We used to talk about everything under the sun. Now, we were more hesitant than strangers forced to share a table at an overly crowded restaurant.
“It’s great. Stressful, but we’re making good progress.” Company IPOs, or initial public offerings, required extensive preparation, so Heath was probably getting only a few hours of sleep a night until his was done. “How’s, uh, event planning?”
“Good. I hired someone to run our social media a few months ago, so we’re up to a team of four.”
“Good.”
We had to stop using the wordgood.
The uncomfortable silence expanded.
Heath and I stared awkwardly at each other for another minute before his gaze dropped to my engagement ring.
A storm of emotions clouded his eyes, and I resisted the urge to pull my hand off the table and into my lap.
“You weren’t joking about the engagement.”
A pang hit my chest at his first direct acknowledgment of my new relationship status.
“I wouldn’t joke about something like that,” I said softly.
“I know. I just thought…” He tipped his head back and blew out a long breath. “When’s the wedding?”
“Next year. Early August.” I rubbed a nervous thumb over my ring. It was cold and hard to the touch.
“At the Russos’ estate in Lake Como?”
He must’ve looked up the news after I told him.
“Yes.”
“You and Dante Russo. Your parents must be thrilled.” Heath met my eyes again with a sardonic smile. “What’s he worth? Like a billion dollars?”
Two.
“Something like that.”
“How’d you two meet?”
“At an event,” I replied vaguely. I didn’t want to lie to Heath, but I didn’t want to tell him it was an arranged marriage either. My parents’ approval was a sore subject for both of us.
Unfortunately, he knew me well enough to pick up on the nuances of my non-answer.
His eyes narrowed. The unease in my stomach swirled faster as realization dawned slow and horrified across his face.
“Wait. Are you marrying him because you want to or because yourparentswant you to?”
I shifted in my seat, suddenly wishing I’d skipped the market today.
I didn’t answer, but my silence told him all he needed to know.
“Dammit, Viv.” Frustration seeped into his voice. “Iknewyou’d never willingly choose someone like Dante. I looked him up after your text. All those rumors about him and what he’s like…no amount of money in the world is worth it. What the hell were your parents thinking? Besides the fact he’s a billionaire.” An uncharacteristically bitter edge poisoned his words.
“He’s notthatbad,” I said, strangely defensive of Dante even though he’d been a jerk during ninety percent of our interactions.
But…the kiss. The breakfast. The story of the Moondust Diner.
They were small things in the grand scheme of our relationship, but they gave me hope.