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“Correct.” His eyebrows have snapped together, but I doubt he realizes it. The girl probably isn’t that close to Liam, but something about her snagged his attention. But getting tangled up in someone else’s relationship probably won’t end well forhim. I give myself a little time to gather my thoughts. “Liam, you should believe what you see, not what you want to believe. I’m sure she has her reasons, but letting someone disrespect her over and over again? I’m going to assume she’s a capable adult. She should’ve left the toxic situation a long time ago.”

“Yeah… I thought that at first, but I feel like there must be something more to the story.”

“Then why not just ask her?”

His scowl deepens. “I did. She told me to butt out…and stay butted out.”

“Well, there you go. She might just love him too much.”

Liam bristles like I just called him short. “No way. She could do so much better than him.”

“You have feelings for her?”

“Yeah.” The tips of his ears redden. “I don’t know why I can’t simply…ignore her, to be honest. But I just can’t.” He lowers his eyes, the tips of his mouth drooping.

“If you think she’s worth your heart, then I say go for it.”

He shoots me a sharp look. “After telling me she probably isn’t that smart or confident, you’re telling me I should go for her.”

“Yeah, because I don’t have a complete picture of what is going on, and neither do you. She could be crazy about a godawful fiancé, or she could be looking for a way to dump the guy. If you get your timing right, you could swoop in and be her knight in shining armor.”

Liam taps his chin in thought. “Do you—”

A movement catches my eyes. A hot frisson runs along my spine, and I raise a hand, gazing up as Rhys steps onto the stage. “Wait, hold that thought. Rhys’s up!”

The emcee stretches out an arm, pointing to my man. “RhyyyysKingswood! He needs no introduction as one of the most eligible bachelors in the state, if not the entire country,”she says, then starts rattling off bullet points about him, from his hobbies to his favorite movie.

I’m barely listening, utterly mesmerized by his presence on the stage. With the spotlight on him, he shines like a star in the center of my universe. Every female eye locks on him with keen interest. Excitement and anticipation hum in the air, making me nearly bare my teeth.

Look away,hussies.He’s mine.

Rhys scans the crowd. Our eyes collide and a warm smile tugs at the corner of his lips. The lopsided grin makes him look boyish and eminently kissable. I wish I could jump up on the stage and claim him.

Suddenly I imagine waking up to that smile every morning, wrapped in the warm cocoon of his strong arms. My hand drops to my belly. Our child—whether it’s a boy or girl—will laugh and act spoiled and cute, knowing it’s unconditionally loved and supported. Shivers run up my chest, tickling my heart. I’ve never had such a vivid image of a shared future with a man. But this visualization—I want it with an almost tangible desperation and longing.

“Starting at—”

“Fifty K,” Selena cuts off the emcee, then shoots me a smirk over her shoulder.

Very mature. “Sixty.”

“Seventy.”

“Eighty,” a raven-haired woman shouts from a table on the other side of the ballroom, probably trying to pull the same move that the brunette did with the previous blond bachelor.

“Ninety,” I counter.

The woman falters.

Selena’s face turns red as she scowls. “A hundred.” She regards me with a look that says,Loser.

I mouth,That’s all?“Two hundred.”

Selena’s eyes widen. “Two hundred ten!”

“Three hundred.”

“Three hundred and ten!” Selena yells, rage turning her complexion blotchy.