Page 64 of An Inevitable Marriage

Nat’s gaze filled with concern. “Harder because of how it made you feel or harder because your feelings for him were real?” She took my hand and squeezed gently. “It sounds like I’m asking the same thing, but it’s not.”

I knew what she meant, and my answer came easy. “I didn’t love Anthony. Hell, I wonder if I even liked him. It was always the idea of him that had me holding on. Because deep down, I believed he was the best I would get.” Sucking in a breath, I softly confessed, “I talk a good game but, truly, I’m terrified he’s right, no one will want me.”

“Bullshit.”

I had no clue what I’d expected, but Natalie’s furious response definitely wasn’t it.

“You hear me? Bullshit,” she repeated it with a bit more vehemence this time. “Anthony tried to break you, but you will not. I won’t let you. You’re strong and beautiful and the most courageous person I know, there’s no way a rat like him can bring you down.”

In the space of two breaths, I went from stunned to a blubbering mess, yet again.

Nat’s words weren’t some miracle salve that instantly healed my wounds. I still felt the same. Only now, I felt loved, too.

Pulling her into a hug, I whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re one amazing lady, Evie,” she whispered back. “Don’t ever forget that.”

We stood like that for a few moments before we broke apart and headed back to our table. I looked a mess. My nose was red, my cheeks splotchy and my eyes smoky—the I-stayed-up-all-night-and-drank-too-much kind of smoky.

I didn’t care.

On the way back to the table, Nat had started talking about how excited she was to become a mom. She beamed. Every word she spoke was filled with so much happiness and excitement, I couldn’t help but feel those emotions with her.

Especially after everything she’d had to go through to get to this.

She and Zach both deserved their happy ever after.

My heart was filled to the brim with happiness for them, and yet, deep, deep down, there was a part of me that was somewhat envious, too.

I wanted to experience the kind of love they shared. To have someone look at me and think I was their entire world. And on the days when I couldn’t, I wanted someone to fight my demons and tell me everything was going to be okay.

But girls like me…we were bridesmaids, never the bride. Unless a way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good billionaire pays you a ridiculous amount of money to pretend to be his wife.

“Zach has gone overboard,” Natalie’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “There are so many boxes in the baby’s room, I can’t even get inside.”

Ignoring the pang in my chest, I smiled. “He just wants to make sure you and the baby are cared for.”

“As long as we have him, we have everything we need.”

Another ache pierced my breastbone. “I promise you that man isn’t going anywhere. Heck, if he could tether himself to you, he probably would.”

“Please don’t give him any ideas.” Natalie giggled. “He’s already checking in on me every hour. Not that I mind,” she quickly added. “His concern and protectiveness are just two of themanythings I love about him.”

I gave her a pointed stare. “If you start talking about his bedroom prowess again, I’m leaving.”

“Weren’t you the one who always wanted to knowallthe details?”

“That was before I realized you screw more than the people in my books,” I deadpanned.

Natalie blinked once, twice, then one more time before she threw her head back and laughed. I couldn’t help it, I laughed, too.

It felt really good.

Even more when we spent the rest of the afternoon going from shop to shop to search for baby things. It was exactly what my soul needed.

By the time I walked through the door of Liam’s penthouse, I was spent and ready to fall flat on my face. Until the sound of shattering glass stopped me dead in my tracks.

Panic clawed at my chest and stole the air from my lungs.