He Said I Was Slow to Commit While He Was Slow to Tell Me About Her Chapter 10

He Said I Was Slow to Commit While He Was Slow to Tell Me About Her Chapter 10

After my mother said that, she looked like she had lost half her strength.

She set down her glass and turned toward me.

Her eyes were red.

“Avery, I don’t want to stay here.”

“Okay.”

I stood and picked up my coat.

“I’ll get you both home.”

My father stood too.

The three of us left through a side hallway without saying goodbye.

Near the stairs, we ran into Garrett’s mother.

She was carrying a drink toward the ballroom.

Her face brightened when she saw me.

“Avery? Where are you going?”

“My parents aren’t feeling well. We’re heading home.”

“Oh no. Should I have Garrett drive you?”

“That’s all right. We’ll get a car.”

I stepped around her.

The wind outside was sharp.

My mother stood under the hotel awning waiting for the Uber, then suddenly gave a bitter little

laugh.

She pulled my hood over my head and pressed the edges around my face.

It was the same thing she used to do when she sent me off to school as a child.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Your father.”

She glanced sideways at him.

“His face in there looked like a storm cloud. Garrett’s own mother said hello, and he barely

managed a civil answer.”

My father stood with both hands in his coat pockets.

“The fact that I kept my mouth shut should count for something.”

The car arrived.

I got them into the back seat and gave the driver their address.

My mother rolled down the window and caught my hand.

“Avery, this Weston…”

“Yeah?”

“Is he the one who sends that gift box from Oregon every year on your birthday? The one with the

handwritten card?”

I blinked.

My eyes stung a little.

“That’s him.”

She patted the back of my hand, did not ask anything else, and rolled the window up.

The car pulled into traffic.

I watched them leave and was about to call Weston when Garrett’s messages came through.

[Avery, why did you leave early? My mom said you walked out without even saying goodbye.]

[Didn’t I ask you to tell everyone we’re not rushing the wedding? You disappearing like that makes

this harder for both of us.]

I did not reply.

Another message appeared.

[I have a major project right now and I can’t step away. Can you just tell your parents we need to move the wedding back? It’s not that I don’t want to marry you. The timing isn’t right.)

I read it twice.

He blamed work.

He blamed timing.

He did not mention Stella once.

He did not mention the fact that his heart had been somewhere else for four years.

In his mind, because he had proposed, he got to decide when the wedding happened.

He said wait, and I was supposed to wait.

A cab slowed near the curb.

I raised my hand.

As it pulled away, I sent one reply.

[No need to move anything. I’ll be getting married right on schedule.]

Garrett called three times in a row.

I declined all three.

Then I blocked his number.