He walked with Hayden out of the ballroom to where a few police officers were waiting outside. They answered their questions and gave out their contact information. Hayden opted to go with them to the station, but Liam knew he needed to get back inside and salvage what was left of his wedding reception.
When Liam returned, people seemed to be milling around, at a loss for what to do with themselves. “Sorry about that, folks,” he said, raising his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Please stick around and enjoy the reception. I’m sad to say there won’t be any cake, though.” A few people chuckled and most awkwardly returned to nibbling and drinking as they had before the fight broke out.
Liam noticed the drinks he’d fetched from the bar still untouched on the table. He’d gotten wrapped up in the scene and had forgotten to take Francesca her champagne. He picked them back up and turned, looking for her. After all that, they’d need another round pretty quickly.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Frowning, he searched the ballroom, finally turning to a frazzled Ariella for help. “Have you seen the bride?” he asked.
“Not since I put her in a cab.”
“A cab?” Liam frowned. “You mean she’s left her own reception? Without me?”
Ariella bit her lip and nodded. “About ten minutes ago. Right about the time Angelica started bathing in wedding cake. She needed to get out of here.”
Liam glanced around the mess of a ballroom. Scarlet was frantically informing staff of their cleanup duties. The guests were still standing around, but despite his assurances, they seemed unsure of whether they should stay. It was a wedding disaster.
He didn’t blame Francesca one bit for leaving.
*
Francesca couldn’t get out of her wedding dress fast enough. The corset-tight bodice made her feel like she couldn’t breathe. It was all just too much.
Initially, she’d been relieved when Hayden and Angelica started making a scene. For the first time that day, every eye in the room wasn’t on her. It was a blessed break. It was the first moment since she started down the aisle that she thought she might be able to let the facade of bridal bliss drop and regather herself.
And then the cake started flying.
Her nonna had never specifically mentioned that having her wedding cake flung across the room was bad luck, but Francesca was ready to make her own deduction about that. Their reception was a disaster. Their sham of a marriage would no doubt be a mess, too. It was just one more thing, one more blazing neon sign trying to point her in the right direction. She’d ignored all the other portents of bad luck. The fates had ensured this last one would be undeniable.
When she’d asked Ariella to get her a cab, her friend probably thought she was upset about having her reception ruined. The truth was that she just couldn’t pretend anymore. If she’d had to be in that ballroom one more minute, she would have blown everything for Liam and ANS.
Now that she was back at Liam’s place, in a pair of jeans and a light sweater, she felt better and worse all at once. Boxes of her things still sat around the ground floor of his town house ready to be incorporated into her new life with him. But they might as well go back onto the moving truck.
She poured herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves and went upstairs to the master bedroom to repack. The only things of hers that had been put away were her clothes and personal effects for the bed and bath. Those could easily be rounded back up, and she intended to do it right now.
If she hurried, she would be sleeping in her own bed tonight. Not quite the wedding night everyone was expecting her to have.
She had one suitcase filled and zipped closed when she heard the front door open.
“Francesca?” Liam called.
“I’m upstairs,” she answered and pulled another bag onto the bed. She was stuffing it with lingerie and pajamas when he came through the doorway of his bedroom.
Francesca tried not to think about how handsome he looked in his rumpled tuxedo. His tie was undone, his collar unbuttoned. She liked him tousled. Despite everything, she felt her body react to his presence. Her pulse started racing, and her skin tightened in anticipation of his touch. But thinking about how much she wanted Liam wouldn’t help. It would make her want to stay. And she needed to go.
“What are you doing?” he asked. His voice wasn’t raised. It was quiet and tired. They’d both had a long day and didn’t need any more drama. But this had to happen tonight.
“I’m packing my things and moving back into my place.” Francesca shoved another few items into her bag and looked up. “Don’t worry, I’ll lie low until Aunt Beatrice leaves town on Monday, but then I’m calling the moving company to come get my stuff.”