“And it didn’t occur to you to tell me that?” Ashley gasps.
“I was going to tell you that night, but you were stressed out because you’d lost your assistant. I decided to wait until the next day. But then we had that talk, and I thought if I told you then, you would think I was trying to put you off or something. I don’t know what I really thought. I was just scared if you found out we didn’t have to go through the marriage you wouldn’t want to. That… I would lose you.” I explain.
“So you hid it from me?” Ashley sighed.
“Yes. But I did plan on telling you. I just never found the right moment. But that’s not the point. The point is, I lied to my father. I lied to him because I hadn’t told you I loved you, and I figured you should hear that before my father did. Because that’s the truth that matters. Ashley Winters, I love you. With every fiber of my being. And I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
I don’t know what reaction I’m expecting, but it sure as hell isn’t the one I get.
Ashley jumps to her feet, her face contorted with rage. She points to the door. “Get the hell out of here Finn and don’t fucking come back,” she yells.
“What? No,” I argue, getting to my feet, but not leaving. “I mean it, Ashley. I swear I’m telling you the truth. I love you.”
“And so you thought it was okay to essentially con me into marrying you? You say you were going to tell me about the new will, but when Finn? After we were married?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know. I’m sorry okay. I didn’t think of it like that. I just—”
“Of course, you didn’t think of it like that. You didn’t fucking think at all. You just saw something you wanted and decided you were going to take it, didn’t you?”
She’s still yelling, but I’ve kind of switched off from it. This was a mistake. And coming here has only made it worse. Surely, for her to be this angry, that has to mean she feels something for me? “Ashley!” I shout loud enough to be heard over her tirade.
She stops and glares at me.
I reach into my inner pocket to pull out the check and hand it to her. “I will be keeping my word to you about the donation whether you like it or not. The only condition is that you help Gemma.”
She nods.
That much at least I know she’ll do.
“And as for the wedding, I’m not going to cancel it.”
“What?” She demands.
“I said I’m not cancelling the wedding. Because I hope you’ll think about this and realize that I fucked up massively, but that I’m sorry. I hope you’ll give us a chance. So here’s the deal. Come to the wedding, marry me, but only if there’s a little part of you that feels the same way about me, a little part of you that’s willing to give us a shot.”
“I won’t be there, Finn,” Ashley snaps.
I head for the bedroom door then turn back to look at her. “Just think about it okay?”
I leave before she can answer. I know the next five days are going to be the longest five days of my life.
23
Finn
I feel like every eye in the room is on me as I stand at the altar on the raised platform at the front of the grand ballroom of Melbourne Hall. A lot of the people filing in probably are looking at me.
After all, it is my wedding they’re here for after all. But I don’t feel as though they’re looking at me out of interest, or because it’s expected of them to look interested or whatever. I feel as though they’re all looking at me and pointing the finger, blaming me for what’s about to come. That would be fair I guess. It is my fault after all.
In a couple of hours, they could all be sneering at me, since Ashley most likely isn’t going to show up to the wedding at all. It could turn out to be one big joke that everyone is in on except for me. Ashley made it abundantly clear she wasn’t going to show up today, but I refused to cancel it.
She’s going to have to stand me up if she doesn’t want to get married today.
Over the last few days, I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not I think she will show up today. One moment, I’m sure she’s going to show up. The next minute, I’m equally as sure she won't. It’s been absolute hell, but I can’t complain. I mean I brought the whole thing on myself. God, why did I have to be so fucking stupid?