Chapter 2

The phone kept getting closer. I turned my head away. That only made him laugh harder.

"Come on, Emily, don't hide. You had all that attitude when you were grilling Ryan. Let everyone see how long you can keep it up."

Ryan finally frowned. "Alright, that's enough."

The guy ignored him and waved his screen around. "Just messing around. Not like I'm posting it anywhere."

Ryan didn't tell him to delete it either. He dug a candy out of his coat pocket, unwrapped it, and held it up to my mouth. "Have some candy. Calm down."

I didn't take it.

He glanced down and noticed the clasp on my bracelet had come loose. He reached over and fastened it for me.

A round of whistles went up immediately.

"That's Ryan for you."

"Emily's gotta be over it now, right?"

Ryan leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Emily, I never said I wouldn't marry you.

"I just want you to understand that even after we're married, you need your own life. Don't make me your entire world. Drop it now, and we'll forget this ever happened."

His touch was gentle. His tone was exactly the same as every time he'd coaxed me before. But at that moment, it only made me sick.

The humiliation was his doing. The tenderness was his charity. And I was still supposed to smooth things over for everyone just to earn a scrap of it.

Chloe sidled up to him. "Ryan, what's your secret? Emily's been with you three years, and she's never stayed mad at you once."

Ryan laughed. "How long can she stay mad? Three hours tops. By tonight she'll be asking if I've eaten, if I'm coming home."

The group laughed even harder.

Chloe stood off to the side, looking uncomfortable, but she still didn't say a word for me.

Someone pressed him. "What's the longest she's ever lasted?"

Ryan thought about it. "One time I told her the dinner would wrap at ten, so she came out in the pouring rain to pick me up. I ended up changing locations and forgot to tell her.

"She waited outside until past midnight. When she finally saw me, she didn't even get angry. Just asked if I was okay."

He said it casually, almost proudly. "That's how I know she won't ever really walk away."

The last dull ache in my chest faded completely. So my sacrifices had never meant anything. They'd only convinced him I had no limit.

The intercom crackled to life. "Everyone without a number, please proceed to the counter. Only four slots remain. City Hall will stop issuing numbers in five minutes."

I looked up at the clock.

Ryan misread me. He set a cup of hot coffee by my hand, his voice dripping with affection. "It's fine. If we can't make it today, we'll come back tomorrow. Everyone's been here all morning. No need to force them to keep waiting."

Chloe and the others jumped in. "Emily, have some dignity. Ryan already said he'd marry you tomorrow. Why does it have to be today?"

I kept my eyes on my phone and said nothing.

Ryan thought I was still sulking, still dead set on getting the marriage certificate today, no matter what. The irritation faded from his face, and that easy confidence returned.

"Emily, stop making this difficult. I just want you to work on the jealousy and the clinginess. I'm still going to marry you."

My phone buzzed.

James sent his location again. He'd just turned onto the street where City Hall was.

James: [Blocked at the entrance. Taking a detour.]

I typed two words back.

Emily: [Hurry up.]

I was still tracking him when my mom, Lillian Carter, called. "Sweetheart, how did it go?"