“Alan Forsyth.”

He frowned. “Do I know you?”

I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t. “We met once.”

“I don’t recall.”

I smirked. “I’m not surprised.”

Then he snapped his fingers. “The gardener.”

I smirked again. “Right in one.”

Before he could say anything else, a horror-filled gasp sounded at my elbow. Startled, I met Paige’s wide, panicked eyes. I gripped her arm. “Paige, Sweet Pea, what is it?”

She didn’t look at me. Her focus was on the stern-faced jerk in front of me.

“Alan?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

A sneer crossed his face as he regarded her. Instinctively, I slid my arm around her waist, drawing her close, her words echoing in my head.

Holy shit.

Standing in front of me, every inch the asshole I thought him to be, was her ex.

“Hello, Paige.” He looked between us. “A gardener? How very…you.”

Then he turned and marched away.

Chapter Twelve

Paige

My head spun and the room tilted. If it weren’t for Liam’s arm holding me up, I was certain my legs would give out. I shook from head to toe in shock.

Liam drew me closer, his voice a low hum in my ear as he pressed a glass to my lips. “Sip this, Paige.”

The cold tang of the tonic hit my throat, jolting me. I took another sip and pulled back, meeting Liam’s concerned gaze.

“I think I might get sick,” I confessed.

“Okay, walk with me slowly.”

He guided me out of the suddenly overheated room. We went down the hall and bypassed the main corridor.

“Where—”

He cut me off. “I know a private place.”

A moment later, he opened the door and tugged me inside a family bathroom. There was a chair in the corner, and he led me to it, pushing me down. He wet some paper towels in the sink and placed them on my neck. The cool felt good, and his closeness helped diminish the shock I was feeling. He crouched beside me. “Are you going to throw up?”

“No, it’s passing.”

He pressed his glass into my hand. “Drink more of this.”

I sipped the icy cold tonic and leaned my head back. Liam stroked my head gently, his fingers light and comforting on my skin.

“Baby, I’m sorry.”

I opened my eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

“We can leave. You stay here, and I’ll go explain to my parents.”

I sat up, clutching his hand. “No. You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t want you in the same room as him. I thought you were going to pass out, you were so pale.”

“I don’t have to talk to him. There are so many people, I probably won’t even see him. He won’t seek me out either. We have nothing to say to each other.”

I met his eyes. They were filled with nothing but love, worry, and warmth. They were totally different from the cold, flat gaze Alan had.

“Why did he call you a gardener?”

Liam told me about the one time they had met. He paused. “Forsyth? Your last name is Winters.”

“He insisted I have my name changed back. He didn’t want Lucy attached to him by anything. He paid for it, and I was happy to disassociate myself from him in every fashion.”

Liam lowered his head with a shake. He muttered under his breath, then lifted his head, his expression furious. “What a horrible excuse for a human.”

“Why were you talking to him?”

His story about Alan’s over-the-top reaction and stiff language made me smile. The fact that Liam was actually making fun of him would have gone over Alan’s head completely. I huffed out a long sigh.

“Nothing has changed, it seemed, except perhaps he’s gotten worse.”

“I saw a ring on his hand. I think he’s remarried,” Liam told me. “I feel sorry for whoever made that mistake.”

Gathering my courage, I stood and brushed out my dress. “I do as well. But it doesn’t affect me, and I refuse to let him spoil our night. Let’s rejoin your family and forget him.”

He ran his fingers down my cheek. “Are you sure, Sweet Pea?”

I nodded firmly. “Yes.”

He touched his lips to my mouth. “My brave girl. I love you.”

I smiled at him, tamping down my nerves. “That is why I can do this. I have you.”

That earned me another kiss. “Yes, you do.”

Hand in hand, we returned to the ballroom.

We ran into Aiden in the hallway. He looked between us, frowning.

“I thought you dragged Paige off to ravish her in some dark corner, but your mother said something was wrong. As usual, she was correct.” He put his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “What is it?”

“Paige’s ex is here. It shocked her, and I took her out of there to help her calm down a little.”

Aiden’s eyebrows rose. “That scumbag who deserted you is here?” he asked me.

“Yes.”

Liam explained his encounter and how he had met Alan before.

“What a pompous ass.” Aiden rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. “There’s an empty parking lot behind the building. We can lure him there.”

Tags: Melanie Moreland Vested Interest - ABC Corp Romance
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