Page 38 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

Things would be awkward for a while, but my family would come around.

Now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag, I should have felt relief. Some type of victory, but a pile of guilt hit me square in the chest.

I was lying to the people I loved. I wasn’t proud of what I was doing, but I had my reasons, and if it meant keeping her out of her father’s grasp, then it was worth it.

Because, despite everything, I still cared about her. Probably always would.

We managed to make it through the rest of the dinner without further interrogation. Harlow sat beside me, quiet and trying to fake her way through this. She handled my family like a pro. When I reached for her hand again under the table, and shewrapped her fingers around mine, I had the urge to hold on to her for just a little while longer.

CHAPTER TWELVE

HARLOW

When we walked through the door of Gilda’s, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was small, but exactly as I remembered it. There were only ten tables in the restaurant, so we sat at the bar and had a drink while waiting for a spot to open up.

I didn’t usually drink alcohol in the afternoon, but today wasn’t a typical day. Brooks and I were going to pick out rings.

I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He sat beside me, one arm draped along the back of my chair.

We probably looked like a normal couple enjoying a drink together, unlike two people who could barely stand to be in the same room together.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, giving him one last chance to bail out of the plan.

After having dinner with his family, I was second-guessing everything. I liked the Dawsons, and I hated lying to them.

He took a sip of his drink. “We need to make it official. Show everyone in town you’re still madly in love with me.”

I rolled my eyes. “We’ve already told enough lies, let’s not add any more.”

“Oh, come on. It’s kind of romantic, don’t you think?” he teased.

“Yeah, sure. Nothing says romantic like a fake engagement and a flooded house.”

I was sipping my chardonnay when Shannon, who owned one of the shops in town, came over to say hello to Brooks. She did a double take when she looked at me. Her eyes lit up in recognition.

“Well, I’ll be dammed. Harlow Bennet, is that really you?”

I turned in my seat to face her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Shannon Anthony was an ex-beauty queen. She had to be in her late fifties now, but the woman was always dressed in beautiful pastel colors and wore pretty jewelry.

“I can’t believe my eyes.” She glanced between us. “I never thought I would see you two lovebirds back together again.”

Brooks flashed her a charming grin. “What can I say, Shannon? God blessed us with a second chance. Harlow was always the one who got away. I told myself if I ever got another shot, I wouldn’t let her slip through my fingers again.”

I almost choked on my drink.

She patted his hand. “I remember telling your mama that you two would get married someday. I just knew you needed a little bit of time to get there.”

She smiled and looked me up and down. “You are just as pretty as you were last time I saw you.”

A blush crept up my neck. “Thank you, Shannon. You look great, too.”

She waved me off. “It’s the Botox. I refuse to accept my age.”

Brooks placed his foot on the edge of my stool’s footrest. “You don’t need all that crap. You have natural beauty.”

She clutched her pearls, literally. “You always were a charmer, even though you lay it on thick sometimes.”

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