“What’s wrong? Did I say something?”
“No. I just need to talk to you.”
“About?”
I take a deep breath, then cut right to the chase. “I can’t marry you.”
Grady stares back at me with a bewildered expression. He chuckles uneasily and says, “Ha! Good one!”
“I’m not joking,” I say.
He glances at my ring, as if checking to see if it’s still there. I look down at it, too, then take it off and move it to my right hand.
“Okay, Hannah. Knock it off. This isn’t funny—”
“I know it’s not funny,” I say. “It’s very, very sad. I thought you were the one. But I was wrong.”
“Hannah. Stop. What are you talking about? What’s going on here?” he says with a tremor in his voice.
“I think you know,” I say, fighting back tears. I tell myself I can’t cry. It’s game over if I let even one tear drop.
“I have no clue,” Grady says in a frantic whisper. He leans across the table, close enough for me to see the stubble of his blond beard. “What is this about?”
When I don’t answer, he looks past me, toward the bar. “Do your friends have something to do with this?”
I shake my head.
His eyes narrow as he shifts in his seat. “Are you sure about that?”
“Positive.”
“You’re sure nothing happened with you and Tyson?”
I stare at him, incredulous. Pissed. How dare he try to flip the script on me.
“No, Grady. Nothing happened with Tyson,” I say, determined to stay calm. “That’s ridiculous, and you know it.”
He makes a scoffing sound, then says, “So I’m supposed to believe that it’s purely coincidental that we’re having this conversation right after he gets to town?”
I reach for my water glass, then choose my champagne flute instead, downing it.
“Well?” he demands.
I put my glass back down on the table and say, “They know nothing about this.”
“I don’t believe you,” he says. “I think Tyson has a lot to do with this.”
I bite my tongue, reminding myself that it no longer matters what Grady thinks or believes. I know the truth. I have the knowledge and the power.
“That guy has always had a thing for you.” Grady doubles down, his fists landing on the table.
I blink, then clear my throat. “Are you projecting, Grady?”
“No, I’m not projecting!”
“Are you sure? Because they say the biggest cheaters always accuse their partners of infidelity.”
“That’s a stupid theory,” he scoffs.
“So you’ve been faithful to me?” I say, daring him to lie to my face.
“Yes!” he says. “One thousand percent!”
I take a deep breath. “Okay, Grady,” I say. “You have two choices. You can either confess to me what you’ve done or lose me forever—”
“Hannah! I have never cheated on you,” he says, looking so wounded, so deeply offended that for a nanosecond, I stupidly doubt what I saw with my own eyes.
“Okay, Grady. If you say so.”
He gives me a look of relief, unclenching his jaw and dropping his shoulders. I pick up my clutch and slowly get to my feet.
“Where’re you going?” he asks, looking frantic.
“You made your choice,” I say, staring down at him.
“What choice?”
“The choice to lie to my face.”
