Page 100 of David's Proposal

“What is this on your skirt, Liz? Is it ice cream?”

“Um…”

She rubs the white stuff off and almost wants to smell it.

“Stop doing that. Yes. It’s ice cream. I told you I had a slice of ice cream cake in the kitchen.”

“And you couldn’t not drop something on it.“

“Mom.”

Her eyes come to me.

“Stop nagging me,” I say quietly. “It was an accident.”

“Accident or not, I need to remove that stain.”

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“All right,” she says. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to get home,” she adds, forgetting about the stains, the same way I forget about wearing my dress almost backward.

Eventually, we run into Thea and say goodbye to her.

David, Lex, and Ed are in the hallway when we leave.

David’s back is turned to us, so there’s no exchange of any kind between us.

If it weren’t for my flushed cheeks, crooked dress, and the stains on my skirt, I’d have a hard time believing he was pounding into me a few moments ago.

15

LIZ

The Wedding Day

The moment Thea says‘I do’my eyes fill with happy tears, and I’m probably not the only one.

So far, everything is perfect.

The atmosphere is festive, and the place is decorated with flowers, candles tucked in glass jars, and wedding balloons.

The men and women are dressed to the nines, and Thea and Ed look like the perfect couple.

I’m so happy for them and grateful they have so many friends here with them.

I did my job well.

I didn’t stumble. Didn’t trip over my dress, or anything like that.

Despite guarding a big secret, I felt like a princess and didn’t mind people’s eyes on me.

One of the most handsome men in the room couldn’t take his eyes off me.

I feel his eyes on me even now.

It’s easy for him to study me, but I can’t say the same thing about myself.

Even so, I catch sight of his blue gaze from time to time.

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