Before Mason could answer, Vanessa appeared behind him.
She wasn’t smiling.
Her eyes were locked on Julian.
“What are you doing here?”
Julian remained perfectly calm.
“Attending a wedding.”
“With her?”
Vanessa pointed at me like I was a piece of evidence.
I almost laughed.
“Yes,” I said. “With me.”
Vanessa looked at Mason.
“Why is Claire here?”
Mason rubbed his jaw.
“I invited her.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You what?”
“I thought it would be mature.”
“You told me we weren’t inviting exes.”
“It’s different.”
“How?”
Mason glanced around.
Guests were starting to notice.
His voice dropped.
“Can we not do this here?”
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
“You invited your ex-wife to our wedding without telling me.”
“I just wanted her to see that everything worked out.”
Silence.
Even Julian looked impressed.
Vanessa blinked.
“You wanted her to see us?”
Mason realized too late what he’d admitted.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Vanessa—”
“No. You wanted her here so she could watch you marry me.”
Several nearby conversations had stopped.
Mason noticed.
His face tightened.
“Please lower your voice.”
That was classic Mason.
Not I’m sorry.
Not you’re right.
Just:
Don’t embarrass me.
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Our wedding wasn’t enough for you?”
“Of course it was.”
“Then why did your ex-wife need to witness it?”
Mason looked at me like this was somehow my fault.
And suddenly I felt seventeen times lighter.
Because I knew that look.
I had spent years thinking I caused it.
Now I was watching him give it to someone else.
That was when Vanessa turned toward Julian.
“And why are you here with her?”
I smiled.
