Page 60 of Runaway Bride and Prejudice

“I’m kind of in the middle or something here,” I tell her.

The woman sniffs, then raises one sculpted eyebrow. “I don’t mind.”

Okay, then.

Turning back to Drew, I tilt my head, cracking my neck. Always a good intimidation move. It also helps slightly with the crick I have from sleeping on the plane.

“When we get back down to the lobby, you are going to walk right over to the front desk and give up the honeymoon suite.”

“But I?—”

“No.”

I stop just short of grabbing him by his scrawny neck. I already risked enough dragging him onto the elevator. Pressing assault charges would fit right into his whole wimpy aesthetic. He flinches, even as my finger hovers inches from his chest, pointing at him but not touching.

“There is nobutthat could possibly excuse you sleeping with the maid of honor who is also your ex-fiancée’s cousin, then coming here and claiming the honeymoon suite for the two of you.”

“I paid for it,” he sneers.

“I don’t care. I’ll happily foot the bill as soon as you turn over the room to us. You’ll need to save your money anyway. Because you are going to pay Coach and Amelia back every single cent they spent on the wedding. Because you know what?”

I lean closer until our foreheads are inches apart.

“It’s the right thing to do. You don’t seem to have any concept of right or wrong, so consider this my way of helping you out. Explain the situation to the front desk. Then get your stuff out. Preferably, take it to another hotel. Or another state.”

“I’m not?—”

The woman, whom I’d forgotten about until now, speaks. “Young man, are you really trying to argue?”

I take a step back from Drew as he stutters a response.

“Uh, y-yes ma’am.”

She shakes her head at him and turns to me. “I’m a lawyer.” She pulls out an embossed card from her beach bag and hands it to me. “And I specialize in civil cases much like this one. I wish I could say this is a one-off, but there are plenty of bad fish in the sea.”

I take the woman’s card, sliding it into my pocket. Not a bad idea to put her on call. The team has lawyers but I don’t know if they’ll help with something like this.

“And there aren’t enough men like you.” She pats my arm, then steps back, waving a hand. “Continue. We’re almost back down to the lobby.”

I glare at Drew. “Do we understand each other?”

For a moment, I really think he’s going to argue. The woman clears her throat, and in my peripheral vision, I see her shaking her head.

“Fine,” Drew spits out.

“Good.” While I feel like I’ve taken some small slice of justice, it’s not nearly enough as I feel the elevator slowing. “Last thing. I’d ask you to apologize to Amelia, but it’s clear you don’t have the proper understanding of what you’ve done wrong. So, don’t talk to her. Don’t call her or text her. Don’t look at her. Because she deserves better. She deserves the kind of man you could never hope to be.”

“Let me guess,” Drew says, narrowing his eyes. “You thinkyou'rethat man?”

I raise my voice, as obviously, he has a hearing problem. “I don’t come close to being good enough for Amelia. But if she were mine? I would never let her go. I would spend every waking day and every single breath just hoping I could show her the love she deserves.”

I don’t realize the elevator is stopped and the doors are open until I hear clapping. It starts with the lawyer still standing a few feet away but she’s quickly joined by most of the lobby by the time I’ve turned around.

EveryonebutAmelia and her cheating cousin. They aren’t standing anywhere near each other, but share the same shocked expression. Amelia blinks at me like I’ve just announced I’m an alien, here on a mission to destroy the earth.

Ignoring everyone but her, I cross the lobby and lace my fingers through Amelia’s before I can rethink it. I hope she doesn’t feel the way my hand is shaking.

“Let’s go pack up your things. I think by the time we get back down here, our room situation will be straightened out.”

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