I rushed to the bathroom, quickly washing and wiping myself before heading to the garden, where everyone was already seated, waiting for the bride and groom.
“Hey!” Jason said as soon as I arrived at our table.
“Hello,” I smiled back, watching him stand up and kiss me on the cheek.
“I thought you were coming with the bride and groom,” he wondered.
“I had to leave them to attend to a planning emergency,” I said as he pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down.
“Oh! What happened?” he asked, giving me a welcoming smile-one of the things I liked about him. He always listened, like Ethan; he listened and tried his best to help me solve my problems.
“Can you believe it? The baker didn’t deliver the cake. I had to go there myself to get it,” I explained. He knew about the trouble we had with the baker, how she kept changing her prices and adding extra charges for trivial things.
“That’s terrible,” Jason replied. “But is it ready now?”
I nodded. “Ethan helped. You know how smooth he is with the ladies,” I said casually.
“Oh, you met Ethan?” Jason’s voice dropped as he spoke. I looked at him, noticing the hurt in his tone. Jason knew about my history with Ethan. In the past, I had once used him to make Ethan jealous.
“I’m glad he could solve your problem, Emily,” he added, his voice laced with pain.
“So, are you two getting back together?” Jason asked, and the question seemed odd. He didn’t usually pry.
“That’s a strange question,” I said, trying to shrug it off.
“I’d like to know, Emily, because… I want to ask you out,” he said bluntly, catching me off guard. My heart raced. Jennifer had already hinted at this, but hearing it from him still made me nervous.
This was the wrong time. I wanted to accept Jason, but I couldn’t-not while my body still buzzed from Ethan’s touch.
“They’re finally here!” I said, standing up as I saw Jennifer and Lucas arriving. A sigh of relief escaped me, both because they weren’t late and because I now had the perfect excuse to avoid Jason’s question.
“Can we talk about this later?” I said to Jason, who stared at me. I knew he understood I was dodging the conversation, but I did it anyway.
I rushed over to Jennifer, helping her with her dress as they made their way to the chairs, and the ceremony began. During the ceremony, I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me, heavy and intense. I tried to avoid looking at him. He was seated at a special table for Maxwell and his guests, directly opposite mine. Meghan was trying to make small talk with him, but he ignored her, his eyes glued to me.
“Poor Meghan,” I thought. She was a sweetheart and still obviously had feelings for Ethan, even after all these years.
“Oh God, can you tell me what you did to get Mr. Marcel so hooked on you?” Rose whispered to me. I was seated between her and Jason.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my cheeks turning red. I knew exactly what she meant, Ethan stared at me like I was the only woman in the room. As uncomfortable as it made me, it also made me feel special.
“Can’t you see that gaze? He looks so lost!” Rose said, her voice tinged with innocent jealousy, as though she wished it were her.
I smiled faintly, turning to Jason, who seemed uncomfortable. “Care to dance?” I asked. I didn’t really feel like dancing, but I wanted him to feel special. I wanted him to know I wasn’t with Ethan, and I wanted Ethan to think I was with Jason.
“Sure,” Jason said, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Ethan before returning to mine. He grasped my hand with a firm possessiveness. Leading me to the dance floor, his grip tightened as he pulled me close.
The slow music wrapped around us, and Jason guided me into a rhythm that felt almost primal. His hand on the small of my back pressed me into him, his fingers splayed like a claim. Leaning in, his breath hot on my ear, he whispered, “I’ve wanted you from the moment I met you, Emily,” sending shivers down my spine. “And right now, what I feel for you is more than just desire,” Jason said, his eyes burning with intensity. He held me close as he spoke, his gaze flicking to Ethan as if marking me as his own.
“I don’t want you to be with Ethan. I want you to be with me,” he continued. “I’ve been patient. I let Ethan have you, but not anymore. Tell me what I need to do to have you, and I’ll do it-whatever it takes. I just want you, Emily.”
Jason spoke with so much intensity that I could feel the passion in his words. My heart raced, each word sending an electrifying chill through me. What was I going to say? I wanted to be with Jason, too, but my heart belonged to Ethan. Not just my heart, my body, too. It would be unfair to accept Jason while I was still tied to Ethan. But being with Jason felt safer-he was young, with no criminal record or history of womanizing. If I was with Jason, maybe I could forget all the trauma Ethan had put me through. I could pretend it never happened.
“What do you say, Emily?” Jason asked. “I’d do anything for to her you, ” I think I love you” he added