wishing she could leave him, and the past he reminded her of, behind.
“You know I didn’t mean for that to happen the way it did. I still care about you, Leah. I always wanted to stay friends with you, and Teresa wants that too.
She actually wanted me to ask you to possibly, I don’t know— beabridesmaidorsomething.”
The rushed words sent a white-hot knife of hurt and anger through her chest. She stopped so fast that Kevin nearly knocked her down. Whirling, she gaped at him.
“You have got to be kidding me. A bridesmaid? She called me a slut the first time she even met me! And she met me on the night that I’d thought…” The words swelled in her throat, and she fought to get them free.
“I’d thought…”
“You thought I was going to propose to you.” Kevin scuffed the toe of his leather loafer in the dirt. “I know.
I didn’t want to hurt you. It was just…I don’t know.”
“Hard to tell me you’ve been in love with Teresa for five years? Hard to tell me you’d been engaged the whole time you were stringing me along?” She dashed the angry tears away, hating that he could see how much she still hurt over the whole sorry situation, six months later. “Sorry, Kevin. I can’t help you.”
“Come on, Leah, it wasn’t like that. You know how my parents are. Teresa is an attorney— she’s great at what she does. Her family has known mine forever. They’re from DC too, and they all move in the same circles. I like you, you know that.”
“But an elementary school drama teacher who just happens to enjoy fantasy more than fundraising events was more than your ancient and revered family name GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 4
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could take. It’s fine, Kevin. I get it.” Her voice was
ragged and her chest tight, but she stood her ground. She wasn’t going to apologize. She’d tried to be the kind of girl he wanted, but that particular mask hadn’t fit. It was just as well. His mother had hated her with a passion, and no matter how hard Leah tried, she could never live up to that impossible standard. It had been much easier to cling to Jamie than to try to fight for Kevin anymore. Of course, now she didn’t have her best friend either.
He took her hand, gently rubbing a tiny circle over her knuckles. “I still care about you. A lot. And I know it’s shitty of me to ask this. But listen, Teresa’s cousin Wendy had to back out of the wedding. Her doctor put her on bed rest until the baby comes. You can wear Wendy’s dress for the ceremony and be in the pictures.
And you don’t have to worry about anything because the photographer said he can Photoshop Wendy’s face in afterward.”
She’d have laughed if it wasn’t so pathetically painful.
Jerking her hand away, she stared at him— his fancy clothes, hair perfectly gelled into that tousled look, his complete discomfort at standing on a dirt path in the middle of the woods— all of it. Even though she’d wanted him desperately at the time, she could see now that she’d been a total idiot to think he could have made her happy. Didn’t stop it from hurting like hell though.
“There is no way that I’ll be in your wedding. You and that attorney bitch really deserve each other.”
She walked away without looking back, her aching heart turning to lead in her chest. What a stinking mess her life had become, and it was nobody’s fault but her own. She’d been so busy chasing the dream of a GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 5
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Gina Lamm
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happily-ever- after that she’d completely lost sight of who and what she wanted.
The coronation, normally one of Leah’s favorite events, seemed to drag on forever today. She performed her bit perfectly— like a trained monkey in a circus, she thought, her dark thoughts belying the bright smile on her face. She didn’t miss a step, and her solo performance got the largest applause. Once the final song was completed and the parade through the fairgrounds done, Leah yanked off her hood and went straight to the gates.
Her sanctuary was only a few miles away. She had to go see the one man in the world who could make her feel better about everything.
“Leah, there you are,” Ella called to her from a pottery vendor’s stall. She grinned as she approached. “You were beautiful in the coronation ceremony.”
Leah gave as sincere a smile as she was capable of considering the roiling mass of snarled emotions inside her. “Thanks.” She scuffed the toe of her slipper in the dirt.
“Hey,” Ella said, her voice soft and knowing.
“What’s up?”
Leah shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” Leah turned away abruptly and cleared her throat.