Page 39 of Sweet Nothings

“No, I don’t. I don’t react in any sort of way.” My cheeks flame with my lie.

I react with Lennon. Very, very much so.

Roe sees through my lies. “Laurel, this wedding and marriage might go a little smoother if you stopped lying to yourself. If you didn’t have feelings for him, you wouldn’t have been so hurt when you realized he didn’t remember you. You also wouldn’t be this okay with marrying him. After your marriage to David, I know you don’t take this lightly. You made that very clear at James’s funeral.”

I shake my head. I don’t want to talk about my feelings for Lennon. Or Roe’s cancer. I want to shop for a wedding dress.“Even if I did have feelings for him, he doesn’t feel that way about me. Lennon is a businessman, and that’s all this is to him: business.”

“Well, I guess we’ll see who’s right at the wedding.” She breathes a heavy, cleansing breath and smiles, grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “Thank you, Laurel. I may not agree with the way you’re going about this, but if this isn’t love, then I don’t know what is. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

With the truth of mine and Lennon’s relationship now in the open with Roe, I feel a weight lift from my shoulders. The pain and fear that comes with Roe’s diagnosis hasn’t disappeared, but at least there are no secrets between us. And when we step into the bridal store, another wave of relief washes over me. Roe is the first person to ever know the history between Lennon and me.

My night with him has been a secret I’ve had the burden of carrying for the past six years. I haven’t even been able to talk about it with the one I shared the night with.

Lennon.

My heart feels lighter when Roe and I step inside. Seas of white dresses stretch along each wall. Various bits of lace and sequins peek out from white chiffon and silk. Roe elbows me, and I turn to catch the largest grin I think I’ve ever seen on her. I’m grinning the same way. We’ve shopped in stores of this scale all our lives, but never a bridal store, and never for a wedding dress.

“I didn’t realize until now how exciting this is,” she says, hooking her arm in mine. “We didn’t get to do this for your first wedding. Actually, I wasn’t even there. This is nice, isn’t it?”

I nod, unable to speak. It is nice. I feel like a princess, and I haven’t even tried any of the dresses on yet, which are a far cry from the red bikini and white sarong I was wearing the day I married David.

“Hello.” A woman with long, curly brown hair greets us. “Do you have an appointment set up with us?”

“Um.” I nervously look at Roe. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“I’m sorry.” She frowns. “We aren’t able to have you try on any of the dresses unless you have an appointment.”

“Oh. Are we able to make an appointment? My wedding is in five days, and I really need to find a dress.”

“Five days?” The curly haired woman gasps, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m sorry. Even if I were to get you an appointment, there is no way we could have a dress ready for you in five days.”

“Well, shit,” Roe mutters.

Panic starts to course through my veins. I should have known better. There’s no way a store such as this one could have a dress ready for me by this weekend, or any of the other stores on Olivia’s list.

I’m ready to leave the store when my phone rings from my purse. I pull it out, reading Lennon’s name flashing across the screen.

Roe eyes my phone and gives me a knowing grin. I stick my tongue out at her and answer.

“Lennon,” I say, keeping my voice as even as possible.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Black Heart.” His voice is deep and low, vibrating my insides. Butterflies fill my stomach.

I roll my eyes at his new nickname for me. Roe’s eyebrow lifts, and I shake my head at her.

One day, I’m Mrs. Harding. Now, I’m Mrs. Black Heart.

“I apologize, ma’am.” The curly brown-haired woman interjects, stepping closer. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I have a bride arriving soon for her appointment. Maybe you could try a department store or a secondhand shop. They’ll likely have wedding dresses you can buy off the rack.”

“Wait a minute.” Lennon growls through the phone and into my ear. “Are you wedding dress shopping?”

“Yes,” I tell him, clearing my throat. “My sister Monroe is here with me, and we just walked in.”

Roe turns her attention to the woman long enough to shoot her a glare before she looks back at me, leaning in to listen in on our conversation.

“Why did it sound like the woman was asking you to leave?” he asks. “Were you able to find a dress?”

“Not exactly.” I wince. The woman still hasn’t moved, refusing to walk away until she’s sure we’ve left her store before her next client arrives.

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