AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My face blazes red hot.
She flips a hand at me with a smile. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s normal for you guys to enjoy yourselves.”
“Mom!” I say, even more embarrassed as Fredrick chuckles.
When everyone retires to their rooms, I prepare myself for what’s going to happen next.
Fredrick follows me to my room and as soon as the door shuts behind us, he pulls me into his arms. Suddenly, everything feels right in the world... but it’s all wrong.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice soft, gentle.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. He leans down and kisses me, his lips warm against mine. My heart kicks into overdrive, and I wonder why I can’t separate how I feel about this man into something that makes more sense. I like him - heck, I might even love him - but at the same time, I hate him for forcing me into this and leveraging my flower shop to get me to do what he wants.
He undresses me, his hands tracing over my skin and bringing me to life. My body craves him, and he’s good at fooling me into believing he actually loves me. But this is all fake. I'm lying to everyone I love.
As we lay in bed, tangled together, I can't help but wonder if there's any way to fix things and make them right.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” The genuine worry in Fredrick’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
I nod. “I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry if I messed things up,” he says, his eyes filled with concern.
For a moment, I’m surprised that he can so effortlessly tell something is wrong, even if he’s not sure what. And his guess is dangerously close to the heart of the matter.
And I realize that when it was just us, I got to see the real Fredrick. But now that everyone’s back, I see him closing himself off again, and I know we're back to pretending.
I close my eyes and try to push away the hurt and the worry. As he drifts off to sleep, I scoot away, putting some distance between the two of us. I just can’t deal with the emotions welling up in me right now.
The sound of Fredrick's breathing is the first thing I hear when I wake, and I feel his arm draped over my waist. The weight of his body against mine feels deceptively comforting.
Careful not to wake him, I slip out of bed and make my way to the bathroom.
As I brush my teeth, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes are red-rimmed, and dark circles have formed under them. I look like a woman who hasn't slept in days. Well, I haven’t slept much, that’s for sure. He’s managed to infiltrate every aspect of my life, which only confuses me further.
I leave the bathroom and start getting dressed, trying to be as quiet as possible. Somehow, I manage to get ready for my day without making him stir, and I tiptoe out with my shoes in hand.
In the hallway, Alex appears out of nowhere. His expression is angry, and I can tell he's been waiting for me.
“What are you doing?” he says, grabbing my arm.
I feign ignorance. “Going to work, what are you doing?”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” He seems annoyed at my response.
“Let go of me,” I say, trying to shake him off.
Panic seems to edge into his voice and features. “Answer me, Lila. Why are you marrying him?"
I sigh. “It's complicated,” I say, not wanting to get into it.
“Complicated? That's not an answer. What is he doing to you? How is he forcing you to do this?”
“He’s not doing anything. He’s not forcing me.” I hate lying to my brother, my twin, the one who was there for me after Fredrick broke my heart the first time.
“Then why won't you tell me what's going on?”
“Nothing is going on. I love him, we’re getting married.” I should have known I couldn’t fool him. I pull my arm away from him, but he talks to me as I walk toward the front door.
