Chapter 2 SCENE 2

I was already dressed and descending the stairs, one careful step at a time. My palms were damp. My breathing came shallow and uneven, like my chest couldn't decide if it wanted to collapse or explode. I didn't even know what I was more nervous about, the stupid crush I should've buried years ago,or the possibility that he might still remember me.

The staircase curved downward in a slow arc, and the warm chandelier light spilled over everything like melted gold. My dress brushed against my legs as I moved, whispering, mocking my heartbeat. I gripped the railing for balance, afraid my knees might give way at any second.

As I reached the last few steps, I caught a glimpse of the dining room...glasses clinking softly, murmured conversations, the soft clatter of cutlery. My cousins were already seated, faces eager and oblivious. My mom and dad sat together, straight-backed, performing elegance like it was a show.

And then...

him.

My eyes collided with his.

Calhoun Halston.

For a moment, the world muted itself. I couldn't even hear my own breathing anymore. He was... different. More solid. Broader shoulders beneath the black shirt he wore, the sleeves rolled a little up his forearms like he couldn't bother with full elegance. His jaw was sharper, a shadow of stubble defining every line. He looked older than the boy I remembered-but those eyes...

Those icy grey eyes that could pierce through bone and intentions.

I looked away immediately, heat rushing to my face.

Stupid. Why am I reacting like this?

I walked toward the table and sat next to Jeremy-my talkative, irritating, weirdly comforting cousin. But even with Jeremy's constant buzzing energy beside me, I could feel those grey eyes still on me.

Which only meant one thing:

He remembered me too.

"It's a pleasure having your family here, Mr. Halston," Mom said, her polite smile perfectly placed.

Mr. Halston smiled back. "The pleasure's all ours." His eyes swept calmly across the room like he was assessing some expensive painting collection.

Mr. Halston looked like he was in his early fifties-tall, dignified, with mostly grey hair that somehow made him look more powerful. His wife, beside him, was beautifully poised, elegant in a cold, quiet way. She didn't smile much. Actually, she didn't smile at all.

Suddenly, the soft hum of the room shifted.

The attention pulled-no, snapped, toward the stairs behind me.

Betty was descending.

And of course, she looked picture perfect. She always did, like the world simply adjusted to compliment her beauty.

"Oh my..." Dad said, surprised, sounding almost emotional. He stood up instantly, walking to Betty as though she were a bride already. He held her hand proudly and guided her toward the table.

Mr. Halston rose, smiling broadly. "Wow, Mr. Stewart," he said with a deep, approving tone. "I can see you've kept your end of the bargain."

Mrs. Halston nodded and added, "She looks gorgeous, Mrs. Stewart. You've done an excellent job raising this beauty."

I turned slightly and looked at Calhoun.

He didn't look impressed.

He barely even lifted his eyes, like he'd been forced to come here. He didn't look like a man excited to meet his future wife.

But just as I dropped my gaze, he lifted his.

I diverted mine instantly, heart thudding.

"Come on, Cal... go kiss her hand or something," Mrs. Halston whispered sharply to him.

He exhaled quietly–annoyed? bored?-and stood up.

Betty reached the table, hands trembling just a little. I could tell she was nervous, though she tried her best to disguise it behind a small smile.

Calhoun took her hand gently and kissed it.

Something twisted inside me-tight and bitter.

I couldn't be jealous. No.

I had no right to be.

They sat down, everyone adjusting their positions. The room settled into an awkward quietness. Even Jeremy stopped talking for a second, which was shocking. I stared down at my plate, determined not to raise my head for anything.

"So, Calhoun... I heard you just opened a new company downtown," Dad said, trying to warm up the atmosphere. "It's cool. Your parents must be proud."

"Of course we are," Mr. Halston responded quickly. "He's been a good boy."

"Well, Mr. Stewart..." Mrs. Halston suddenly began, her gaze landing directly on me. "You didn't mention you had another daughter."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, we should have..." Mom cut in, gesturing to me. "This is Madeline, my daughter. She's almost done with college and soon would be married off."

That stung.

It shouldn't have, but it did.

Like my entire existence boiled down to being "married off."

Like I wasn't a person-just a future bride on standby.

Still, I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a small smile at the Halstons. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Halston."

"The pleasure is all ours, beauty," Mr. Halston said kindly.

But Mrs. Halston's face twisted ever so slightly, like something about me offended her.

"Well... I mean, the only beauty tonight is Calhoun's wife-to-be..." she began, before her husband shot her a silencing glare.

I already knew she didn't like me.

Honestly, I didn't like her either.

Her voice alone irritated me.

"Anyways..." Dad said quickly, trying to shift the air. "I believe we'll be starting the preparation immediately. So, Betty, what do you think?"

For the first time, Betty spoke. "I'd love that, Daddy."

"Wow! Betty, you've fallen in love already, I thought-ouch!" Jeremy gasped as Mom kicked him under the table.

Mrs. Halston chuckled softly. "Well, you can't blame her. Our son's a catch."

I glanced at Calhoun.

He was just eating quietly, like this entire dinner had nothing to do with him.

He hadn't said a single unnecessary word.

He was there, but not present.

The table buzzed with talk about weddings, arrangements, dates. All things I cared nothing about.

"You okay?" Jeremy whispered, poking my shoulder gently. "You've been so quiet tonight. Unlike you."

He'd always been closer to me than Betty. He knew more about me than almost anyone-except the crush. That part, I would take to the grave.

"I'm fine," I said softly. "This is Beth's night, remember?"

He shrugged, accepting my lie for now.

"I'll be in the States during that time, so it won't work for me."

Those were the first words I heard from Calhoun all night.

My body reacted before my brain did-a sharp vibration through my spine, heat crawling up my neck.

"Oh, is that so?" Mom asked, concerned. "Then I guess we'll have to reschedule it to some other date then..."

Betty dropped her spoon. "But... I want it as soon as possible. I mean, if we have to change the date, it should be sooner, right?"

"Betty..." Mom shot her a warning look before facing the Halstons again. "We'll figure out a date."

I felt invisible.

Like nothing at this table involved me.

Like I shouldn't even be here.

I wanted to stand and leave, but I didn't. Because those grey eyes were still holding me down-not aggressively, but intensely, curiously, knowingly.

Finally, I stood. "I'll be back, I just need to use the restroom."

Mom nodded absentmindedly.

The moment I closed the bathroom door behind me, my composure collapsed.

I let out a huge sigh and leaned against the sink.

My face in the mirror was a flushed pink. My chest rose and fell too fast.

Maybe he knew what his gaze was doing to me.

Maybe he did it on purpose.

Maybe I was imagining everything.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to reset myself.

God. This is Beth's fiancé.

I need to snap out of whatever this is.

I can't be the girl who ruins her sister's marriage.

The doorknob twisted.

I turned sharply and almost fainted.

Calhoun.

Standing in front of me like he belonged in that small, warm-lit bathroom.

And somehow looking even more handsome up close.

The inky black hair falling slightly over his forehead.

The sculpted jaw.

The grey eyes that dragged every breath out of my lungs.

And those lips...

His presence alone made my body forget how to function.

"Wh... what are you doing? You shouldn't be in here," I stammered, my voice embarrassingly shaky, almost a moan.

One corner of his mouth lifted.

"Wow... oh, so you did remember me."

He stepped closer,slowly, casually, hands still in his pockets.

He stopped right in front of me, only a breath away.

"And you didn't even bother to say hi."