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His sister throws her arms in the air. “Exactly! You guys both understand the stress the other is under. I mean, the pressure is senseless. I’m already married, and I’m head over heels in a way I didn’t think I’d ever feel. But you can’tforcerelationships to just happen. If people aren’t meant to be, they aren’t meant to be.”
Heidi drops the rag she was using to clean up the bar, a little bit perturbed. “I can’t imagine being stuck with someone who didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“It’d be easier,” Carter laments. “Not the being stuck with someone who doesn’t care about me. But it would mean I could stop constantly letting Mom down.”
He sounds reluctant, but I can tell he means it. “She’s only got so much time left. I want her to be happy, but instead she’s always worrying about me when she won’t even worry about herself. It’s just painful.”
A twinge of guilt spikes through me. All he wants is to make things easier for his mom, a dying woman who only wants her son to be happy. The pressure that must be putting on him is probably killing him.
I completely understand how he feels, and it makes more sense why he and I are on the same page about our parents trying to set us both up.
I wish I knew what to say to make things easier, but I don’t have anything. I mean, it’s their mom with her life on the line. My parents are just persistent. I don’t know if I could handle the idea of Mom being on her deathbed, especially if she was still so desperate for me to marry.
I roll my eyes, pushing my braids out of my face.
Heidi exhales. “I just don’t understand where Mom is coming from. Where did she get the idea that Carter needs to get married to be happy? I mean, do you know how many people are in relationships, married even, and are completely miserable? Why can’t he just be happy and single? You could enjoy your life the way you want to. I mean, if you marry someone just for the sake of marrying them, isn’t that going to make everyone else hurt?”
“Exactly,” I nod. “Marriage isn’t the end all be all in life.”
“I mean, it’s hard to please our mom.” She rolls her eyes. “Convincing her of anything she doesn’t personally believe in is like trying to convert her religion. Pulling teeth. She’s set in her ways. I don’t think she’ll ever really accept Carter not getting married.”
“You can’t just lie to her?” I question.
“I wish,” she replies, letting out a huff.
“She’ll want to meet the woman who has my heart,” Carter fills me in. “If I tell her I have a date, or a girlfriend, she’d do everything to make sure there were pictures, dates, and the complete story of how we arrived at this place together.”
I shake my head. “Sounds like my parents, too.”
Without a preamble, Heidi lets out a laugh that has us both turn to her in confusion.
“What?” Carter inquires.
“I was just thinking about how we’re taking marriage so seriously, but there have been so many couples that have come through this very bar that get married without even really knowing each other.” Heidi tuts. “I’ve never understood why they do it, but they arrive at this resort and it’s obvious they barely know one another, and then they just get married. On awhim! It’s ridiculous.”
I didn’t even think of that. I jump in. “You’re right! Oh my God, remember the couple from last year? The woman who didn’t even speak English and the guy who threw money around like he’d never run out?”
Her eyes light up. “Or the two men from a few months ago who metat this barand then next thing we heard they were married? In the same week?”
“Or the young man and the much, much older woman a few years ago?”
We both break into a fit of giggles, and I look over at Carter. “These people, who barely knew anything about one another, thinking they could just get married and their lives would be set. I don’t think a single one of those couples we’ve ever seen who got married on a whim are still together.”
“I agree.” Heidi wipes a tear away and follows my gaze. “They must have been willing to throw everything out of the window to think that they were going to live happily ever after.”
We all break into snorts as Heidi begins to close out On the Rocks.
As the noise dies out, I start to think.
It’scrazy. That you could just marry someone you don’t even know. Marry them and fool everyone into thinking…
My entire body begins screaming. I turn to lock eyes with Carter, and something about the way he’s looking at me tells me he’s thinking exactly what I’m thinking.
“Why are you two looking at each other?” Heidi’s voice catches my ears, but we don’t answer. If anything, it only heightens the thoughts that are racing through my head.
Marry someone you don’t really know.
Someone that could never last.
