Page 36 of Beyond Reach

The night before, she had lectured him all the way back to her place. The condescending attitude choked him. Marcella didn’t sound like she was hurt about finding him with Chanda.

“No, Garner,” he muttered to himself. “You’re not getting off the hook that easily. You were wrong.”

He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and dressed. Time to pay the piper. He needed to call Marcella, meet with her, and cancel the wedding. After that…he hesitated to think about approaching Chanda to rekindle things between them. Last night was not a solid indicator that she would be interested.

A snort of amusement escaped him. Who was he kidding? He knew her, even after a decade, he knew her. Sweet, beautiful, and expressive. He’d seen how she felt about him in her eyes, and it awakened what he had worked to bury in his own heart.

Chanda, to think he had allowed her to get away, his pride hurt that she would leave without telling him. He should have chased after her to the ends of the earth. Instead, he had told himself if she went it meant she didn’t love him as he loved her. And then he’d almost lost himself.

He dialed Marcella, and she answered cautiously. Was she still angry? “We need to talk, Marcella. Can I take you to lunch?”

She hesitated. “What’s it about?”

He tensed. “Let’s not play games with each other. I was wrong to meet with Chanda in the middle of the night, but as you heard it was important. I should have shared with you about the situation. I’m sorry. But—”

“You’re calling off the wedding, aren’t you?”

“Let’s meet. We can—”

“I know that hussy talked to you already. Don’t pretend.”

He frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean, and I don’t want to discuss something so serious over the phone. Let’s—”

Her voice turned as cold as ice, a tone he had never heard from Marcella. “If you think for one minute you’re going to marry her, you’re wrong! You said you love me. Were you lying?”

“Marcella—”

The rage disappeared, and she was sugar and spice. The sudden about-face made his head spin. “Do what you think is best, Garner. I would never want to push you into something you don’t want. I’m letting you off the hook. I’ll…” She sniffed delicately. “I’ll let everyone know they don’t have to come, to cancel their flights, and to return the gifts.”

“Marcella.”

“Goodbye, Garner.” She disconnected the call.

He

stood there staring at the phone, confused, asking himself what just happened. Someone pounded on the front door and then lay on the bell. Surely, that wasn’t Marcella at his house. She couldn’t have changed her mind and arrived at his place so quickly. Or maybe it was her parents.

He hesitated on the way to the front door. The last person he wanted to see was Marcella’s dad. After he hurt Chanda, Garner had scarcely kept himself from snapping the man in half.

“Garner, open the door,” Steven demanded. “We’re running out of time.”

Garner relaxed just slightly, hearing his best friend’s voice through the door. He opened it and raised an eyebrow. “Running out of time for what?”

“Dude, come on. She’s leaving.”

“Who?”

“Your wife.”

Garner didn’t move. “You’ll be glad to know I’m not marrying Marcella. We just ended it.”

Steven gazed past him at the empty hall and then toward the driveway. He grinned, obviously enjoying the news. “Dang, dude, you’re hardcore. You dumped her over the phone?”

“I didn’t have a choice. Actually, Marcella knew what I wanted. She—never mind that. What are you talking about saying Marcella is leaving?”

“Not Marcella, you doof. In what alternate universe would I call her your wife? Even if you did plant a ring on her disgusting finger.”

“You’re letting the hate slip out. Explain.”

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