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“Well, then let’s do this,” I say, trying to sound brave.
They rise to their feet, then together, we walk out of the clubhouse. I look over my shoulder at the building, realizing not for the first time that I haven’t been out of here in weeks, maybe months. I’ve completely lost track of time, and I’m not sure I want to leave. This has become my safe haven.
Kiplyn unlocks her brand-new Land Rover with her keyless entry; it makes that beeping noise, right as a bike rolls up the dirt and rock driveway. It’s Itch. He pulls up beside her, and I watch as he kills the engine, then throws his leg over the seat.
He takes a few steps forward, stopping when he no doubt feels my gaze on him. Slowly, he turns his head, and for whatever reason, my entire body freezes. His gaze slides down my body, then back up to meet mine.
His eyes are bloodshot. I slide my gaze over his body. His clothes are rumpled, and there’s a lipstick stain on his neck.
My heart twists.
I don’t know why. It shouldn’t bother me. He’s not my husband yet; he’s not even my boyfriend. He’s just this guy who is contracted and forced to marry me. This man old enough to be my father, except when I look at him, I don’t feel anything remotely close to daughterly.
Knowing that he was with another woman causes pain to stab me in the heart.
I am so weak.
He walks straight up to me, his eyes darkening as they connect with mine. I don’t know what I expect him to say, but it isn’t what he actually does say to me.
“No lace.”
Then he walks past me, his shoulder bumping mine, and he’s gone.
ChapterFour
PIPER
Standing outside of the shop,I look at Reese, who is standing on one side of me, then shift my attention to Kiplyn, who is on the other. I don’t know what I’ve done. This was a mistake. I am not this girl. Henli stands at the door, her eyes wide as she jerks her head for us to move along.
It’s a dress shop.
This all sounded good in theory, but now that I’m here, I don’t think I want to go inside. Reese clears her throat, then threads her arm through mine. “Let’s go. It’ll be fun. Then I’ll give you a mini-makeover.”
“A mini-makeover?” I ask.
She hums, and my feet move with hers as we walk toward the door, except I’m not looking straight ahead. I’m focused on her profile and waiting for her to explain what that means.
Mini-makeover.
It kind of scares me.
“Hair, babe,” Reese announces but doesn’t say anything else, not that she can.
As soon as we cross the threshold of the air-conditioned building, we’re surrounded by three women dressed very nicely. In fact, they look so nice that I feel out of place here. Shifting my gaze down to my feet, I cringe at my cheap flip-flops.
The totality of what I’m wearing probably cost ten bucks if I were going to buy it at a secondhand store, and the only thing I have that’s new is the black cotton panties I’m wearing.
“How can we help you today?” a perky blonde asks.
She’s tall and thin, her smile a bit too wide, her lips a bit too red. But I try not to judge, because I do not look like anything special right now myself.
“We’re here for a wedding dress,” Henli announces.
The salesgirl shifts her attention to Henli, then takes a half of a step toward her, but Henli lifts her hand, her palm facing forward to stop her. “This is the bride,” Kiplyn calls out, placing her hand on the small of my back before she gently propels me forward.
The salesgirl shifts her gaze to me, and then her eyes widen. “You’re the bride,” she says, but it almost sounds like a question the way her voice goes up an octave at the wordbride.
“I am,” I say.
