He takes a step away like he’s already angry at just the prospect of me marrying someone like Brandon. He picks up his baseball hat, rakes his hand through his hair, and then slaps it back on and paces back to me. “And you know what else?! You’re one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met. What are you even doing here, Annie? You don’t want to go to a Little League baseball game for your first date, where the only thing he’s proving is he’s going to put his family before you from the start.”
I’m angry. He shouldn’t be here. “If you know me so well, then where do I want to go for a first date, hmm?” I throw my arms out at my sides. “Where is this amazing place you think Brandon should have taken me?”
Will tilts his head. “Trick question. Because you want to be asked where you want to go for a first date.” He steps even closer and brushes his fingers against mine. Like his body is pleading with mine for something. “And the problem with your failed date a few weeks ago wasn’t because you were boring either. It’s because you were bored, Annie. You want someone exciting and passionate and—”
“Someone like you?” I say in a sharp sarcastic tone. I threw that comment out on purpose and it hit a bull’s-eye. Will’s face falls and I give one short sad laugh. “What was the purpose of that speech, if not to get in my head? Which really isn’t fair, Will, because last I checked, we were never an option. Did we not just lay everything out on the table this morning?”
He rubs the back of his neck and emotionally retreats. “You’re right.”
“And nothing has changed for you in the last four hours, has it? You’re still leaving town after the wedding?”
He nods silently.
“Nothing has changed for me either. So please leave. Because although I know you mean well, this isn’t helping at all. And frankly, it wasn’t fair of you to show up here like this.”
Will doesn’t skulk off or pout like a man-child.
My breath catches when he steps forward, a blazing look in his eyes as he clasps my hands. “I’m sorry. You’re totally right. I really didn’t mean to mess this up for you today, I swear. I just wanted to…I don’t know, make sure you were safe. Taken care of. And then I heard that guy already slicing away at the things you’ve been telling me you wanted to do—and when I thought of you having to sacrifice all of that…I couldn’t handle it. I know your goal is to get married, but…” He lets go of my hands to cup my face. “Please just promise me you’ll marry someone who sees you and loves you and who makes you excited and happy—not just someone who looks right on paper.”
You. I want you, Will.
“I promise,” I say softly, resisting tears with every fiber of my being. “You have to go now. And I’m going to give Brandon more than a ten-minute shot because maybe he has some adventure under all that beard hair.”
Will winces like I punched him in the stomach. “You just had to mention the beard hair.” His wince slowly unfolds into a smile that twists my heart into taffy. He then casts one tortured look at my mouth before stepping away. “I’ll head out now.”
“Thank you. And take Joe with you.”
When I go back to the stands, Will and Amelia are gone. I hand Brandon one of the waters I purchased at the concession stand, but hold on to the small box of popcorn. He smiles kindly and thanks me. I can’t help but notice that he doesn’t have a dangerous black rim around his irises.
“So…did your friends finally leave?” he says as I sit down beside him.
I snap my eyes to him. “You knew the whole time?”
He laughs. “Absolutely. And that dude is in love with you, right?”
I breathe in and decide to stop playing games with myself and be nothing but honest. “Yeah, I think he might be.”
“What’s the deal there, then?”
I stare down into my popcorn. “We’re both scared of different things.”
“Been there,” he says, in a thoughtful tone of voice that clearly has a story behind it. A story I’ll never know because Brandon is not the man for me.
“Um, so Brandon, I don’t think…” I pause to find the right words. Unfortunately, no inspiration hits.
He laughs and saves me. “It’s okay, Annie. I’m not quite feeling a connection either if that’s what you were going to say.”
My shoulders slump with relief. “Oh good. I was worried I was going to hurt your feelings. Friends?”