Ms. Helen’s eyes widened with pleased surprise. “Marry?”
Darius rubbed his eyes. “She makes me feel things I didn’t think I could feel. With her, I thought I could have a normal life.”
“And you’re going to let a little thing like a broken engagement come between you?” Ms. Helen tsked her disappointment.
“Dishonesty isn’t a little thing.”
“No, it isn’t.” Ms. Helen sipped more of her tea as she eyed Darius. “Lies, mistrust, and suspicion are what destroyed your parents’ marriage and you had to pay for it.”
Darius tensed. Walking away from Peyton was the single hardest thing he’d ever had to do, but he’d learned from his parents’ mistake. “You can’t have a relationship without trust.”
“Well said.” Ms. Helen rested her skinny forearms on the table and leaned forward. “But why would Peyton lie about her engagement?”
Darius’ shrug was restless. “To her, it didn’t exist.”
Peyton’s words played like a loop in his mind. I knew I wasn’t going to marry him. That’s why I didn’t wear his ring when I moved here.
“She came to Trinity Falls because she was looking for a place where she could fit in.” Ms. Helen took another sip of her tea. “And that’s what she found here. She attended town council meetings, a high school football game. She even cochaired the fund-raising committee with you.”
An image of Peyton as Catwoman lingered in Darius’s memory. “She went to Books and Bakery’s Halloween and Christmas celebrations.”
“Those aren’t the actions of a person intent on misleading others.” Ms. Helen sat back on her chair. “She told you what she was doing. She was looking for a community. She wanted to start over.”
“But you can’t start over by running away from the past. You have to face it.”
“And she did.” Ms. Helen spread her arms. “She ended her engagement and told her parents she had a new address. It’s up to you whether you believe her. She wasn’t trying to mislead you when she came to Trinity Falls.”
Darius was silent as he considered Ms. Helen’s words. “You have a point.” Or was he just looking for a reason to give his relationship with Peyton another chance? Was he falling into the same trap his parents had ended up in?
“From the minute I met her, I knew she was the one for you. That’s why I asked for everyone’s help getting the two of you together.”
Darius stared at her. “You were the mastermind behind the matchmaking?”
“Of course.” His mentor continued. “I think Peyton deserves another chance.”
“It could be another chance to lie to me.”
Ms. Helen shook her head. “I don’t understand you, Darius. You were afraid you couldn’t fall in love. Now you’re afraid to be in love. Which do you fear less?”
I will not cry. I will not cry.
Peyton pulled into the Trinity Falls University’s faculty lot Saturday afternoon. The past three hours at the Guiding Light Community Center had been unspeakably difficult. She and the other seven members of the fund-raising committee—Simon, Ethel, CeCe, Stan, Vaughn, Olivia, and Darius—as well as several center volunteers had spent the morning decorating the center’s community room for tonight’s fund-raiser.
It had been hard enough being near Darius after not seeing or hearing from him the past two weeks. The curious looks from the other committee members had made it worse.
Peyton climbed out of her car and started across campus toward her office building. She needed additional textbooks to complete her spring semester course assignments. In the distance, she noticed the sunshine dancing across Wishing Lake. The magical image seemed to call to her. Peyton made a detour for the water. The campus was almost eerily empty and quiet during these final days of Christmas break. Classes didn’t officially resume until Monday, although some students had already returned to their dorms.
Peyton paused beside the lake. The trees that surrounded it were naked and cold. Even they appeared anxious for the warmth of spring. She stared into the water. A faint smile curved her lips. Wishing Lake. She’d seen students tossing coins into the water, especially during finals week. Desperate times indeed called for desperate measures. Peyton rummaged in her coat pocket for loose change. What would she wish for?
Her smile faded. If she believed in such things, she wouldn’t wish for Bruce to change or for Darius to trust her. Those would be wasted wishes. Instead, she’d ask for whatever it took to heal her broken heart. Peyton pulled the change from her pocket. She held a nickel and three pennies . . . eight cents for a wish. Why not? She tossed the coins into the lake, watching them break the surface. What would it take to heal her broken heart?
An hour later, Peyton fumbled her way out of her Volkswagen GTI at her apartment complex, then activated the car’s alarm. She slid her purse onto her shoulder and gathered her textbooks before turning toward her building. Peyton spotted Virginia Carp waiting for her beside the nearby lamppost.
“I told you he’d break your heart.” Ginny offered the greeting as soon as Peyton was within earshot.
“Everything was going well until you decided to meddle.” Peyton had the strongest urge to smack Ginny, but violence wasn’t the answer. She tightened her grip on her books as she walked past her annoying neighbor instead.
“If everything was going so well, my bringing your fiancé over to Darius’s apartment wouldn’t have made a difference. But I’ve heard you two broke up.” Ginny’s words danced with glee.