Page 50 of Spreading Her Wings

Shock caused me to choke, a sputtering cough echoing in the mostly silent hall around us. “Are you out of your mind? You saw how upset she was that you didn’t tell her you had a girlfriend!”

“I don’t care.” He pulled me towards him by my hips until I could feel his breath on my lips. “I can’t pretend I’m not in love with you or like I have thisgirlfriend,and she isn’t sitting three feet away from me.”

I gaped at him, shaking my head but making no move to step back from him. “Auston, we can’t.”

“Are you kidding? Ofcoursewe can. We can do whatever the hell we want to do, and I want everyone to know you’re mine. I want them to know I’myours.” His hands were firm when he moved to hold either side of my face. “Look at me. Claim me, kitten.”

His eyes darkened when I moved my gaze to meet his. Without looking away, I grabbed onto his wrists. “I cannot go out there and tell my best friend her brother was my fake boyfriend, and I ended up marrying him in Vegas on a trip she didn’t even know we were on together, and now things are getting serious!”

Frustration caused his brow to furrow. “You can.Wecan explain it!”

“Auston, no! It would break her heart!” Tears welled in my eyes, and my throat tightened, but I didn’t break our stare.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

He brushed stray tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. “Then claim me.”

“I can’t,” I whispered.

Auston sighed, dropping his forehead to mine. “One more chance, and then I walk away.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Claim me, Katie. Please.”

When I shook my head, he pushed back from the wall, and without another word, he made his way to the door. “I’ll tell Andy I had to go.”

“Auston, wait!” My voice was half a shout and half a whisper. I didn’t run after him when he didn’t turn around, though. I watched as the door closed behind him then dropped back against the wall and took gasping breaths. “What am I going to do?”

I debated between running after Auston and returning to the table, ultimately returning to the bathroom to make sure my mascara wasn’t running down my cheeks. When I was convinced by the reflection in the mirror that I didn’t look as torn apart as I felt, I returned to the table. My friends both stared at me, watching me with wide eyes while I sat down.

“Are you okay?” Andy asked. “Did you see Auston? He left shortly after you and hasn’t come back.”

“I haven’t seen him,” I said, clearing my throat and taking a sip of water. Jules tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at me.

“What’s wrong?” She always knew when something was off. It was a talent. “Don’t say nothing. We’ll know you’re lying. You’ve been crying. What’s wrong?”

“Aunt June fainted this morning. Her cancer is worse.”

My friends both sighed, reaching their synchronized hands across the table and taking mine. “Katie, I’m so sorry.” Jules ran her thumb across my knuckles.

Both girls knew Aunt June well enough that they considered her an extra grandma, so when she was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago, they were the first people I’d told. They were supportive of my buying the house down the street and being close enough to take care of her.

“Sorry. I’m not trying to be such a downer. Maybe I should go home…”

Exchanging looks with her husband, Jules stood up. “We’ll take you home, and William and Demetri can meet us at the house with Carson. Let’s go.”

Without another word, Andy and Jules both stood up, leading me to one of the cars taken by the valet. They held my hand in silence in the backseat, surely both dreading the day they’d be comforting me at her funeral. Even while they held my hands and I thought about my aunt, guilt and dread filled me. I was sad and scared to lose her, but my stomach was rolling because of the way Auston had stormed out of the restaurant.

It had to be bad karma to solely blame my emotions on Aunt June, but then I thought about the way the door had slammed behind him and the nausea that followed still clung to my throat. When the door to my house closed, my stomach sank again. I wanted to take it all back and explain everything now. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss the tattoo on the side of his neck and his lips and tell him to share it with the world.

Instead, I wrapped myself in a blanket on the couch, resting my head on Andy’s shoulder. It was comforting to be with both of my best friends again after spending so many bad days alone in the past several months, but then I remembered most of my bad days hadn’t been spent alone. Images of Auston showing up at the house with pizza and candy came to mind.

I was thankful when William and Demetri arrived, barely coming inside before I assured my friends I was okay. More than anything, I just needed to be alone.

Locking the door behind them, I grabbed my phone. Instinctively, I went to my most recent contacts and clicked on his name. The phone rang twice before it went to an alert telling me his voicemail box was full. I tried again with the same result.

Sighing, I swallowed back a fresh wave of tears and pulled up an empty text message.

ME

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