“Dance with me.”
“You don’t have to keep playing the attentive date. I’m fine.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Besides, I’m a terrible dancer and I need someone to step on who won’t sue me.”
I let him lead me onto the dance floor. He wasn’t terrible at all. He was quite good, actually, leading with confidence while keeping a respectful distance. We swayed to the music, and I found myself relaxing into the rhythm, into the moment.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For tonight. For sitting with me. For the whole fake date thing. You didn’t have to do any of this.”
“Maybe I wanted to. You’re interesting, Elizabeth. More interesting than anyone else at this wedding.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough. I know you’re talented and underappreciated. I know you see through the superficial nonsense that most people accept without question. I know you’re hurt, but you’re trying not to show it, and that takes strength.”
His words hit something deep inside me, a place I’d been protecting all evening. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and I blinked rapidly, refusing to cry at my sister’s wedding.
The song ended and transitioned into something more upbeat. Other couples joined the dance floor, and Julian guided us to the edge, away from the crowd.
“I need some air,” I admitted.
“Let’s go outside.”
We slipped out of the ballroom onto a terrace that overlooked the gardens. The evening air was cool and welcome after the warmth of the crowded reception. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees, creating a magical atmosphere that felt at odds with the turmoil inside me.
“I shouldn’t have come,” I said, leaning against the terrace railing. “I knew it would be like this. But some part of me hoped it would be different. That maybe Victoria would remember we’re sisters. That maybe she’d want me here for real and not just to check a box on her obligation list.”
Julian stood beside me, his shoulder touching mine.
“Family can be the most complicated relationship we have. We’re bound to them by blood, but that doesn’t guarantee love or respect or even basic consideration.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“My father and I haven’t spoken in three years. He had very specific plans for my life, and when I chose a different path, he made it clear I was no longer the son he wanted. So yes, I understand what it feels like to be the disappointment.”
I turned to look at him, seeing new layers in his expression.
“I’m sorry. That must have been painful.”
“It was. It is. But I learned something important from it. The people who are supposed to love us unconditionally are still people, with their own limitations and prejudices and failures. Sometimes the family we choose matters more than the family we’re born into.”
“Is that what tonight is? You choosing to be kind to a stranger?”
“Maybe it started that way. But you’re not a stranger anymore, Elizabeth. And this isn’t just kindness.”
There was something in his voice, something that made my heart beat faster. Before I could respond, the terrace doors opened and a group of guests spilled out, laughing and talking. The moment broke, and Julian stepped back slightly.
“We should probably go back inside. I think they’re about to cut the cake.”
The cake-cutting ceremony was everything I expected. More photos, more speeches, more perfect moments carefully choreographed for maximum impact. Victoria fed Gregory a small bite with delicate precision, and he returned the gesture with equal care. No smashed cake in faces, nothing undignified, perfect control, as always.
As servers distributed slices of the wedding cake, I noticed my mother making her way through the crowd, stopping to chat with various guests. She was in her element, basking in the reflected glory of her daughter’s successful wedding.
When her gaze finally landed on me, surprise flickered across her features, followed quickly by disapproval. She approached our table with measured steps, her smile tightening as she drew closer.
“Elizabeth, I didn’t expect to see you sitting here. This table was reserved for Gregory’s business associates.”
“There was a seating mix-up,” Julian said smoothly before I could respond. “I’m Julian, one of Gregory’s renewable energy consultants. Elizabeth and I are here together.”
My mother’s gaze swept over Julian, taking in his expensive suit and confident demeanor. I could see her recalculating, reassessing my presence based on the caliber of my companion.
“I see. Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Julian. I’m Eleanor, Victoria’s mother.”
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