Chapter 2

In the half-second before Marcus could see his face, Reid turned and winked at me.

I forced my tears back down.

My mind was spinning.

So Marcus's other woman was — Reid.

Reid and I had been childhood friends, back before his family's fortunes changed and they moved abroad. We'd stayed in touch all these years, but I'd never once mentioned him to Marcus.

Last night's party was the first time they'd met.

Marcus still believed he'd been talking to a woman.

The person he'd praised for offering a settlement-free marriage — that was my gay best friend Reid Calloway.

Marcus had rushed to cancel our engagement because he'd taken Reid's throwaway joke at face value.

Once I'd pieced it all together, I genuinely couldn't decide whether to be angry or to laugh.

Mostly, I felt my fury drain away.

Finding out who Marcus really was before the wedding — that was worth something. That was something to be grateful for.

Marcus gave me no more attention. He launched into enthusiastically introducing Reid to his parents.

When Reid said, in his sweetest voice, that he wasn't asking for a settlement, wasn't asking for jewellery, and was even prepared to bring his own car — the Kingsleys' faces split into identical grins.

"What a lovely person, come sit down, come sit—"

"We'll have to arrange for our families to meet properly, get everything confirmed—"

It was warmth I'd never once received from them. The warmth of people terrified their prize might slip away.

Reid had always had a naturally androgynous face. Even when dressed casually in men's clothes, strangers would mistake him for a woman and follow him down the street. Now, playing gentle and accommodating, he spoke in a softened voice:

"My parents divorced when I was small. They both have new families now. Aside from money, they've never given me anything."

"So as long as I love Marcus, that's enough. I don't need their permission. And I definitely don't need any of those material things."

"I've already talked it over with Marcus. The venue's already booked, the guests are already invited — no point wasting it. We'll just use the same date for our wedding. That way you don't have to do all this over again."

It really does take a man to understand a man. Reid had the three Kingsleys completely charmed.

My mother looked on, so furious she nearly fainted.

My father raised his fist and started toward them.

I got between them.

"Dad. Mum. Let's go."

"This wedding is off. Consider it us calling it off."

"This man isn't worth your anger. He certainly isn't worth mine."

Patricia called after us as we left.

"I don't care who broke it off — just remember to transfer the money back!"

On the drive home, Reid found a moment to ring me.

"After the party ended, while you were in the bathroom — he pulled me aside and told me he had feelings for me right there and then."

"I was still trying to figure out how to tell you about it. I didn't expect that one little hint and he'd just go and cancel the engagement."

"Babe, you have to come to the wedding. Let me show you how I'm going to fix this."

I explained everything to my parents, piece by piece.

My mother let out a long sigh. Then she let it go.

I'd barely had time to feel the weight of it all when I came home to find Owen Alderton waiting outside my building.

He got straight to the point.

"I heard you and Marcus called off the engagement. So I wanted to come and tell you — I don't have a fiancée."

"I want you to know that I have the means to take care of you. Everything you should have, you'll have. An engagement settlement is a woman's protection — compensation for what she gives up — and I would never ask for any of it back."

"And I'm not saying you have to have children. That's entirely your choice."

The words tumbled out of him in a breathless, slightly incoherent rush. But hearing them felt unexpectedly like sunlight.

I frowned up at Owen, waiting.

He drew a deep breath. His voice shook slightly.

"What I'm asking is — will you marry me?"