“When did…” Ella swallowed. “When did this happen? And how…?” She hadn’t removed her gaze from my face.
I felt like I was melting under her scrutiny right there in the middle of Harmony Pub.
“Coralie and I go way back.” I was certain that I’d mentioned her to Ella in the past. “We dated in high school. Then we reconnected in New York,” I said as I wrapped my arm around Coralie’s shoulders once more and pulled her next to me. I needed something to hold. I felt like I was on a Tilt-a-Whirl, and I needed something to ground myself.
I thought I’d prepared myself for seeing Ella again. Apparently not.
“B—but you’ve only been gone for a few weeks.”
I shrugged, hating that my heart still broke for Ella. I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t want to confuse her. My feelings for her were desperately trying to claw their way up from the depths of my mind and settle back into my brain. But I knew the truth. Ella didn’t want me. She was never going to want me, and I needed to move on or I was going to go insane.
“When you know, you know,” I said as I squeezed Coralie’s shoulders.
Coralie’s hand found my chest once more as she glanced up at me. “And I knew.”
She rose up onto her toes, so I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. It felt strange, kissing another woman in front of Ella,knowingthat she was watching. But Coralie was going to be my wife. I was going to have to get used to this.
And if Ella and I were going to stay friends, we were both going to have to get used to being around our significant others.
When I pulled back from the kiss, I glanced up to see Ella studying us. I could tell that she was still trying to process what I’d said. I knew what Ella’s investigative journalist expression looked like, and right now, two plus two was not equaling four in her mind.
“Oh, my gosh, you’re Coralie Parks,” a female voice had all three of us turning to see who had spoken.
Shelby Sorenson stepped up to stand next to Ella. Behind her, Abigail and Juniper followed.
I frowned as I studied Shelby. How did she know Coralie?
“You know her?” Ella asked, glancing between Coralie and Shelby.
Shelby nodded. “She’s—you’re the mayor’s daughter.”
Ella looked even more confused. “Mayor? Mayor of what?”
Shelby glanced over at Ella. “Of New York City.” She paused. “I used to work for the wedding planning agency that your sister, Willow, works for.”
I wasn’t sure what the story was there, but there was a curt tone to Shelby’s voice. Something that told me her memory of that place wasn’t positive.
“Oh!” Coralie said as she waved her hand in Shelby’s direction. “Okay. Yeah, Willow doesn’t work there anymore.” She leaned in. “She showed up drunk to work a few times.” Corlie laughed.
From my brief interactions with Willow while I’d stayed with the Parks, I knew that Coralie was telling the truth.
“Oh,” Shelby said, her cheeks turning pink. “That’s interesting.”
“Coralie is Asher’s fiancée.” Ella finally spoke.
It was strange, hearing that word from Ella. It wasn’t that I’d never heard it before. After all, I’d said the word,fiancée, a few times. But to have Ella speak that word out loud, made this situation real. Like, real,real.
All of a sudden the implications of my proposal came crashing into me. This was going to be my life. I’d chosen it. So why did her words unsettle me?
“Fiancée?” Shelby asked softly before dragging her gaze from Ella to Coralie and then to me.
“Isn’t that great?” Ella said, her enthusiasm as artificial as her favorite banana-flavored taffy.
Shelby glanced back at Ella. “That’s…fantastic. When are you getting married? And where?”
Coralie giggled. “Next weekend.”
“Next weekend?” Ella’s reaction was high-pitched and squeaky. She stared at Coralie for a moment before she turned her attention to me. But like the chicken I was, I couldn’t meet her gaze. I didn’t want to witness her confusion. I already knew what she thought, but I was determined to not care.
