Page 28 of Forbidden Fruit

“Thank you,” I manage, smoothing down the front of my dress nervously. “Is everything okay? I thought I heard...”

“Just Kay being Kay,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. He takes another sip of his whiskey, and I notice his knuckles are white around the glass. “She has a particular vision for how this evening should go.”

I approach the pool’s edge, watching how the water catches the torchlight. “And what vision is that?”

Clive hesitates, then moves to stand beside me. He’s close enough that I can smell his cologne—something woodsy and expensive—mingled with the whiskey on his breath.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this,” he says quietly, “but I think you deserve to know what you’re walking into.”

My heart rate picks up. “What do you mean?”

He turns to face me fully, and even in the dim light, I can see the intensity in his blue eyes. “Kay has orchestrated this entire weekend. She’s convinced Jack will propose and determined to make it happen on her timeline.”

“Oh,” I whisper, unsure whether to feel excited or manipulated. “I see.”

“Do you want that? Marriage to Jack?”

The directness of his question catches me off guard. No one has ever actually asked me what I want. They just assume.

“I...” I start, then falter. “We’ve been together five years. It’s the next logical step.”

Clive’s eyebrow raises slightly. “That wasn’t my question.”

Before I can respond, he steps closer, close enough that I’m forced to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “Rebecca, you deserve someone who looks at you like you’re the center of their universe. Someone who appreciates your intelligence, kindness, and...” he gestures vaguely at me, “everything.”

My breath catches. “Clive, you’re drunk.”

“Slightly,” he admits with a small smile. “But that doesn’t make what I’m saying any less true.”

I don’t know what to say. No one has ever spoken to me like this, with such conviction, such certainty about my worth.

“Good luck tonight,” he says finally, stepping back and finishing his drink in one swallow. “Whatever happens, just remember—you don’t have to settle for someone who makes you feel small.”

As he walks away, I’m left standing by the pool, my reflection wavering in the rippling water, feeling as though something fundamental has shifted beneath my feet.

“Becca! There you are.”

I see Kay striding toward me, her silk jumpsuit rustling with each determined step. Her smile is wide but doesn’t quite reach her eyes as she takes in my appearance.

“You look lovely, dear. That dress is... bold.” She reaches out to adjust one of my straps unnecessarily. “Jack is just finishing up. He’s been so nervous all day.”

My mind is still reeling from Clive’s words. I force a smile. “Nervous? That doesn’t sound like Jack.”

Kay laughs, a practiced tinkle. “Well, some occasions call for a little nerves, don’t they?” She links her arm through mine, steering me toward the outdoor dining area where candles flicker in hurricane lamps. “I’ve had the chef prepare Jack’s favorite tonight. And champagne, of course.”

Of course. Everything is orchestrated, just as Clive said. I glance back toward the villa, seeing him through a window, pouring another drink. Our eyes meet briefly before he turns away.

“You know,” Kay continues, oblivious to my distraction, “I always hoped Jack would find someone from a good family. Your parents’ annual charity gala is still the social event of the season. Will they be joining us for the wedding? I was thinking spring at the Plaza would be divine.”

“We’re not even engaged yet,” I remind her, the words coming out sharper than intended.

Kay pats my hand. “Details, darling. Details.”

Jack appears then, freshly showered and wearing a crisp linen shirt I ironed for him thirty minutes ago. He looks handsome, I suppose, in the objective way I’ve always acknowledged. But for the first time, I notice he doesn’t look at me as he approaches—he’s checking his phone, his brow furrowed.

“Finally,” Kay says. “We were about to send a search party.”

Jack slips his phone into his pocket and gives his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to me. His eyes flick over my dress, and he frowns slightly.

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