AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Angelique fussed with my hair, weaving tiny wildflowers into my loose curls. "Tu es magnifique, Elsa," she said, stepping back to admire her handiwork.
I tried to smile, but the nerves got the better of me. "I don’t know, Angelique. This whole thing is… I can't rely on my father. And then there’s this whole thing with, you know…?"
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
"Duncan? What about him?" Angelique asked, her eyes catching mine in the mirror.
"I can't read him."
She chuckled. "D'accord!Men are generally harder to read than women even though we're the ones with the reputation of being difficult."
I looked at the ring on my finger and grimaced. "He's so distant sometimes. I'm in love with him, but he seems to believe he can't love me back."
"I hate that this hurts you." Angelique's eyes softened with sympathy. "Elsa, you have to keep your heart secure. Men like Duncan don't always know how to handle love. It's why he used to have sex with escorts. It's safer for him, no strings attached."
Thierry, who was adjusting his tie in the corner, turned around sharply. "Non, non, Angelique. I don't agree. Elsa, if you love him, you have to show him. People can change. He just needs to see what he could have with you."
I rolled my eyes. Since Dean started to hang out with Thierry, he'd become Team Duncan.
"I thought you couldn't stand my husband."
Thierry grinned. "I have started seeing him in a new light." When Angelique snorted, he raised a hand, "Hear me out. He leaves his palace on Avenue Montaigne and moves into Elsa's shitty apartment because she asks him to."
"It's not shitty," I cried out and threw a tissue Angelique had been using to wipe errant makeup off at Thierry.
"Snob," Angelique muttered.
Thierry had inherited an apartment from his grandmother that was near the Eiffel Towel and boastedelegant Parisian charm(his words) with high ceilings, ornate moldings, and expansive windows. As if all of that wasn't awesome enough, theapartment came with a balcony offering a breathtaking view of the iconic landmark.
"Just saying thathemoved in here. He's been here every night. He's not running off to his gorgeous apartment or the Ritz," Thierry continued. "He may be confused about what and how he feels about how your marriage came about, but he's been trying to make it work."
"Afterhe majorly fucked up and left his wife for a whole week right after they were married," Angelique pointed out and then sighed, "So, he's been making amends, I have to give Duncan that."
I looked between them, my two closest friends, feeling torn. "I'm scared of getting hurt," I admitted, putting a hand on my stomach, "And I'm scared I'll be a single mother like Mamman. I had promised myself I'd never put myself in that position, and here I am."
"You're not single, and even if you were, you would not be alone," Angelique insisted. "Thierry and I will be the best godparents your baby could dream of."
Thierry put a hand on my shoulder. "You look beautiful, Elsa, and Ang is right; you'll always have us.AndI dare say the whole Archer clan. Even if Duncan fucks up, I can assure you that Dean and Damian, and that scary Mamman of theirs, will be there for you."
Angelique handed me a delicate shawl, its colors matched my dress perfectly. I walked to the floor-length antique mirror in the corner of my bedroom and looked at myself. If nothing else, I looked half decent and not as I'd been worried, a waddling duck. I placed both my hands on my stomach protectively.
"I can't make him love me," I murmured. "It's going to be what it's going to be."
"Just be careful,ma chérie. Protect your heart, but don't close it off completely," Angelique advised.
I gave out a self-deprecating laugh. "Any thoughts on how to make that happen?"
Angelique shrugged. "I'm an escort, not the right person to talk about commitment and all that.Merdé, I've never been in love, so what the hell do I know about anything."
Thierry slipped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head. "Maybe you need to stop protecting your heart so much. Perhaps it’s okay to take chance on the man you’re married to, are having a baby with."
She cuddled into him. "You think so?"
I knew that Thierry always had a thing for Angelique. They were friends but he wouldn't mind at all if they moved into lovers' territory.
"I know so."
