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About the way Lily looks at Jaxon.
About the way Jaxon looks at Lily.
About everything he’s risking.
About everything I’m stepping into.
About the fact that I already feel more tied to this family than I should.
I lift my gaze to his. “No,” I say.
His brows draw together slightly. “No?”
“It’s not too fast,” I clarify. “It’s just… a lot to wrap my head around.”
His shoulders ease just a fraction.
“We’ll keep it simple,” he says. “I’ll have Simone handle the paperwork first thing in the morning. We’ll need IDs, signatures, a couple of witnesses. That’s it.”
I nod once more. “Okay.”
Another pause.
“What about Lily?” I ask softly.
That’s the part that matters. More than anything else.
His expression shifts again, softer this time.
“I’ll talk to her,” he says. “Explain it in a way she can understand.”
His gaze drops to my mouth for a fraction of a second before lifting again.
“Then that’s settled,” I say, aiming for lightness. “Tomorrow, we get married.”
He swallows. “Tomorrow,” he echoes.
And just like that—there’s no going back.
***
I wake up before my alarm.
For a second, I don’t know why my heart is already racing. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar in that early-morning haze, soft gray light filtering through the curtains. Then it hits.
Today.
“Oh my God,” I whisper into the quiet room. “Today is my wedding day.”
The words sound ridiculous out loud. Like I’m joking. Like I’m talking about a brunch reservation or a dentist appointment.
I’m getting married today.
To my boss.
To a man I met in a bar. Slept with. Argued with. Agreed to fake a life with.
My stomach flips.
