And the audience disappeared.
He wasn’t an exceptional dancer.
Neither was I.
Once, he stepped on the edge of my dress and apologized so sincerely that I began laughing.
The sound surprised me.
I hadn’t laughed like that around a man in years.
“You’re different when you’re not waiting for someone to criticize you,” Owen said.
I looked up.
“Am I?”
“You let yourself enjoy things.”
The observation struck somewhere deep.
For a moment, I wanted him to kiss me.
Not because Callum was watching.
Not because we needed to convince anyone.
Because I wanted to know what Owen’s mouth would feel like against mine.
He seemed to realize it too.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips, then returned to my eyes.
“Leah,” he said softly.
I nearly answered.
Then the music stopped.
Felix’s father raised a glass and invited the wedding party to make their speeches.
We returned to our seats.
And at 8:17 p.m., Callum picked up the microphone.
His speech began conventionally enough, with embarrassing stories about Felix at university and sincere praise for Kit.
Then he looked directly at me.
“Marriage requires honesty,” he announced.
“And since we’re celebrating love tonight, perhaps it’s worth remembering that some relationships aren’t exactly what they appear to be.”
A few guests looked confused.
Callum reached into his jacket and produced the folded cream paper.
My blood went cold.
“I found this in the garden earlier,” he said.
“Apparently, Leah and her charming companion have a few instructions for one another.”
Owen’s hand went still beside his glass.
Callum read the first two rules, smiling as scattered laughter rose from the tables.
Then he read the fourth.
“No promises about anything after Sunday.”
He looked delighted.
“So tell us, Owen.
How much did she pay you?”
My mother stared at me.
Kit was already pushing back her chair.
And Owen stood.
“Not a penny,” he replied.
Callum lifted the microphone again.
“So you’re admitting it’s all an act?”
Owen approached without rushing.
“I’m admitting that Leah asked me to accompany her because she wanted to enjoy her sister’s wedding without being cornered by someone who can’t respect her decisions.”
The room grew quiet.
“She asked me to be her friend,” Owen continued.
“She didn’t ask me to invent a person who would treat her well.”
Callum’s expression hardened.
“Then what about the rules?”
“Read the last one.”
Callum glanced down.
“Don’t tell me you love me unless you mean it.”
Owen nodded.
“That’s not a dishonest request, Callum.
It’s the opposite.”
A woman near the back whispered something to her husband.
Another guest lowered his eyes.
Owen turned toward me, but he didn’t make a sweeping declaration.
“Leah deserves to choose whom she spends time with.
She deserves to be listened to.
And she deserves to come to her own sister’s wedding without having her private life turned into entertainment.”
Then he stepped away from the microphone.
Kit crossed the room in her wedding dress, her cheeks flushed.
“Callum, enough,” she said.
“It was a joke.”
“You took something private, read it aloud, and embarrassed my sister in front of everyone.
That’s not a joke.”
Felix took the microphone from him.
“You’re my oldest friend,” he said quietly, “but you’re not staying here if you’re going to treat my
