I kept quiet and looked away.
“If you care about him, you’ll help him see that. He’s strong and we all want him to experience the joy of fatherhood. Only Tamara can give him that.”
My stomach twisted in pain as I avoided his burning gaze on me.
“He says that you’re the kindest person he’s ever met, so I’m counting on you to be selfless.”
Frederick and I were standing against the wall behind the others in the VIP section. My whole body shrunk as I imagined that in only a year it would be Tyton on that stage marrying a young bride.
Good for him.
I looked down, not able to fool myself with positive thinking. I hated the idea of my going back to being alone in the Motherlands and his moving on to be with someone else here. What had happened today in the meadow had felt healing to me. The feeling of being wanted and desired by Tyton was addicting and I had hoped we could do more of it tonight.
I watched Wilma and Emmerson take a stand across from each other and then King Jeremiah spoke about a husband protecting and loving his woman, and a wife honoring and obeying her husband.
“Did he say obeying?”
“Yeah.” Frederick nodded. “If a dangerous situation arises, she must be willing to follow instructions. How else can he protect her?”
“So, it doesn’t apply to all situations?”
Frederick chuckled. “I’d like to say yes, but Starr can be a ball-buster at times. Northlander women are strong, and they don’t tolerate weak men.”
“I now declare you husband and wife.” The moment King Jeremiah said it, Emmerson stepped in and kissed Wilma. When he pulled back, she beamed up at him and laughed as he picked her off her feet and swung her around. They were glowing with happiness and it was impossible not to smile.
And to think I wanted to save her from this.
If Emmerson was as good to her as Tyton had been to me today, then all my worries for her had been a waste of time.
Feeling burning eyes on me, I turned my head to the left and saw Tyton sending me a longing glance.
We didn’t smile. We just stood there and even though there were hundreds of people between us, I could read his mind. He wanted to marry me just like Emmerson had married his sister. The thought was crazy because we didn’t know each other that well, but then again, compared to Emmerson and Wilma, Tyton and I knew each other intimately.
The newlyweds didn’t stick around for more than an hour before they flew off in a drone. I wondered when Wilma would have time to write me again and if Tyton would keep his promise and deliver her letters.
Watching the drone disappear in the distance with Wilma in it, the dreadful feeling of loss made me tear up again. After my family’s death, Tyton and Wilma had been my distraction from my grief and a lifeline of sorts.
I looked down to hide my tears but still sensed when Tyton moved closer to me. Frederick’s words of reason had made it clear to me that what I’d found with Tyton today had been nothing but a fleeting moment of happiness.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with a worried expression.
“Can you take me back to the beach now?”
Frederick was close enough to hear and answered first, “Let me do it.”
Tyton sneered low. “No.I’mtaking her.”
Frederick crossed his arms. “You think that’s wise?”
“Make sure you take Dad and Mom home,” Tyton instructed his brother and threw a nod for me to follow him.
Frederick called out for us to stop, but that only made us walk faster as we headed straight for Tyton’s drone. When we took off, I leaned against the window and looked out on the lights below. Neither of us spoke, and it was like a wall of sadness and frustration had built itself between us.
Taking off the glasses and the fake eyebrows, I rubbed my face.
“Are you tired?”
“Yes.”
