “I’d like to donate too. Where can I—”
Jack cleared his throat and looked away from me, his eyes moving across the crowd. “I’m already donating.”
“I understand that, but I’d like to donate as well.”
“I’m donating, so you don’t have to.”
He started walking, but this time holding hands worked in my favor and I was the one who tugged him back. He gave me an incredulous look as I raised my brows and waited for him to give me the answer I was looking for.
I didn’t know why he chose to lean down and whisper it in my ear, but I couldn’t exactly push him away. Before I could stop myself, I was tilting my head to the side and closing my eyes. Savoring the moment.
“We’re married, Rose. My donation is in both of our names. Let me do this.”
I heard his unspoken words as if he had spoken out loud.
For you.
Let me do this for you.
As he was pulling back, I reached up with my free hand and held on to his neck so he would stay put and listen. “Married or not, that’s your money, Jack. I love that you’re doing it in both our names, that means the world, but I want to help, too. We can both donate.”
For a long moment there was no answer, but he stayed bent like that, looking into my eyes. After a few more seconds passed in silence, feeling awkward I started to drop my hand from his neck, but he captured my wrist with his left one before I could and kept it on his shoulder.
I swallowed as I realized we were basically standing in an embrace in front of everyone, though it didn’t matter much to me whether anyone was watching or not. When I felt Jack’s nose brush my neck, my fingers tightened on his shoulder and a small shiver went through my body. I smiled.
“Does everything have to be a battle between us? Do you despise me that much? I’m taking care of it, Rose. Trust me. I’ll be donating one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in both our names.”
He finally pulled back and peered into my eyes. Like a fish, I opened and closed my eyes. Despise him? What gave him that idea?
“I could never despise you, Jack,” I whispered, feeling out of my depth.
Satisfied, he nodded once. “Let’s find our table.”
I closed my eyes for a quick second, trusting him to steer me away from any obstacles, and let out a deep breath. For the time being, playing the role of husband and wife was going to play some real tricks with my mind, and I wasn’t sure if I was gonna handle it all that well come the end of the night.
I opened my eyes and noticed we were passing the kids’ table. One of the little girls—she couldn’t have been over eight—was looking up at us with wide eyes, so I winked at her and watched her quickly drop her gaze back to her lap as she played with the edge of the white tablecloth.
When I faced forward again and Jack came to a halt, I still had a smile on my face. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all, I thought, but then when I saw who was standing in front of us, I wasn’t so sure about that anymore.
Bryan smiled at us, not a happy smile like you’d expect from someone you’d considered family for long years, but a mocking one.
“What a great coincidence to run into you two here!” Bryan exclaimed, looking from me to Jack. “Oh, this is a good night indeed.”
“Bryan,” Jack returned tightly.
I couldn’t say anything because I could see the couple standing right behind him, talking to an older woman. I was paralyzed.
As Bryan leaned forward to press a kiss on my cheek, Jack pulled me slightly against him so my shoulder was leaning against his side. I didn’t react. I was shocked into silence.
“Congratulations on your marriage again. I know we started on the wrong foot, but we can’t let little things like that get in the way of family, right Jack?” he asked. Bryan’s fake smile slid off his face when neither Jack nor I responded, and he followed my gaze and looked over his shoulder. “Jodi, look who I found here.”
Jodi turned to face her brother and her…companion turned with her.
I felt the remaining blood drain from my face, and as they strolled toward us, Jack’s hand tightened around mine. I was thankful that I was leaning against him because otherwise I didn’t think I could’ve stayed upright for too long.
Jodi and my ex-fiancé, Joshua, who had his hand around her waist, stopped in our little circle and greeted us as if nothing was wrong. It was the first time I was seeing him after he had broken up with me via text. It felt like it’d been ages, and now he was at a charity event with Jodi.
Even though I had no feelings left for my ex-fiancé anymore, I felt my heart break into little pieces all the same. Jodi smiled at me as if this was all normal and congratulated me on my marriage and apologized on missing the opening of my coffee shop, just like Bryan had. It seemed just as fake and forced. I couldn’t even nod in return because I couldn’t take my eyes off of Joshua. He spared me one glance and then looked anywhere but me.