Chapter 20: Round Ten

On February twenty-sixth at seven o'clock, a hundred and ten people sat in the hall where I was supposed to be married.

The chairs were in rows, and the white flowers I had paid for stood on the tables.

My church circle filled the left side in their good coats.

My mother sat in front of them with my father's hand in hers.

Devin's parents sat in the last row, as they had promised.

Lila's mother sat in the second row, alone, with her purse on her knees.

I stood behind the curtain with my hand flat on the wall.

"You can still change your mind," Darek said.

He stood close enough that his sleeve touched mine, and neither of us made anything of it.

"I'm not going to."

"I know." He held out the old phone with the cracked corner. "I'd just like it on record that I offered."

"It's on record."

His hand settled at the small of my back for a moment, warm through my dress.

"Zero," he said quietly.

"Zero," I said.

I walked out onto the little stage, and the room went quiet.

On the wall behind me, where the screen was meant to show our engagement photographs, Darek had put the countdown board's digits instead.

They read 0.

"Thank you for coming," I said. "Some of you came to a wedding. This isn't one."

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