As soon as the door closed behind him, Justin heard his phone buzz with a new notification.
He had no intention of checking it–just flicked the screen out of habit, ready to lock it again. But when he saw that familiar white gardenia icon, he immediately sat up straight.
Holding his breath, he tapped the message open.
Edith had invited him to dinner.
Edith had invited him to dinner!?
Justin’s brows knit together in confusion. Why would she suddenly want
to have dinner with him?
Was this it? Was she planning to lay everything out on the table?
The thought made Justin press a hand to his chest, as if to steady the sudden, sharp ache in his heart.
Had Beckett confessed everything to her already? Had she decided to go
back to him?
Justin’s grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles went white and the veins on the back of his hand stood out, the phone itself bending ever so slightly beneath the pressure.
Had she really made up her mind?
Was she truly planning to return to Beckett?
After everything that man had done–after all the pain he’d caused…
How could she even consider forgiving him after all that?
Justin’s mind was a tangled mess.
He missed several calls from the Hawksley family before he finally answered.
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Even then, his voice was flat, drained of energy.
Sarah didn’t think too much of it–she just assumed work had worn him down lately.
Justin cared about the wedding so much that he’d cleared his schedule as much as possible, hustling to finish every bit of work he could before and after the big day.
“Do you have a dinner meeting tonight? If not, I’ll have Latonia tell the kitchen to make your favorites,” Sarah offered.
Justin’s frown didn’t ease in the slightest. He replied in a low voice, “I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”
Sarah sounded curious. “You’ve been working all day, and now you have a dinner meeting too? Honestly, Justin, you really don’t take care of yourself.”
But Sarah knew all too well how little he cared about his own well–being.
She remembered the time he’d sprayed on a cologne he was terribly allergic to, just to make Edith happy, and ended up with a rash so severe the whole Hawksley household was in a panic–while Justin secretly found it amusing.
That one incident said it all.
Justin was silent for a moment, as if searching for the strength to speak. Finally, he said, “It’s not a work thing. Edith invited me to dinner.”
At the sound of Edith’s name, Sarah’s tone softened, a smile audible in her voice. “That’s good–you two should spend more time together. Take this chance to see what she likes to eat, so the kitchen can prepare it for her next time. Edith’s such a polite girl; whenever she comes over, she just eats whatever we serve her…”
Sarah continued to chatter on, but the more Justin listened, the heavier his heart grew. His emotions churned inside him until, suddenly, he spoke in a voice lower than ever: “Mom, I might not be able to marry Edith.”
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It was a warning shot, but it came so abruptly that Sarah was caught off guard. Her voice shot up, full of shock and anger. “What? You must be joking, Justin! This has been settled for ages–the engagement gifts have already been given! What on earth happened for you to suddenly say something like this?”
Justin looked out through the floor–to–ceiling windows. The evening sky was tinged with red, the same hue that burned quietly at the corners of his eyes.
“Mom, the gifts were something we offered willingly. Even if the wedding doesn’t happen, just leave it at that. And please–don’t raise your voice with Edith. I know you mean well, but she’s sensitive and anxious by nature. If she hears you upset, it’ll only make things harder for her.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.