Page 61 of Love in Fine Print

As an adult, I recognized my mother’s behavior for what it was. She had manic episodes where she wouldn’t sleep, wouldn’t eat, she’d stay up and obsess over whatever her newest fixation was. She clearly had mental health issues that were either never diagnosed, or if they were, she never took medication for them, that I knew of.

I hated living with her. Every weekend I’d beg to live with my father. I’d cry and plead, but he told me that my mother needed me. I never understood why he allowed her to manipulate him. She didn’t need me. She used me as leverage to clean out my father’s bank account.

Even though he’d never been at my condo, I felt him in this place. It was the reason I’d paid twenty grand over list price. There was no amount of money that could give me another day with my father, but if there was, I’d pay it. I’d give anything to have just one more day with him.

The buzzer on the front gate sounded and I grabbed my phone and checked the security camera. My bestie was standing there holding a white garment bag. “Oh, that’s Bailey with the dress.”

“The dress!” Trevor jumped up from the bed, apparently, catching a second wind.

I buzzed Bailey in as Trevor raced to the front door. By the time I made it to the entryway, he was grabbing the bag fromBailey’s hands. My bestie knew Trevor well enough to know better than to wrestle him for it.

“Is this the dress?”

Over the decade I’d worked with Trevor, we’d discussed wedding gowns on more than one occasion, so he knew my dream dress was the Lugazzo gown.

“No. I couldn’t get that in time,” I explained.

His jaw dropped slightly, but then he nodded in understanding. “Right.”

Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about Trevor accidentally letting it slip that I was only marrying Ben for the partnership. He was a steel trap for secrets. If I needed someone to help bury the body, he would be the one who showed up with a shovel and tequila to get the job done and he’d take my secret to his grave.

I’d trusted him with my life and my skeletons.

“Do you want to try it on?” Bailey asked.

Did I? No. Not really. I liked it in the salon, and I’d had a fitting a few days ago. It was fine.

“Of course she’s going to try it on!” Trevor answered for me.

He walked into the bathroom and hung it on the shower rod.

“Do you want help?” Bailey asked from the doorway.

“No, I’m good.”

Trevor and Bailey both made their way out of the bathroom. When I shut the door behind them, I took a deep breath and stared at my reflection in the mirror. The white garment bag hung behind me like a looming reminder of my unorthodox decision.

Shaking off any creeping doubts I told myself that I was doing the right thing.

Through the door, I could hear Bailey and Trevor talking.

“Have you met Ben?” she asked.

When Ben’s name was mentioned, I leaned against the oak surface, pressing my ear to the wood.

“Oh yes, I was there at the meet-cute.”

“Wait! You were?!”

“Liv didn’t tell me that.”

“Of course she didn’t. She’s horrible at telling stories.”

“Hey!” I called out. “I can hear you.”

The two continued their conversation.

“I was on the phone with her, and she mentioned arm porn being real, so, of course, I rushed down to see what, or should I say who inspired this revelation.”

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