Page 7 of Before We Say I Do

Silence sliced through the air as Carla took in a deep breath.

They eyed each other, neither of them speaking for a long drawn-out minute.

“Okay…” Carla waited a second more, then continued, “as individuals, we all have our…our…”

“We’re not supposed to keep secrets from each other when we’re on the brink of getting married,” London interjected.

Carla lifted a finger. “That’s not what I was going to say. I was going for we all have our necessary things that we keep to ourselves. True marriage is about sharing, but we are still individuals. Having things like me-time, for example, is an individual thing, but it doesn’t make a couple any less of a couple.”

“You’re trying really hard to make this right, and I appreciate you, but it isn’t.”

Carla shut her mouth. Truthfully, Carla was almost nervous to ask, given the severe nature of her cousin’s tone.

“Well,” Carla cleared her throat. “You aren’t cheating on him, or anything, are you?”

London’s brows dipped. “God, no!”

Carla let out a spearing breath.

“I mean, not in the way you’re asking.”

Carla sucked that breath back in, her eyes going wide.

“London?”

“That sounded awful, didn’t it?”

“I’m going with a flat-out yes.”

London removed the veil on her head and twirled as she took combing fingers through her mane.

“I shouldn’t have brought this up.”

“You didn’t. I did because it was written all over your face.”

“Help me out of this dress, will you?”

With her back to Carla, her cousin reached out and unzipped the gown.

“Whatever you’re keeping from him, you should know you can talk to him about it.”

“How do you think he’ll handle me keeping this secret?”

“Well, that depends on the weight of it. I don’t know Kyle’s rage or if he even has a level of rage, but I don’t think anyone would respond well to being cheated on.”

“I’m not—” London sighed. “I said I’m not cheating on him, didn’t I?”

Carla leaned her head side to side and squinted. “You kinda left that open for debate.”

London turned to face her cousin. Eye to eye, she responded, “I’m not cheating on Kyle.”

Carla nodded and rereleased that breath she’d sucked in moments ago.

“Good. Because, God, Kyle’s in love with you, you know. His heart would be broken if, if…”

“I know.” Keeping her cousin’s eye contact, London could see the unease there. “I have never been with anyone besides Kyle. I never will. I love him. For life.”

Carla nodded. “Can I be honest?”

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