“Did he?” Her belly tightened at the thought of what James had seen and what must have gone through his mind. The scene must have looked pretty damning. But it was an optical illusion—what he’d witnessed wasn’t true. She just had to tell him that.

But that would mean confessing to the wedding, running from the altar. He already knew she was a runner.

Maybe she’d keep that bit of history to herself. Yes, she’d tell him another time. When she knew him better, when she’d managed to stick around for a few dates without getting the urge to flee and acting on it.

She’d just say he was an ex who was taking a while to get the hint that they were over. Once she explained that there was nothing between them, that the affection was one-sided, James would understand, she was sure of it.

She hit call and pressed the cool surface of the phone to her ear.

Brendon watched on expectantly, clearly loving the drama now the threat of getting a punched nose was over.

She heard the familiar ringing and paced to the right. It continued and she spun, strode to the left.

“Answer,” she whispered. “Come on, answer, James.”

The more it rang the tenser she became.

Eventually it went to voicemail.

“You’ve reached James Carter, I’ll get back to you when I can.”

Straight to the point, his voice still sent a shiver of longing through her. But should she leave a message? Try to explain the situation?

She looked at Brendon. “It’s gone to voicemail.”

“Oh, dear God, hang up.” He flapped his hands. “Hang up. Hang up.”

She quickly did as instructed. “Why? I could maybe leave a—”

“Are you crazy? You can’t say something like this in a message. You need to speak to him. Face to face would be ideal but at the very least an actual conversation on the phone.” He shook his head. “Goodness only knows what you’d say…”

“I’d just tell him that Dylan was an ex, that he hadn’t been invited round but just turned up. Then things got a bit heated—”

“See stop right there.”

“What?”

“Heated. That’s the wrong word entirely, because things did look heated from out there.” He pointed at the window. “And James won’t listen beyond that. You need to say Dylan wouldn’t take no for an answer. That he’s obsessed with you. Keeps begging you to go back to him, proposing and all that.”

“You really think I should mention the proposal?”

“Mmm, maybe not. That was loopy.” Brendon spun his finger by his ear. “No one wants to think they’re getting involved with a woman who has a loopy ex-boyfriend. Mega hassle.”

Megan stared at the phone. Brendon was right. Dylan was mega hassle. He was also her baggage, and a stalker, or so it seemed.