Page 32 of Julian

“I hope you’re planning something a little more meaningful than what we had, given that you’re actually marrying a man you love.”

Angie stared at her for a moment before she nodded. “I suppose it will be a bit more elaborate, but not much, I don’t think.”

Kiara wished she hadn’t brought up her wedding and tried to move on from the subject. “I’m surprised you’ve gotten engaged before Annie, since she and Cole have been dating longer.”

“They might get engaged at the end of the basketball season. I think right now he’s focused on the playoffs.”

Kiara agreed that it was probably going to happen sooner rather than later, given how the couple acted when they were together.

It was hard not to feel a little jealous of Angie and Annie. They were both with men they loved and who loved them deeply in return.

As a romantic at heart, Kiara had wanted that for herself. Instead, she was married to a man she barely knew. And he definitely held no love in his heart for her, and probably not even affection.

She tried to suppress the pain in her heart as she leaned against her sister. “I’m happy for you, Angie. Truly.”

“Thanks, Kiki.” Angie rested her head on Kiara’s. “I want you to be my maid of honor.”

“Matron of honor,” Kiara corrected her.

There was a moment of silence before Angie said, “Yes. My matron of honor.”

“I’d be honored.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“Who is going to be Jude’s best man?”

“I think it’s going to be Cooper.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, then Angie left to go to her own room. After turning off the lamp, Kiara slid back down under the covers. Her tablet lay abandoned on the bed beside her.

In the darkness, she stared up at the ceiling. Warm tears slid from the corners of her eyes, soaking into her hair. Crying had never been part of who she was. Jim saw tears as a weakness and would often punish them for crying. But without that threat,her emotions came to the surface more easily. Although it was possible that the pregnancy had something to do with them too.

She didn’t bother to wipe the tears away. There was no one there to see them. No one there to question her complicated feelings at the news of Angie’s engagement to Jude.

Her heart ached with a complex mix of joy and sorrow that she couldn't untangle. She was genuinely happy for Angie. Her sister deserved all the love and happiness in the world. But watching her sister's radiant joy only highlighted the emptiness of her own situation.

Kiara pressed her hand to her stomach, feeling the slight firmness there. In a few months, she'd have a baby to love and care for. That should be enough. It had to be enough. Because once Julian divorced her, she’d have to navigate life as a single mom.

But the romantic part of her heart—the part that had devoured love stories since the first time she’d gotten her hands on one—mourned for what she'd never have. She’d only ever hoped to get married once, and that that one marriage would be filled with love and would last a lifetime.

Instead, she'd married a stranger out of necessity, not love. There would be no tender moments of discovery, no growing intimacy, no shared dreams for their future.

The baby would arrive in a few months, and she still had no idea what her marriage would look like by then. Would they divorce as soon as the baby was born? Or would Julian wait a couple of months?

His letter had been kind, even thoughtful, but it had reflected the correspondence of two strangers navigating an impossible situation. Not the words of a husband to his wife.

She needed to keep her focus on what she had—a baby. And not what she didn’t have—a loving husband.

Picking up her tablet, she touched the screen to bring it to life and settled in to read at least one more chapter. Hopefully, it would pull her out of her head enough that she could sleep.

For some reason, reading about fictional characters falling in love gave her hope for herself, while hearing about it happening to the people around her didn’t.

The next morning, Kiara was late going downstairs, so all the hot breakfast food had already been put away. However, there were still some pastries and fruit sitting on the buffet in the breakfast room.

She poured herself a glass of water, then put a chocolate croissant on a plate and filled a small cup with assorted berries and carried them to the table.

She hadn’t been there long when Angie appeared with Annie behind her. They also grabbed some drinks and pastries before joining her at the table.