By Friday evening, the arrangement had become strangely real.<\/p>\n
Edward had asked for the wedding details, the location, the time, and the dress code.<\/p>\n
I sent everything.<\/p>\n
He replied with one message.<\/p>\n
Black suit?<\/p>\n
I answered yes.<\/p>\n
Then he sent another.<\/p>\n
Good. I have one that makes me look like I occasionally know what I'm doing.<\/p>\n
I laughed when I read it.<\/p>\n
That was the first time since Max's invitation that I had laughed without forcing myself.<\/p>\n
The girls noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you texting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n
My older daughter narrowed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour boyfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nearly dropped my phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her sister immediately became interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he the one coming with us?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Dad know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer made both girls smile.<\/p>\n
I pointed at them.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't turn this into a competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe won't,\u201d my youngest said.<\/p>\n
The smile on her face suggested otherwise.<\/p>\n
Saturday morning, Edward arrived at my house with two coffees.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn't be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're not the one attending your ex-husband's wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me a coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm attending your ex-husband's wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn't better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, but I thought confidence might be contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn't.<\/p>\n
Still, I appreciated the attempt.<\/p>\n
The girls came downstairs wearing dresses they had chosen themselves.<\/p>\n
Edward crouched slightly so he was at their eye level.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou two must be the famous daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n
My oldest looked at him suspiciously.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you really Mom's boyfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward glanced at me.<\/p>\n
I gave him a look that said be careful.<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm her very temporary boyfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n
My youngest giggled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does temporary mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means,\u201d I said quickly, \u201cthat he's helping us today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward nodded solemnly.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girls accepted that answer.<\/p>\n
For the moment.<\/p>\n
On the drive to the wedding, I sat in the passenger seat while the girls talked in the back.<\/p>\n
Edward kept both hands on the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
After several minutes, he said quietly, \u201cYou don't have to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're doing it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrying to convince yourself you're fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked out the window.<\/p>\n
The city moved past us in streaks of afternoon light.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't want him to think he still affects me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward's voice was calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don't make your goal about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat should it be about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting your daughters through the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
That answer annoyed me because it was sensible.<\/p>\n
I looked back at the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're very irritating.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've been told.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few minutes later, he added, \u201cFor what it's worth, you look beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're supposed to say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I'm supposed to pretend I'm your boyfriend. Those are different things.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn't answer.<\/p>\n
The wedding venue appeared at the end of a long tree-lined drive.<\/p>\n
It was exactly the sort of place Max would choose.<\/p>\n
Expensive without appearing desperate to prove it was expensive.<\/p>\n
White flowers lined the entrance. Cars filled the gravel lot. Guests in dark suits and bright dresses moved toward the reception hall.<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
Edward noticed.<\/p>\n
He parked.<\/p>\n
\u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. Neither am I.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
Then he got out and opened my door.<\/p>\n
When he offered his arm, I hesitated only a moment before taking it.<\/p>\n
The girls walked ahead of us.<\/p>\n
Inside, I immediately saw people I had not seen since the divorce.<\/p>\n
Some looked surprised.<\/p>\n
Some looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
One woman smiled at me and then quickly looked away.<\/p>\n
Edward leaned toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't worry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey're not staring because you're alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you're walking in with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour ego is enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm beginning to understand why you hired me.\u201d<\/p>\n
We entered the reception area.<\/p>\n
And then I saw Max.<\/p>\n
He stood near the bar wearing a dark suit, one hand around a glass, Claire beside him.<\/p>\n
Claire looked exactly as I expected.<\/p>\n
Polished. Fit. Confident.<\/p>\n
She touched Max's arm as she spoke to someone.<\/p>\n
Then Max saw me.<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
For a moment, he simply stared.<\/p>\n
His eyes moved from me to Edward.<\/p>\n
Then back to me.<\/p>\n
I felt Edward's arm tighten slightly against mine.<\/p>\n
Max smiled.<\/p>\n
It wasn't a friendly smile.<\/p>\n
It was the smile of a man who had just discovered something entertaining.<\/p>\n
He excused himself from the conversation and walked toward us.<\/p>\n
\u201cVeronica.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMax.\u201d<\/p>\n
His gaze settled on Edward.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this is?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward extended his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cEdward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max shook it.<\/p>\n
The handshake lasted less than a second.<\/p>\n
\u201cFriend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou actually brought someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
His smile widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to admit, I didn't expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire had followed him over.<\/p>\n
She smiled at me in a way that looked almost sympathetic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's good you came.\u201d<\/p>\n
I returned the smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max glanced at Edward again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you find him?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward's expression remained pleasant.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was something about the way he said it that made my shoulders tense.<\/p>\n
Edward noticed.<\/p>\n
He didn't react.<\/p>\n
Instead, he asked Max, \u201cCongratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max looked amused.<\/p>\n
\u201cA wedding gift?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn't have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'd love to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n
That seemed to bother him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy later?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I don't want to ruin the surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max laughed.<\/p>\n
Then he looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always did like making things complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt the old instinct to defend myself.<\/p>\n
Before I could, Edward spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, Veronica's been very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she doesn't want tonight to be complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a brief silence.<\/p>\n
Edward's voice remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I suggest we let her enjoy the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Max stared at him.<\/p>\n
Then he smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned away.<\/p>\n
Claire followed.<\/p>\n
I released a breath.<\/p>\n
Edward looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're lying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girls came running back from the dessert table.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom!\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are chocolate strawberries.\u201d<\/p>\n
My youngest grabbed my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome see.\u201d<\/p>\n
I followed them.<\/p>\n
For several minutes, the wedding disappeared from my mind.<\/p>\n
Until I heard Max's voice behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cVeronica.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
He was standing several feet away.<\/p>\n
His smile was gone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to talk to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Edward.<\/p>\n
He remained near the table.<\/p>\n
Max lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really couldn't come here without making a spectacle?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cA spectacle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know exactly what I'm talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought a guest. You gave me a plus-one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't think you'd actually find one.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
The insult underneath everything.<\/p>\n
I felt something inside me go very still.<\/p>\n
Max stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Veronica. Nobody seriously dates you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
He looked at Edward.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially someone like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward had heard.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
That was what made it unsettling.<\/p>\n
Max continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you pay him?\u201d<\/p>\n
A few people nearby went quiet.<\/p>\n
The girls were still at the dessert table, unaware.<\/p>\n
I felt heat rise into my face.<\/p>\n
Then Edward walked toward us.<\/p>\n
He didn't look angry.<\/p>\n
He looked almost thoughtful.<\/p>\n
\u201cMax,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Max turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edward smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it's time you opened your wedding gift.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Friday evening, the arrangement had become strangely real. Edward had asked for the wedding details, the location, the time, and the dress code. I sent everything. He replied with … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharestory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6583"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6595,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6583\/revisions\/6595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}