Chapter 2

The employee went quiet.

"But the suit was tailored specifically to your measurements. You were very particular about those alterations. Don't you remember?" they asked.

Of course, I did. Out of everything involved in planning this wedding, that suit was the one thing I hadn't compromised on.

At the same time, I remembered something else. Rowena had been leaning against the doorway, scrolling through her phone, when I'd mentioned wanting to try on my wedding suit.

She hadn't even looked up as she replied, "That won't be necessary. Lucas already tried it on for you. You two are about the same size."

There it was once more.

Lucas already tried it on for me. The wedding favors were the kind Lucas liked. He had even picked the colors for the floral centerpieces.

And whenever the wedding planner reviewed the schedule with me, it seemed like every other sentence began with, "Lucas suggested…"

If someone hadn't known any better, they might have assumed Lucas was the one marrying my fiancee.

My throat closed up, and I couldn't bring myself to respond.

After a long silence, the employee spoke again, this time more gently.

"Mr. Bowen, whenever you decide you're ready to get married someday, give me a call. I'll make sure we save something special for you."

I swallowed hard before managing a quiet, "Thank you."

It was almost ridiculous that a stranger could show me more kindness than the people I'd known for years.

After hanging up, I stared at the photo of Rowena and me on my phone.

Without warning, I hurled my phone against the wall.

The screen shattered on impact. Cracks splintered across Rowena's face, twisting the smile on her lips into something that looked almost mocking.

Then, my eyes landed on my own reflection in the broken screen, and the tears came before I could stop them.

Near dawn, I finally got out of bed and started packing, my eyes swollen and raw.

Rowena had bought this apartment long ago to serve as our home after the wedding. Yet everywhere I looked, I found traces of Lucas.

The ceramic cat by the entryway was a good-luck charm he'd brought back from Jorham.

The wool throw draped across the couch had been an impulse buy from a farmer's market. Its stitching was uneven and crooked, but Rowena had used it through two winters.

Just a month ago, I'd accidentally broken Lucas' favorite wineglass, and Rowena had stopped speaking to me for several days. She hadn't relented until I personally went to apologize to him.

Lucas had smiled and told me not to worry about it. Then, he'd immediately messaged Rowena behind my back.

"Your boyfriend's something else. He actually came all the way over here to apologize. If anyone heard about this, they'd think I was being petty."

Rowena had replied, "That's just how he is. He blows everything out of proportion."

My heart splintered as I curled my hands into fists.

If I couldn't erase Lucas' presence, I might as well erase mine.

The sky was only beginning to lighten when Rowena came home. She swept her hair back from one shoulder and dropped a takeout bag onto the table.

"Here, I got you some crab cakes from your favorite place. I waited 40 minutes for them."

I managed a bitter smile.

My stomach had been bad, and my doctor had specifically warned me to avoid seafood, especially crab.

I'd told Rowena more times than I could count.

Every time, she'd nod as though she understood. Then, sooner or later, she'd bring home crab again.

Lucas loved it. Apparently, that was enough for her to assume that everyone else did, too.

I picked up the bag without a word and tossed it into the trash.

Rowena shot to her feet, irritation flickering across her eyes. "Hansel Bowen!"

I didn't look at her. Instead, my attention settled on the car keys she'd tossed carelessly onto the cabinet by the door.

The keychain featured the stray cat she and Lucas had rescued together. They kept the cat at the office and had named it "Luke".

The corner of my mouth pulled into a humorless smile.

"Do you still want to marry me?" I asked.

Rowena paused.

When she answered, her tone softened, laced with the patience of someone who thought she was being generous simply by putting up with me.

"What do you think? Why else would I have come home?"

I finally looked at her, my voice flat. "But I don't want to marry you anymore."

Her face fell. The trace of softness in her face disappeared, leaving a cold and unyielding expression behind.

She poured herself a glass of wine. "Hansel, you've been acting strange this entire month we've been planning the wedding."

A laugh escaped me, though my voice shook when I answered, "If you think there's something wrong with me, why didn't you break up with me?"

"Are you seriously starting a fight over losing some stupid game tonight?" she shot back.

"I didn't lose." I held her gaze. "You guys just finally showed your hand."

There had been a time when I'd genuinely tried to become part of her social circle.

Rowena had always discouraged it. "Why waste your time? I'd rather you stay home with me."

I'd believed her.

I'd thought she belonged to me. Then, Lucas returned from abroad.

Suddenly, Rowena started going out constantly, and she never missed a single gathering.

"We grew up together. What am I supposed to do, avoid him now?" she'd said. "He just got back. Of course, I'm going to look out for him. Stop overthinking everything. I can't stand insecure guys who get suspicious over nothing."

Her phone rang.

She answered, and Lucas' voice drifted through the speaker, soft and coaxing.

"Are you drinking again? How many times do I have to tell you that's not good for you?"

Rowena laughed under her breath and promptly dumped the wine in her glass.

"Okay. I'll stop."

I'd spent three years asking her to cut back on her drinking. Every time, she'd brushed me off with the same excuse that she was under a lot of pressure and would cut back once things calmed down.

The truth was, it had never been that she couldn't stop. It depended entirely on who was asking.

A sneeze suddenly came from the other end of the call.

Rowena's brow furrowed at once. "Did you catch a cold? I'll go pick up some medicine for you."

She grabbed her coat and headed for the door without sparing me so much as a glance.