What he doesn’t seem to understand is that it only makes things worse. Because now I have to try even harder to keep my heart out of the situation. I can’t let him anywhere near that delicate organ. It’s not only been broken in the past; it’s been crushed and then ground to a powder, and I can’t bear the thought of being hurt again. Leaving Cory nearly killed me, and I have a horrible feeling that I didn’t feel for him anywhere close to what I already feel for Marcus, and I haven’t even slept with him yet.
This has disaster written all over it. And to top it all, his dad has now given me his blessing.
God, when I screw things up, I really know how to do it with aplomb.
Chapter Eleven
Wren
The next two weeks pass with alarming speed.
I see at least one member of the Ashford family every day. Despite me protesting that I don’t mind how Cece wants to organize the wedding, she’s keen to keep me involved with every step of the wedding preparations. A little embarrassed, I tell her early on that my mother has no money, and I only have a little in savings, so I can’t contribute much to the cost. She replies with, “Oh goodness, let’s not let a little thing like money get in the way of you having exactly what you want.”
Marcus assures me it will make her the happiest woman alive if she’s able to fulfil my girlhood dreams of a wedding. Edward confirms this and begs me to go for it, and says she’s spending her evenings flicking through magazines and making sketches, and he thinks it’s helping her recovery. And how can I possibly say no to that?
So, in the end, I give up trying to be modest and tell her how much I adore fairy lights and ribbons, and the colors pink and gold, and let her sweep me away with magazine photos of grazing tables and champagne-filled glasses and wedding cakes three tiers high.
It’s impossible not to get carried away in the excitement of it all, with Aurelia calling me every five minutes telling me about a wedding dress she’s spotted in one of the bridal boutiques that I ‘simply must come and see,’ Caesar occasionally picking me up when Marcus is busy, and even Edward calling by to deliver some swatches that Cece has ordered and wants me to check.
Oddly, Marcus is the one person I don’t see much of. Conscious that he’s taking a week off for the honeymoon, he’s super busy trying to sort out some business stuff before hisvacation, and half the time he isn’t even in the country, let alone in the same city.
He calls me every day, though, and I get used to the jolt of my heart in the evenings when my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I know it’s him. He talks about his day and asks me about mine, and it’s easy to chat away about everything under the sun, which I like.
But he doesn’t ask to see me. He doesn’t invite me to his office, or his apartment. He doesn’t ask me out to dinner, or to the theater, or to any social events. So, of course, my brain immediately insists he’s already bored with me, even though we haven’t actually said our vows yet.
I try to keep myself busy with work, planning out lessons for the start of the school year. I’m working in my local coffee shop, three days before the wedding, trying not to think about how I’m marrying a man I hardly know, when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
“Hey babe,” he says when I answer. “How are you doing?”
“Panicking,” I admit.
He chuckles. “About something specific?”
I clear my throat. “Where are you?”
“Wellington. I’m in the foyer of the Beehive. I’m about to go in for a meeting with the PM.”
I blink. “The Prime Minister?”
“Yeah, and the Minister of Agriculture. Talking about sustainable farming practices. You okay?”
I hesitate. “I was just… Mars, have you changed your mind?”
“About what?”
“About marrying me?”
“What? No! Why?”
“I just wondered…”
“Crazy girl. Of course not. Is this because we haven’t seen much of each other?”
“Well…”
“Wren,” he says patiently, “I like to think I have amazing willpower. If I decide not to eat sugar, I can stop immediately and not look at a chocolate bar for weeks. I rarely drink to excess. I’ve never taken drugs. I go to the gym every day. But I swear, if I see you alone again, I won’t be able to stop myself from stripping you naked and making love to you there and then.”
I inhale sharply. “Oh…”
