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“And Nathan was okay with this?”
“Well…yeah. It was the whole reason for my consent to this marriage contract in the first place.” I bit my lip.
“Only now, you’re starting to develop feelings for him,” Brooklyn guessed.
I screwed up my face, trying not to cry. “Yeah.”
“Oh, Cici.” This time, Brooklyn stopped me with a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
I breathed deeply into her shoulder, forcing the tears down with a burning gulp. When I finally had the tears under control, I pulled away.
“But it wasn’t a big deal at first, because it seemed like he was developing feelings for me, too. We had kissed a number of times, and the feeling I got…it couldn’t just have been one-sided.”
Brooklyn’s lips pulled to one side, but she didn’t say anything.
“And then I told him I loved him, and he said it back. And everything has been magical between us. Until now.”
“What happened, then?”
I shook my head, chuffing a laugh as I looked down at my hands. “I overheard a conversation between him and his best friend, Harold, about his assistant, and how, basically, she’s doing too much and how she needs to chill and all this stuff… And then, in the bathroom, Zeke’s wife told me I don’t fit in and I should just save myself the heartache and get divorced now, and it just got me thinking. What if he feels the same way about me? What if…what if he doesn’t really love me, and he just thinks he does, but then he realizes down the line that he really doesn’t, and then he realizes how much effort it takes me to fit into his world, and then he…”
“And then he rejects you,” Brooklyn finished quietly.
I sniffled. “Yeah.”
Brooklyn sighed, bringing me in for a hug again. “Listen, Cici,” she said, her voice above my head. “Any man worth anything can see that you’re a catch. You’re kind, and considerate, and all the things you said about Nathan. And to top it all off, you’re a babe.”
I let out a watery laugh.
“I don’t know Nathan well enough to know if he is truly in love with you, but if he’s not, fuck him. One thing I do know, though, is that you’re not alone. Even if he doesn’t love you, and your marriage goes up in flames, you willalwayshave me. I can suss out anyone who’s not good for you. And you have Estelle. And…I guess Mack, too.”
I smiled against her shoulder. “You still hate her, huh.”
She shrugged, my head moving with the gesture. “Old habits die hard. But she seems aight.”
“She is.” I pulled away, wiping my cheeks. “She’s been great throughout this whole thing, really welcoming. And listening to what I want out of this wedding. She even got Sara in line.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes. “Fine. I guess I will grow to like her, if she’s sticking around.”
I smiled at her ornery tone. “She is.”
“Anyway, my point is that you have your girls. You haven’t been abandoned.” She rubbed my arms, a gentle look on her face.
“Thank you, Lyn, really,” I said, sniffling again. “I love you.”
“And I love you, Cici.” She smiled. “You look a mess; you wanna get out of here? We can hole up in your hotel room and order Chinese food and watch bad reality TV.”
“But what about the party?”
Brooklyn sucked her teeth. “Fuck this party,” she grumbled. “But also, I’ll text Mack and let her know you’re turning in early. And let her know that I’ve got you.”
Though my heart felt like it was breaking, the warmth I felt from mending things with Brooklyn sustained me. I felt our soul-deep connection repairing itself bit by bit. And the Chinese food would definitely help.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”
ChapterThirty-Six
NATHAN
