The Marriage License For Me, The Boat For His Regret Chapter 03
His hand jerked, sloshing the water. Then he snorted. “New tactic? I wasn’t gonna call you out, but you’re really milking this?”
I froze, not following.
He laughed coldly. “You had Brynn push me to propose today, didn’t you?”
“What, the public pressure didn’t work, so now you’re pretending to walk away?”
It clicked. He thought I’d told Brynn to say that. That I was trying to force his hand.
It was so absurd I didn’t even bother explaining.
I just nodded. “Yep. Didn’t work. So now I want to marry someone else.”
His sneer deepened. “Tessa, you really think you’d leave me?”
“Come on. Don’t make this a thing.”
“You’re almost thirty and no one’s lining up. Who else is gonna want you?”
“Go to sleep. We have to be at my grandma’s birthday tomorrow.”
He turned and walked into the bedroom.
I watched his back and felt nothing but exhaustion.
The next day, I still went to Eleanor Hayes’s birthday party.
Grandma Hayes had given me an emerald heirloom ring once. I had to give it back.
At the Hayes house, Diane Hayes stood at the door with Kenna hanging off her arm, all smiles. Future daughter-in-law energy.
Kenna spotted us first. Her face lit up. She came bouncing over.
“Tessa! Nolan said you were mad. I didn’t think you’d come!”
She made sure to flash the emerald bangle on her wrist. The Hayes family heirloom for the daughter-in-law.
Grandma Hayes had the ring. Nolan’s mom had the bangle.
Nolan had taken the bangle from his mom ages ago, saying he’d put it on my wrist himself one day.
Guess that wasn’t happening now.
Nolan saw me looking and muttered, “Kenna’s just borrowing it. She’ll give it back. Don’t overthink it.”
His mother Diane Hayes walked over too, her face neutral, her tone sharp. “You came.”
“I heard what happened yesterday. It’s just a boat.”
“Kenna doesn’t have anyone. Of course we’re gonna spoil her a little. Get your temper under control. Don’t embarrass us.”
Everyone expected me to blow up. But no one told Nolan to stop.
It was almost funny.
Nolan reached for my waist automatically, the way he always did when he wanted to smooth things over with a little physical affection.
I stepped sideways. Avoided him cleanly.
His hand hung in the air. His brow furrowed.
“What’s your problem now?” His voice dropped, annoyed.
“It’s Grandma’s birthday. Don’t ruin it for everyone. I’ll apologize when we get home, okay?”
I looked him straight in the eye. “I’m really not mad.”
I pulled out the emerald ring and placed it firmly in Diane’s hand.
“Mrs. Hayes, give this to Kenna too. I’m not going to interrupt Grandma’s party.”
Nolan’s pupils shrank.
Kenna clutched the hem of her dress, all wounded and innocent. “Tessa, are you upset with me?”
“Nolan, this is totally my fault. I shouldn’t have been so selfish about the boat…”
“I’m the reason she’s hurt. I’ll give the boat back. And the bracelet.”
She started fumbling with the bangle on her wrist. But weirdly, even though it was loose, it wouldn’t come off.
And just like that, Nolan’s panic from seeing me return the ring disappeared.
He smirked coldly, snatched the ring from his mom’s hand, and walked to Kenna. “Don’t bother. I said it’s yours. Here. Put this on too.”
Then he looked at me, pure disdain. “Fine, Tessa. Let’s see how long this little act of yours lasts.”
“Since you don’t want them, Kenna can wear both.”
“You said you’re not going inside? Then leave.”
In the past, the more he provoked me, the more I’d dig in my heels and stay.
But now? I just felt light.
“Then I’ll head out.”
I turned and left.
Behind me, Kenna’s sweet, reasonable voice tried to calm him down.
It only made Nolan angrier. He raised his voice even more.
“Let her go! She’s desperate and needy and she thinks she can manipulate me? Look at how old she is!”
I didn’t look back. Got in a cab.
A message from my mom lit up my phone. [Tess, look. This is your skiff.]