Wanted by Her Lost Love

didn’t miss the looks they cast in his direction whenthey thought she wasn’t watching. Looks that plainlysaid, Are you crazy?By the time the food was served, she wasextremely grateful to have something to focus on.She felt out of place. She felt conspicuous. This wasgoing down as one of the worst nights of her life andshe was counting the minutes until she and Ryancould make their escape.The food felt dry in her mouth. Her stomachchurned and after only a few bites, she gave uptrying to force herself to eat. Instead, she sipped ather water and pretended she was back on the beachwith Ryan, about to dance underneath the moonlight.That was her problem. She was living in a fantasyworld, avoiding reality. And reality sucked. Her realitywas sitting here at a dinner table while five otherpeople judged her. Her reality was living with a man—a man she intended to marry—who felt he neededto forgive her for sins she hadn’t committed.At what point in her life had she decided shedidn’t deserve better than this?It was a startling discovery. The blinders hadcome off.