Page 8 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"I wish you could, too," I said with a sigh. "I don't know why I feel so anxious. It's probably all the people we need to impress. It doesn't feel like this is about us starting a marriage. I know that's the trade-off we made for getting all this for free, but it doesn't feel the way I thought it would."

"I get it. But there are more positives than negatives, right?"

"Yes, that's true."

"But you don't look convinced," he said, giving me a knowing look.

"I just feel a little off. Harper and Jamie have been tense, too. I'm starting to think they both have some resentment toward me getting so much attention from the Carringtons. You heard what Harper said about Jamie not getting picked to be the bride."

"I also heard Jamie say her wedding will be much bigger. That was a factor, remember? We were the right couple because we had a good story and because we didn't want a big wedding."

I nodded in agreement.

"I've never been good at girl drama," he continued. "But I suspect Harper is feeling sorry for herself because she's single again. And maybe Jamie wishes she could have her rehearsal dinner in a five-star restaurant. But you're all good friends, and I'm sure they care more about you than about the rest of it."

"I hope they do. I've always thought we were close, but lately…I don't know. It has felt different ever since we got engaged. I wish…" My words fell away as I realized I didn't even know what I wished.

"What? What do you wish, Lauren?"

I gave him a helpless smile. "I don't know, Andrew."

"Yes, you do. I think your nervousness is because you're missing your mom. You don't want to think about the fact that she's not here. So you're getting annoyed by everyone else. Could that be why no one seems as supportive as you want them to be?"

He made a fair point. "Possibly. It is difficult to do this without her. I'm mostly okay, but now and then, I'm reminded of how much of my life she'll miss. She never even got to meet you. And she won't be able to see me get married or have kids." I blew out a breath. "I guess it is bothering me more than I thought."

"That's completely understandable. But from everything you've told me about your mom, I'm sure she would want you to be happy on your wedding day."

"She would. She wanted me to be happy every day. We had some good talks before she died, but it's still hard."

"What can I do?"

"You're already doing it." I leaned in for a kiss, letting my mouth linger against his warm heat. "You're such a good man, Andrew. I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"Maybe we don't need to sleep apart tonight," I suggested. We'd made the plan earlier, thinking it would make our wedding night more special, but we'd practically been inseparable the last few months, so I didn't really know what we were trying to prove.

He gave me a regretful smile. "It's tempting, but I think we should stick with our plan. It will make tomorrow even better. Everything is going to be fine, Lauren."

"I guess," I said with a little sigh.

He laughed. "Come on, let's go."

A few moments later, we entered the hotel lobby and headed to the elevators. I was staying in the bridal suite on the third floor while Andrew would be spending the night in a three-bedroom villa with Colin, Jay, and Dana.

"You don't have to walk me all the way to my room," I said as I pushed the button for the elevator. "I can make it from here."

"I'm going to see you safely to your suite."

"Our suite," I corrected. "It feels too big and extravagant for only me."

"Well, I'll enjoy it tomorrow night and for the rest of the week."

When we got off the elevator, Andrew used his keycard to open the door, and I was shocked to see Harper and Jamie sitting on the couch with a few other women from work.

"It's girl time," Harper declared. "No boys allowed, Andrew."

"I know. Have fun, ladies." He gave me a smile. "I told you everything would be fine. You should always believe me, Lauren."

---