His Fake Proposal Led Me To My Real Husband Chapter 18
Eleanor patted me on the shoulder.
“Julian’s waiting outside. Take your time. Come out when you’re ready.”
Then she left, the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
This time, the fingers holding the lipstick weren’t shaking.
The next time Mason appeared was two months after I got married.
It was raining lightly that night. I’d worked late, and Julian came to pick me up.
When we reached the apartment entrance, I saw someone crouching under the awning.
His suit was wrinkled, his tie loosened, and his dress shoes were splashed with muddy water. Another seven or eight cigarette butts lay crushed at his feet.
When Mason stood up, he swayed. He must have been crouching there for a long time.
He looked at me, then at Julian. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Then he said, “You used to say your favorite part of the day was when I walked you home.”
The drizzle settled on his shoulders. He looked exhausted.
I stopped.
Julian didn’t rush me. He just stood beside me under the umbrella and let me decide.
“Mason, you didn’t love me.”
“You loved turning around and always finding someone waiting for you, right where you left them.”
He looked at me, his lips moving, but no words came out.
Suddenly his eyes reddened. He turned his face away so I wouldn’t see.
I turned and left.
Julian tilted the umbrella toward me and handed me a cup of hot cocoa.
“Where’d you get this?”
“The place on the corner. The owner was about to close up.”
I took a sip.
The sweetness was just right.
We walked side by side toward the building, and no footsteps followed us.
When we reached the corner, I glanced back.
Through the rain and the glow of the streetlights, Mason was still standing there.
But I didn’t stop.
Ahead of me, Julian said, “My key card is in my coat pocket. Could you grab it for me?”
I turned back around and took a few quick steps to catch up.Â