Chapter 5

Two rows of cars lined the hotel entrance.

The upstairs ballroom was decorated in white and champagne. A digital display cycled through Nathan's and Olivia's names.

Downstairs, a rose-colored runner led to the event room. My family had told everyone it was only a chance for the families to meet, but a picture of Evan and me stood at the entrance.

Someone had edited separate photographs to make it look as though we'd posed together. I had never seen it before.

By the time the car stopped, my chest hurt.

Daniel opened the door.

“My inhaler.” I braced myself against the seat, trying to finish the words.

At the sight of my pale face, he finally looked alarmed. But guests were already turning to watch us.

“Get her inside first,” my father said under his breath. “Don't give them something to talk about.”

“Inhaler.”

“In the lounge.”

My mother and Rachel each took an arm and steered me into the hotel. They weren't so much supporting me as making sure I kept moving.

The downstairs lounge was full of flowers, too.

Once the door closed, my father put my phone in front of me.

“Call Evan. Tell him you're waiting for him here.”

“I won't.”

Daniel took out the inhaler. “Then you don't get this until you do.”

“Daniel, give her the medicine,” my mother said at once.

He ignored her.

“She knows we'll give in. That's why she keeps scaring us with this sick act.”

The inhaler was right in front of me. My breaths kept getting shallower.

The tablet vibrated in my hand. Nathan had finally answered.

“I'm upstairs. Evan isn't here yet. You can start the dinner later.”

I struggled to type.

“I'm not going. Make Daniel give me my inhaler.”

Nathan called. Before he said anything, I heard Olivia.

“Nathan, the host is looking for you.”

He seemed to move somewhere quieter. His voice dropped.

“I already called your brother, Claire. He says you're just nervous.”

“I'm not nervous.” I had to gasp between words. “I'm having an asthma attack.”

There was a moment of silence. He had clearly heard something wrong with my breathing.

“Put Daniel on.”

My brother took the tablet.

“Nathan, she just doesn't want to meet Evan. It's not that serious.”

“Give her the inhaler.”

Nathan's tone had changed.

Daniel looked furious, but he held it out. I reached for it just as the lounge door swung open.

A hotel employee leaned in.

“The engagement presentation upstairs is about to begin. Mr. Hayes has asked everyone here to stay out of the common areas for now so the upstairs guests can get through.”

My father hurried to shut the door. In the confusion, the inhaler fell and rolled beneath the couch.

I crouched to find it. A sudden tightening in my chest forced me to my knees.

My mother finally panicked.

“Claire, you're scaring me.”

Rachel knelt beside me and patted my back. Daniel shoved at the heavy couch in frustration.

My father locked the lounge door. He was afraid I would run upstairs and disrupt the presentation. To make sure I couldn't simply unlock it, he blocked the handle with a chair.

I couldn't reach the inhaler. I picked up my tablet and sent Nathan one last message.

“The door is locked. I really can't breathe. Please don't make me wait this time.”

Sent. Then read.

At the same moment, the music began upstairs.

Nathan stood at the ballroom entrance. The host had already announced his name. In her engagement dress, Olivia looked at him with reddened eyes.

“Nathan. If you go downstairs now, everyone will think you're still in love with your ex-wife.”

He stood still, holding his phone.

“There's something wrong with her breathing.”

“Her brother gave her the medicine.” Olivia caught his wrist. “She's surrounded by people. Her parents are there. Nothing's going to happen to her. This part takes fifteen minutes. When it's done, I'll go down with you.”

Nathan looked at the lit screen. My last words were still there.

Please don't make me wait this time.

He hesitated, then handed the phone to his assistant to show him the message.

“Go check on her. If it's serious, call an ambulance immediately.”

The assistant returned the phone and hurried out.

Nathan took Olivia's hand and led her to the center of the ballroom.

Downstairs, Rachel finally retrieved the inhaler. By then, I couldn't draw a proper breath through it.

My mother started pounding on the door for help. My father fumbled with the lock, then fought to free the chair he'd jammed beneath the handle.

That was when Evan arrived.

He'd expected an ordinary introductory dinner. A glance at the fake photograph by the entrance told him something was wrong.

Hearing the commotion in the lounge, he immediately summoned hotel staff with an emergency key. With my father finally pulling the chair clear, they forced the door open.

I was slumped against my mother, barely conscious.

Evan called 911 and had the flowers taken out. He asked nothing about dinner. He demanded no answer from me.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics carried me out.

We passed through the event-floor lobby just as Nathan and Olivia reached the ring exchange upstairs. The elevator doors closed in front of me.

Nathan never came downstairs to see me. We never met face-to-face.

The emergency team worked on me for more than an hour.

When I woke, Evan was sitting outside my hospital room. He came in and placed my license, phone, and inhaler beside the bed.

“Claire, I didn't know you never agreed to any of this. The dinner's canceled.”

My throat hurt too much for a long answer.

“Thank you.”

“Your family is outside. If you don't want to see them, I can ask the nurses to keep them out.”

I shook my head. “I want to leave.”

He didn't press me about where I planned to go. He helped me contact the Worcester clinic. The director was willing to hold the position and arrange temporary staff housing before my start date.

At ten that night, I completed the discharge paperwork. Evan drove me to the station.

Nathan still hadn't appeared by the time my train pulled away. His engagement celebration was over.

On Facebook, Olivia leaned against him with her ring on display.

“We lost seven years. This time, we didn't miss our chance.”

I looked at the post for a long time. Then I deleted every way I had of contacting Nathan. I took out my SIM card, snapped it, and dropped it into a trash bag.

The city receded beyond the window.

I hadn't taken my wedding ring. I hadn't accepted the homes he'd offered me. I hadn't told my family where I was going.

On day seven, I finally gave my answer.

I would not be with Evan. I would not go back to Nathan.