Page 20 of Between Never and Forever
His eyes widened, and he chuckled before he got down on one knee.
Was this how women felt during a proposal? Like their life flashed before their eyes? Like, how had I gotten here, and how the hell could I get out? It’s how I knew I wasn’t meant for love, for forevers, and for marriage. I was abnormally sickened by this charade.
“My love for you has been the biggest secret to have to keep from the world, Keelani.”
What a lie. We hadn’t been seen together these past few months because we’d planned to let the relationship fizzle into the wind. Now, he was claiming we were in love in secret.
“Marry me and make me the happiest man alive? I want to share with the world how well we harmonize together.”
Was he for real? That was so cheesy, especially when I knew his biggest secret wasn’t that. Yet I worked up tears, and my chin wobbled before I whispered, “Yes.” Honestly, the tears might have been a bit real since I’d agreed to marry a man I didn’t love.
There was no kiss after the proposal, and the cameraman thanked us before he left like he was on a deadline. Most likely, he wanted to get that picture everywhere quick.
Ethan murmured apologies in my ear while a few people came up to congratulate us, but none of them were people I knew. The people I knew stood back watching. Dimitri had that look in his eye, and Olive shoved at his shoulder. They were disappointed. I knew they were going to give me hell. And the cherry on top was seeing Dex across the casino floor, standing there with a beautiful woman on his arm. His date was tall, stoic, and fit next to him perfectly as she turned to him to whisper something in his ear.
My gut shouldn’t have twisted in pain, but it did. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before I whispered to Ethan, “You can go home now. Show’s over, right? I’m going back to my room.”
“You okay?” He frowned at me, but what could I say?
I combed a hand through my hair, and he touched one strand of it. “I like your hair by the way. New look?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I sighed, looking back to where Dex had been standing and not seeing him there anymore. “I guess our teams will be in touch about the news, right?”
He nodded and straightened his black tie. He looked the part tonight with his hair slicked back, and I could tell he’d even had his eyebrows plucked like he knew the cameras would be capturing the moment. “Yeah. Maybe I should come up there and—”
“Not happening.” It wasn’t my voice but Dex’s, from behind me, that cut through Ethan’s proposition.
I whipped around, surprised to see him standing before us with a scowl on his face.
“Keelani, we have business to discuss.”
His date was gone, but mine didn’t get lost so easily.
“It’s almost midnight,” Ethan retorted.
“And she’s still working. She’s contracted for this wedding.”
At that point, Dimitri made his way over. “I’ll take Keelani back to her room.”
“Nope.” Dex shook his head. “Kee’s coming with me.”
“Dex—”
“Dimitri, I’mthisclose.” His voice shook, full of emotion. I didn’t know if it was anger or disgust.
How could I when I didn’t know anything about him anymore? Yet, Dimitri glanced at me like he was asking my permission, like he knew his brother well enough to give him this. When he searched my face to see if I could handle it, I nodded. This wasn’t my place to make a scene. I had too much respect for the Hardys.
“Tonight is about Dom and Clara. Your older brother just got married. So, let’s not have a therapy session during his reception, guys. Ethan, go home. I’ll call you tomorrow. Dimitri, I’ll call you later. Dex, is business necessary at eleven o’clock at night?”
He crossed his arms. “I don’t wait to talk business with anyone, Kee. Especially not you.”
I scoffed but wasn’t surprised. A lifetime ago, this man may have appeased me, but that had changed. Now, I was sure he wanted to make my life hell.
“I need to change, then. This dress is a lot.”
He eyed it once, then twice for good measure. My stupid body tensed the whole time. “I expect you down here in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll meet you by the penny slots. You should play a few. They’re fun and you look like you need a bit of that in your life,” I said as I pushed past him.
