Page 113 of The Bad Wedding Date

“Don’t do this now, Mum,” he hit back, his voice calm. He looked tired and helpless as he stared at this woman he clearly worshipped.

“I know better than to have that conversation with you,” Keira told him. “You never listen.”

I glanced between the two of them, seeing their silent battle putting an invisible wall up between them, despite the obvious love they had for each other.

Fraser dropped his head to his hand, closing his eyes and rubbing across his forehead. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I was now a part of that weight. Guilt ate away at me from just looking at him. He was too beautiful a creature to be marred with tired lines around his eyes. Just because he was a big guy, it didn’t make him unbreakable, and all too often, the biggest cracks of any foundation were found on the inside, no matter how large the subject.

“We came back up to say goodbye,” Fraser said, blowing out a breath and looking up, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. “We have to go.”

“Then, go,” Keira said.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

She huffed out another humourless laugh. “Yes, Fraser. I promise to live a lifeless life.”

My heart shattered for her as I took in this space—a space she clearly loved and had made homely—and saw how small it must feel to be here all the time by herself. I imagined her needing life and air outside of these walls—the walls that no doubt caved in on one too many occasions for her.

“I’ll be back soon,” he told her, looking at me a little powerlessly.

I followed him without thought, but when Fraser held that door open for me, his hand up high for me to walk beneath, something brought me to a halt before turning around to see Keira again.

She loved her son. He loved her. I’d heard the story, and I could only imagine the pain she felt. But everything she’d said since I arrived played on a loop in my mind. The initial excitement in her eyes lingered in my memory, her enthusiasm real, if only for a moment.

Suddenly, everything made sense. This silent battle I had been brought into the middle of had two parties who couldn’t see what the other were trying to say. I saw it clearly, and I understood it.

I walked across the apartment until I was standing beside Keira, Fraser out of earshot, no doubt scowling behind me in question.

Looking out at the beautiful view in front of me, exactly as Keira did, I sighed softly.

“Safe might have been the first word that came to mind, Mrs Scott, but I felt a little awkward saying the others with him standing there, and also in front of you—his mother who I’d only just met.”

Keira turned to me, but I kept that horizon my sole focus.

“Fraser makes me feel adored, beautiful, special, and a little bit reckless. A lot reckless, actually. And that’s the beauty of him making me feel safe.” I turned to her. “When I feel protected, I can live life as recklessly as I want to. That’s a gift I haven’t had before him. One I didn’t know I needed.”

She held my gaze, her eyes watering and her face stoic until her lips twitched on one side, and she raised a hand to my arm. “That gives me hope.”

“For what?”

“Him living a little recklessly, too.” Letting me go, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked out of the window again, her smile lingering. “Get Anya back here so I can apologise to her, Fraser,” she called back to him. “I’ll do what I’m told to do for a little while longer. Don’t go doing anything stupid yourself. You have a girl to think about now.”

When I turned to look at Fraser, he was staring at me like he hadn’t heard a word his mum had said, but hehadjust seen me for the very first time. His eyes were wide, his jaw tight, and his hand curled around the edge of the door. It was as though he was fighting to stay in control.

I could only hope with all my heart that what I’d said to his mum turned out to be a good thing.

38

Fraser

“Did I do something wrong?” Charlotte asked.

I’d been driving for ten minutes, both of us bathed in silence. I had so much to say, so many thoughts running around in my head, but all I could think about was the way my mother had looked at Charlotte. Like she’d known her for an eternity, and she trusted the words coming out of her mouth more than the ones coming out of mine.

You’re it.

Those two words had sent goosebumps across my skin.

“No.” I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “You did nothing wrong.”

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