Page 57 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

We made our way to the living room, where I had spread various wedding magazines and fabric swatches on the coffee table. Amirah plopped down on the couch, immediately picking up a magazine and flipping through it with an expert eye. Between the two of us, Amirah was the decorating expert.

"So, what do we need to decide today?" she asked, looking up at me with a curious glint.

"Almost everything," I told her honestly. "When Dad gave us less than two weeks to get married, I didn't think it would be this hard."

"You agreed to two weeks... sorry less than two weeks," she gaped at me. "Did you forget you're planning two weddings?"

"Technically Rafael is planning our wedding here, all I have to do is approve what he's already done."

"Well, that's comforting," Amirah smiled as she picked up two swatches. "Okay, let's get down to it."

I stared at the heap of fabric swatches and wedding magazines scattered across the coffee table, feeling overwhelmed. The shades of white, ivory, and cream all blurred together. Choosing wedding colors shouldn’t be this difficult, but here I was, drowning in a sea of indecision.

Amirah’s voice broke through my thoughts, her tone playfully exasperated. “Yasmin, you’ve been staring at that swatch for ten minutes. We won't get through this if you keep zoning out.”

I looked up, catching her amused expression. “I know, I know. It’s just... there are so many choices. I want everything to be perfect.”

She rolled her eyes dramatically, but I could tell she wasn't mad at me. “Perfection is overrated. Besides, the most important thing is that you and Rafael are happy. The rest are just details.”

"Big details," I muttered under my breath. I nodded, trying to take her advice to heart. Amirah had always been the practical one, while I tended to overthink everything. She reached for another swatch, holding it up to the light.

“This one might go well with the flowers you chose. What do you think?”

I took the swatch from her, appreciating the subtle shimmer of the fabric. “I like it,” I said, adding it to the growing pile of possibilities. “Thanks for helping with this, Amirah. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably elope and save yourself the stress,” she teased, then waved her hands in my face. "But you can't elope," she rushed out, probably knowing I would seriously consider it. "Dad would make me have four weddings if he knew I convinced you to elope."

"I'm not going to elope," I told her. As stressful as this all was, I loved it. Ethan and my wedding was nothing short of disappointing but with Rafael, I wanted the glitz and glam I dreamed of as a girl.

We spent the next hour sifting through more swatches, discussing centerpieces, and debating the merits of various cake flavors. Eventually, we reached a lull in the conversation, and Amirah leaned back against the couch, stretching her arms above her head.

“So, have you thought about your honeymoon night?” she asked, her tone casual but her eyes sparkling with mischief as it always did.

I felt a blush creeping up my neck and quickly busied myself with straightening the swatches. “What about it?” I mumbled, hoping to deflect the question.

Amirah wasn’t fooled. “You know what I mean. It should be special, even though it won’t be your first time together.”

I could feel my cheeks burning, and I kept my eyes on the table. Silence stretched between us, and I sensed Amirah’s curious gaze. Finally, I dared to glance at her, only to find her staring at me, wide-eyed. I would have hoped not to be as obvious as I was but there was no hiding it.

“Wait a minute,” she said slowly, her tone incredulous. “You mean you and Rafael haven’t...?”

I shook my head, the movement almost undetectable. “No, we haven’t.”

Amirah’s mouth dropped open in shock. “But you’ve been living together! I just assumed...”

“It’s okay,” I interrupted quickly, desperate to fill the silence and change the subject. “It just hasn't happened but I'm sure it will when the timing is right.”

Amirah continued to stare at me, her disbelief palpable. “Yasmin, are you sure? I mean, do you want your first time to be on your wedding night when you’re exhausted and stressed out from the whole day?”

Her words struck a chord, and I found myself contemplating her question. It wasn’t something I’d thought about, but now that she mentioned it, I could see her point. Still, I refused to admit that out loud, not to my little sister. It was clear we desired each other, so why haven't we had sex?

“I appreciate your concern, Amirah, but Rafael and I are happy. It’ll happen when it’s meant to.”

She sighed, leaning back and giving me a skeptical look. "Whatever you say."

"Let's get back to the wedding plans," I said, trying to change the subject. Amirah shook her head but didn't push further. Instead, she picked up another wedding magazine and flipped through it, her eyes scanning the pages. I pretended to be interested in the flowers again, but my mind was elsewhere.

We spent the next hour debating between lilies and roses, gold or silver table settings, and what kind of cake would be the least likely to melt in the summer heat. All the while, my mind kept drifting back to her words.

---