Chapter 320 Two Reasons to Live

Emilia’s POV

My heart stumbled. “Because of me? What are you talking about?”

Lily kept her eyes off mine. “He doesn’t want his mother making more trouble for you. Claudine doesn’t let go of anything. She knows he’s in love with you, so she’s pulled every string she can to help him win you over. As long as he stays single, she’ll never quit. Sooner or later her meddling was going to land you in something you couldn’t crawl out of.”

I’d suspected it from the start, that Scott’s sudden rush to the altar had my name written all over it. But hearing Lily say it out loud, in her wedding dress, no less, landed like a fist to the ribs.

She knows, Eve murmured somewhere in the back of my skull, quiet and sad. And she’s marrying him anyway.

I swallowed the knot in my throat and reached for her hand. “Listen to me. It doesn’t matter who he loved before. That’s ancient history. What matters is that you’re the one standing next to him from here on out. Whether he falls for you or not comes down to one thing, whether you actually fight for it. So fight, you stubborn idiot.”

Lily gave a wet laugh and pressed the back of her hand under her eyes, careful of the makeup. “God, you make it sound so simple.”

“Because it is. Now stop leaking on the dress. It cost more than my car.”

That got a real laugh out of her.

Half an hour to go. I slipped out of the suite and wandered down the long corridor. My thoughts kept snagging on that day I’d stormed into Scott’s apartment, ready to tear a strip off him, so sure he was some self-serving coward playing games. Guilt crept up my spine. I should’ve known better. Scott was never that man.

My feet stopped on their own.

A tall figure stood at the far end of the hall, back to me, staring out the windows at the sprawl of sky beyond the city. I knew the set of those shoulders.

I hesitated a beat, then closed the distance and said softly, “Scott.”

He turned. When he saw me, something crossed his eyes, the same sadness I’d seen in Lily’s. “You came.” A corner of his mouth lifted. “I half expected you to rip up my invitation.”

“Thank you.” I meant it, every syllable of it.

His whole frame went stiff. “Don’t mention it.”

The silence dragged, heavy and awkward, neither of us willing to break it. Finally I forced the words out. “I know it’s not my place to say this. But I’ll say it anyway. Take care of her, Scott. Treat her right. I mean that with everything I’ve got, I want the two of you to be happy. A long, happy life.”

I turned to go, aiming for the staircase down to the hall. His voice stopped me cold.

“There’s nothing that shouldn’t be said.” A pause. “There are only two reasons a person keeps living. One is to chase your own happiness. The other is to wish for someone else’s.”

I turned back and looked at him. Guilt sat like a stone in my chest, and not one word would come.

“For me,” he said, quiet and even, “your happiness was the only reason that ever counted.”

We stood there, holding each other’s gaze for a long moment. Then I left, without a sound. I’d always known how Scott felt about me. It was a damn shame I couldn’t hand it back to him.

Downstairs, the hall held only a scattering of guests. Maybe Scott felt the same way Sebastian had a year ago, that a wedding born without love had no business being crowded with witnesses.

I found Sebastian nursing a glass of red in the corner, alone.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I dropped my hand on his shoulder.

His eyes shifted. He shook his head. “Nothing worth selling.”

“Aren’t you dying to know where I’ve been?”

“You went to see the bride.” He didn’t even look up.

I plucked a glass off a passing tray and poured myself a measure. “Look at you. A regular detective.”

I clinked my glass against his and sipped slow. Up front, the ceremony had begun. Lily walked in on Scott’s arm, chin high, mouth stretched into a smile that trembled at the corners. My throat tightened.

“You know,” I said, low, “watching her up there, it’s like looking at myself a year ago. Putting on a brave face while everything underneath is falling apart.”

Sebastian tracked my gaze to the couple. “Scott’s doing the same thing. Miserable as a wet cat, and grinning like he means it.”

Before I could answer, he added, casual as anything, “So. Did he tell you why he married her?”

That’s when it clicked. I blinked at him. “You watched us out there?”

“Yes.” He looked down and drank, his jaw a little too tight. “Saw the two of you staring at each other. Took your sweet time about it, too.”

A grin tugged at my mouth. “Sebastian Simons. Are you jealous?”

“Jealous?” He nearly choked. “Of what? Why on earth would I be jealous?”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking. Why would you be?” I swirled my wine and watched him squirm. “Jealousy’s for people who can’t have each other. That’s not us, is it?”

Sebastian froze. For a heartbeat he just stared at me, thrown clean off his stride. Then, slowly, that hard mouth cracked into a grin.

And I decided that catching Sebastian Simons off guard might just be my new favorite pastime.