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“We’ll see the cracks at the wedding,” she said. “Not to be negative, but it shows eventually.”
“I’ll be thinking of more books to buy to make myself feel better.”
“And you’ll have so much more free time. You could go see Riley at the coffee shop.”
“I could read as you write.”
“See? Think positively about this. Don’t forget the good things.”
“Is that how you went through with things in the beginning with Sebastian?”
“Sometimes. Other times, I wrote terrible things about him, but you’re going into this knowing what you’re getting into. You aren’t as naive as I was. And no matter what happens, I’m here for you.”
I smiled at her gratefully before turning back to the mirror. “Okay. Then this is the one. The perfect dress for a fake wedding.”
Chapter Nine
In all of the planning,I’d forgotten the most terrifying aspect.
I would have to tell Emma that I was getting married.
She and I didn’t see each other that much these days, considering she was working her ass off to be able to afford life just like I was, but we still called to catch up.
And I knew she was going to lose it when she heard I was gettingmarriedto a man who’d hurt me all of those years ago.
With shaky hands, I picked up my phone. Though we hadn’t hammered out the fine details, we did have a day in mind for the ceremony, and I knew I couldn’t delay this anymore.
Not without her coming and making a scene of it.
“Hey,” Emma said. She sounded like she was in a good mood. “Where’ve you been? I haven’t heard from you in way too long.”
“It’s only been a week.”
“Still, usually I’m the one doing something stupid and ghosting you while I do it.”
“I’m not immune from being stupid.”
“Oh yeah? Name one thing you’ve ever done that is worse than the time I accidentally flooded my apartment.”
“I actually have one,” I said with an awkward laugh. “I’m getting married in a week.”
“What?” Emma said. “Are you being serious?”
“Very.”
“How?Who?”
“Levi Hensen. We reconnected recently.”
“You have to be pranking me right now because there is no way you’re marryingLevi Hensen.”
I closed my eyes. This was why I dreaded telling her. Rule number one of fake marriage was not to let too many people know it was fake. I loved my sister, but she wouldn’t hesitate to snap at Calvin about me marrying someone because he was such a bad brother, especially when he invited her to one of his bullshit parties.
I’d already taken a risk with telling Riley, but Lily had trusted her enough to tell her about her books recently, and no one knew.
Emma wasn’t like that.
I needed to do this without messing it up, and while I loved her, she was sometimes a loose cannon. Once it was over, she and I would have a laugh while I told her everything.