Page 57 of Fast

I don’t mind her chatter. After all, I live here now and in a small town like Star Cove, I’m probably bound to run into most of these people at some point.

“Family and friends,” Scott raises from his chair, tapping on his glass with a teaspoon to get everyone’s attention. “It’s usually custom for the best man to give a speech. And I’m sure my eldestson Ares is going to dazzle us all with his eloquence in just a minute.”

A snort comes from Heather. “Eloquence? He couldn’t have picked someone more quiet than you, A.” She chides.

“Pipe down, Heath.” Ares glares at her.

Scott gives a heartfelt speech about how he never thought he would find love again, after losing it once. He talks about how my mom is his kindred spirit, how they have a similar view of the world, and how that fact turned their attraction into something impossible to resist.

Once again, love shines in his eyes when he looks at my mom, and usually, I would be fawning over every word my new stepfather is saying.

When I was little, straight after my parents divorced, I used to hope that they would get back together. But those times are long gone. I had to learn the hard way, that being apart was what was best for my parents.

So I’m happy for my mom, truly.

However, no matter how hard I try to concentrate on Scott’s speech first, and on Ares’s straight after, my attention is elsewhere.

Words like family, commitment, union, go in one ear and out of the other, as my eyes keep landing on Angela and Lev.

Heather’s best friend keeps whispering into Lev’s ear.

My eyes narrow at the way she’s giggling and can’t keep her hands off of him. There's a few subtle touches; a hand on his biceps, playing with the cufflinks on Lev’s shirt, a squeeze to his shoulder as she leans closer to say something just for Lev’s benefit.

She’s flirting shamelessly and I don’t even realize how my hands are clenched into tight fists until my nails dig so hard into my palm that I almost draw blood.

Toward the end of Ares’s best man speech, I’m toying with the idea of stuffing a gigantic slice of wedding cake into Angela’s wide-set mouth to see if that will shut her up.

Jealousy is twisting my insides, and I have to remind myself that we’re at a party with the town’s most important people in attendance. There’s also the fact that Lev isn’t encouraging her in any way. He’s paying attention to the speeches, his green eyes meeting mine now and then.

But even if Lev was encouraging her, I have to remind myself that he isn’t my boyfriend and I have no right to expect him to ignore another woman’s attention.

It doesn’t matter that what happened last weekend in the outdoor shower with Lev and Chance has been playing in my head on repeat all week.

I heave a relieved sigh when the speeches are over and the bride and groom walk to the middle of the room for their first dance as husband and wife.

“Can I have that dance now?” Chance asks, offering me his hand.

I take it with a smile and let him lead me to the dance floor.

My relief is short-lived though, because Angela drags Lev to the other side of the room to dance to the slow song that apparently is my mom and Scott’s song.

Chance looks like he came straight out of a dream, or a rom-com.

The charcoal colored tux he’s wearing has been perfectly tailored to his tall, muscular frame; the cut of the jacket highlights his broad shoulders, strong chest, and his trim waist.

The bow tie and boutonniere match the “mystic lilac” color of my dress and make the ocean blue of his eyes pop in contrast.

I realize that I’ve been staring at them, my posture rigid in Chance’s arms.

“Angela has always had a crush on Lev.” Chance says after a few moments.

“Oh, I—” I don’t know what to say. I feel terrible that I’ve been ignoring him to stare at Lev.

“He doesn’t feel the same way,” Chance continues. “He never has. We’ve known Angela as long as we’ve known Heather, and you’d think that by now, she’d have gotten the hint that Lev isn’t interested.”

That makes me feel better, and I relax a little in his arms. I still feel guilty, though, for being distracted. “I’m sorry, it shouldn’t matter who Lev is dancing with, when I’m dancing with you.”

Chance’s eyes sparkle with amusement. “Relax, baby. I get it. You like him too. Maybe I should have been happy that you thought they had a thing, but that isn’t how I plan to win you over.”

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