Page 107 of Meant to be Mine

“Thanks.” I scanned the crowd again, still looking for Drew. Or Edith. Mostly Drew.

“We’re going to wander around a bit more,” Dad said. “You go do your thing. I saw a scarf I want to buy your mother.”

Mom’s face lit up. “Show me!”

They disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there with my green shake. Micah found me a few minutes later, looking slightly frazzled.

“Can you help me with something?” he asked. “One of the vendors needs their tent adjusted and my crew is tied up.”

“Sure.”

I spent the next thirty minutes lending a hand wherever I was needed. Adjusting signage, helping a vendor whose credit card reader had stopped working, directing people toward the bathroom trailers we’d had trucked in. It felt good to be useful, to have something to focus on besides my anxiety.

The Blackwells arrived en masse just after noon, and it was impossible to miss them. Max and Tiana swept in like Hollywood royalty, which they were. Tiana was stunning in a white sundress, her hair pulled back in an elegant twist. Max looked distinguished in linen pants and a crisp button-down. Behind them came the New York Blackwells—Sebastian and Bernadette, Adrian and Elizabeth pushing a stroller, and Dash and Krista. I spotted Mandy but didn’t see Briggs.

Micah immediately went into host mode, greeting them and guiding them through the event. I hung back, not sure if I should insert myself or stay out of the way. Tiana spotted me and broke away from the group, walking over with a warm smile.

“Kensey! I was hoping I’d see you here.”

“Hi, Mrs. Blackwell.” I accepted her hug, breathing in her expensive perfume.

“Please, call me Tiana. We’ve known each other for years.” She glanced around at the festivities. “Everything looks absolutely gorgeous. You and Drew did an amazing job.”

At the mention of his name, I felt my heart skip a beat. “Thank you. It was a team effort. Mostly Drew. I just helped at the end.”

“Well, he was lucky to have that help.” She squeezed my hand. “We’ll catch up more later. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to.”

She rejoined the group, and I watched them make their way through the event, taking pictures with fans. The New York Blackwells got the most attention, since they had all modeled and were fashion icons in their own right. They had grown up in the spotlight and plenty of people in the crowd had shown up just to see them.

But Drew still wasn’t there.

I checked my phone. Nothing. The event he’d worked so hard on was happening without him, and I had no idea why. What if something had happened? What if he’d gone to talk to Edith and it had gone badly? What if he was dealing with legal issues because of what we’d done? I knew him. He was out there protecting me because that’s the kind of guy he was.

I’d spent all night thinking about what walking away from him would feel like. And I came to the conclusion I’d always been moving toward. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t walk away from Drew Blackwell and go back to New Jersey like this summer had never happened. The thought of it made my chest ache in a way that felt physical, like someone was squeezing my heart with both hands.

I’d been toying with the idea of moving back to LA for a while now. My parents were getting older, and I wanted to spend more time with them. But I’d pushed it aside because my life was in New Jersey. Everything I’d built over the last few years was there.

But Drew was here. And the truth was, I could find another teaching job. There were prestigious schools in LA, good schools with students who needed exactly what I had to offer. What I couldn’t find anywhere else was him. The person who knew me better than anyone. That man that made me laugh until my sides hurt and made me feel like the prettiest, most important woman on the planet.

I was completely in love with Drew Blackwell. And I needed to tell him. He also needed to know I was choosing him. We could figure out the details but the important thing was that we would be doing it together.

A familiar face jumped out at me from the crowd, and I stood up on my tiptoes to get a better look. Sure enough, it was Drew on the other side of the plaza. My heart leapt. I had to talk to him. I started making my way toward him when an older man pulled him into conversation. The man gestured toward one of the tents, and Drew nodded, following him in that direction. I watched them disappear, my confession on my lips.

Now that I knew Drew was here, I could wait until he had a second. The conversation we needed to have required privacy and time and the ability to actually focus on each other. I was staying and I would find the right moment to tell him.

35

DREW

Ipushed through the crowd, my eyes scanning for Kensey. The event was packed and it wasn’t even two o’clock yet. We had knocked it out of the park. But I couldn’t enjoy any of it. Not until I talked to Kensey.

I spotted Hollis at his booth, making green drinks for a gaggle of ladies in yoga pants. When he saw me, he waved me over.

“Drew! Come try a shake. It’s the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.” He handed me a drink.

I took a sip. “Damn, this is tasty.”

“Thanks, man. Your opinion means a lot to me.”