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“I guess so.”
"It looks like he was referred to you specifically. That has to feel good. Just remember how brilliant you are."
I had to giggle. "I know. I'm fucking awesome."
"Yes, you are. You're sure shagging him is off the table?"
“Yes, shagging is off the table. Or have you forgotten? I’m no longer doing arseholes.” I shook my head, needed to shift the topic from myself.
"Enough about me and men I have no business kissing. You're getting married," I exclaimed.
Willow squealed and clapped her hands together. "I know, right? Isn't Balhurst Castle gorgeous?"
The castle was like a fairytale, with blooming gardens and a quaint charm that was irresistible. Part of the castle had been transformed into a boutique hotel, making it the perfect location for a wedding.
"The grounds are stunning, Willow. This is perfect for the reception."
"God we are so lucky that they had a last-minute cancellation and can accommodate us," she confessed. “I just want everything to be perfect for the day.”
I chuckled. "And it will be. But just remember it's about more than the day. Travis loves you. You two are going to be so happy.” I hoped that was true. She was so young. I hoped her getting married right now wasn't a response to being too sheltered and desperately needing freedom.
We finished our drinks and opted for a walk through the castle to go meet Travis. As we went, she was buzzing with excitement, almost like I had to hold onto her just to keep her grounded. It was good to see her like this. For a long time I had often felt like I was her mum. It was silly, but with her getting married it felt like I was finally reverting back to the role of big sister.
When we turned the corner, some of her exuberance faded and was replaced by a serious look. "Are you sure you're okay about Mum?"
I hesitated for a split second and forced my face into complete neutrality. "I don't get to have feelings about Mum. Not at your wedding. You want her there, and I support you.” I tried not to say that through my teeth. “You only knew her as the mother you didn't have. So experience your feelings as you need to and don't worry about me. As long as she leaves me alone, we won't have any problems."
She chewed on her bottom lip, and I could tell that wasn't quite the answer she wanted but it would have to suffice. "I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for always supporting me. I love you."
"I love you too, Wills."
She took a breath, a sheepish smile playing on her lips, and I braced for the coming blow. "Oh, Jesus Christ, Wills, now what?"
"Just… You know Massimo has been invited, right?"
I held my breath for a beat. Would I never be free of this guy? "To the wedding? I know he's a friend of Travis's. I guess I don't care, but he is a little creepy. I guess I left out that I ran into him about a week ago when I was out with Talia. The night I snogged my would be client."
She grimaced. “That makes so much sense now. He, um, told Travis all about it.”
I halted my footsteps then. “Excuse me? He ran and told Travis he'd seen me out?”
“Yeah, that night he called Travis a bit miffed, actually. Said he'd seen you out and you were rude. That you snogged some bloke right in front of him. That didn’t really sound like you but now I’m putting two and two together.”
I blinked at her slowly, not sure if I was hearing correctly. “What business is it of his if I snog somebody? And second, what business is it of yours, Travis’s?”
Willow winced and rushed to explain. “I'm just telling you what he told us. That he'd seen you and reintroduced himself, then you basically ran up and snogged somebody. He was a bit irritated because Travis told him you were single, so he thought he had a shot. I didn’t realize this was the night of the client kiss.”
What the hell? Where did he get off? “I very much hope you told him that only I determine who has a shot with me. Not to mention that he has zero ownership over me. I don't even know the bloke.”
“Oh, I did. And Travis got an earful, too, because he was the one who was busy trying to play matchmaker.”
It didn't sit right with me. Something was off about this whole situation. “That's bullshit. I don't need a matchmaker, and I don't know this guy. Why is that so hard for him to understand? And let's go ahead and circle back to that part where who I snog is none of his business.”
Willow sighed. “I'm sorry, Daphne. I shouldn't have said anything.”
“No, I'm glad you did. Because now I need to talk to Travis.”
She put her hands up to stop me from marching straight up to my brother-in-law-to-be. “No, don't do that. He’ll feel terrible if you yell at him. I don't want him getting upset. He's just trying to show you he cares about you.”
