Page 53 of A Convenient Ring to Claim Her

He frowned and tried to warm them, but there was a knock at the door in the main room.

“Did you order room service?” he asked her.

“It’s me,” Eden called from behind the door.

Micah opened his mouth to say they were busy, but Quinn was already pulling her hand from his grip, hurrying to let her in.

With a light curse, he quickly found a robe in the bathroom and came back to the bedroom to see Eden pulling a dress from the closet.

“Oh, this is gorgeous. Quinn is coming to my room to get ready. Remy had to go to the airport to get Yasmine so we won’t see them until the cocktail party. Vienna is on the same flight. Two fer one. But now that I’ve got you both...” Eden hugged Quinn’s dress to her middle. “It’s still early, but Remy said I could tell you since you’ll be leaving for your honeymoon after tomorrow and I can’t wait until—”

“Oh, Eden.” Quinn rushed her, crushing the dress as she weepily embraced Eden.

“I know. I’m so happy!” Eden was teary as she held on to Quinn. Eden waved Micah to come into their hug.

“I’m happy for you,” he said sincerely as he moved her hand from possibly putting too much pressure on Quinn’s shoulder, then gently wrapped his arms around both of them. “For you and Remy,” he assured her.

“Thank you. He’s really happy, too.” They all broke apart, but Eden poked him in the chest. “Nowwill you believe he’s always been in love with me? And me with him?”

His head briefly swam, as though the rug had been pulled from beneath his feet. “I believe you believe you’re in love. I believe you both want what’s best for each other.” As the words came out of his mouth, he could hear them striking Quinn at an angle, causing her to stiffen.

Quinn turned away to gather underthings and a pair of shoes.

“Quinn,” he said.

“I’ll see you downstairs.” She threw a meaningless smile over her shoulder and left with Eden.

Quinn tried, she honestly tried not to cry, but as Eden was busy chattering about due dates and which room would be turned into a nursery, the pressure inside her just sputtered up and out.

“Quinn!”

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I want to be happy for you and I am. I swear I am.”

“What happened? Just tell me what happened.” Eden dropped everything to come sit beside her on the sofa.

“I love him. I told him I love him and he doesn’tcare. And now I’ve changed my whole life for him. Now I’m going to be a perpetual houseguest who brings nothing to his life and I can’t walk away because he’ll hate me and so will you!”

“I will never hate you. I will always love you,” she soothed, gathering her into a hug. “You will always have me. Always, always. I should have come when you were in hospital. I knew that I should have, but I wanted to give you and Micah time. I thought... Well, I’m not going to make excuses for him. If he’s broken your heart, he has to live with the consequences. Which includes the fact that he is dead to me.”

“Don’t say that, Eden.” Quinn drew back and accepted the tissue Eden offered. “I was really mean to him when he didn’t call you. I don’t want to be the reason you two aren’t getting along.”

“But you are the reason. He’s being an idiot.”

“He’s being honest! And I’m being selfish. He’s a good person. I thought it was enough if I loved him. At least when it was in my head, I could convince myself we were both in love and not admitting it, but Isaidit. And now I know he doesn’t love me and it hurts so much, Eden. So much more than I can stand. I don’t know what to do.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I just want to go home and...” She didn’t even have a home. Fresh tears welled against her lashes. “But I can’t walk away from my own wedding.”

“Actually, you can. It’s something people do now. Or so I’ve heard,” Eden said with self-deprecation.

“I can’t do that to him. I can’t do it to you and your mom.”

“Quinn.” Eden took her hands. “You deserve to be loved. If he doesn’t love you, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

Their first appearance was a tea reception on the terrace overlooking the pond, very casual. Summer was waning so it was a pleasant temperature with a hint of crispness on the air and an intense blue sky.

Micah and Quinn were supposed to be greeting guests with refreshments and conversation while staff hurried to register guests and take up their luggage.

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