His Number Changed So I Changed My Life Chapter 35
Austin’s wedding was held on the banks of the Hudson River.
My mother came with me.
On the way there, she asked if attending would make me uncomfortable.
“Why would I be uncomfortable?”
“He used to pursue you.”
“That was a long time ago.”
My mother studied my face for a moment. Only after deciding I wasn’t just putting on a brave face did she turn back to the window.
Austin was at the entrance, greeting guests.
When he saw me, he smiled, then turned his attention to my mother.
“Mrs. Mercer, it’s so good to see you.”
“Please, call me Evelyn,” my mother said. “A last name sounds far too formal for a wedding.”
Austin’s bride came over and slipped her arm through his.
She knew who I was, and she knew what had happened in college.
“Thank you for coming,” she said.
Her tone was easy and genuine, with no trace of scrutiny or regret-searching in her eyes.
The number above Austin’s head was still 8.
From college until now, it had never changed.
Back then, I had seen that number as a warning label, a flashing sign of risk.
I thought 0 meant safety, and 8 meant a man I could never trust.
But 0 only meant that Parker hadn’t slept with anyone before he met me.
It made no promises about what he would do after.
And 8 was just the past Austin had already lived.