Page 16 of Bitter Arrangement

I stretch and grab my phone. There’s a message waiting for me. It’s from a new number. For some reason, he never uses the same one twice.

Alexan: Do you have your dress yet?

I consider ignoring him just to be a tease, but I can’t help myself. Whenever he reaches out, I get a little flutter in my stomach.

And I still haven’t met him in person.

Riley: I was thinking of just wearing your shirt. And nothing else.

Alexan: That wouldn’t be church appropriate.

Riley: You’d like it though. All those hungry eyes looking at me.

Alexan: Nobody stares at what’s mine like that.

Riley: Don’t tell me you’re one of those macho possessive guys?

Alexan: Only when it comes to you.

I’m smiling like an idiot, and I don’t even know why. Brainless caveman stuff is usually a turnoff, but I like the idea of being someone’s special drug. Like he can’t leave me alone.

I’m about to type again when I smell bacon, and I suddenly leap out of bed.

Only one person in this family would ever cook this early in the morning.

I quickly get changed, do my bathroom routine, and run downstairs. The messages from Alexan aren’t forgotten, exactly, but I can get back to those later.

My brother’s standing at the stove. He’s got eggs going and a pot of coffee already brewed.

“When did you get back?” I say, more than a little excited to see him but trying not to let it show.

“Good morning to you too,” Brenden says, saluting me with the spatula. “Just a few hours ago, actually.”

“You look like it.”

He laughs and jabs at me, but I swat him away. It’s true though; he looks exhausted. There are bags under his eyes, and his beard is getting unruly. His hair’s cut shorter than normal, buzzed to stubble, and his clothes are rumpled and dirty.

“I’m lying low,” he says as he plates my favorite breakfast in the world. “Don’t go telling people I’m here.”

“Does that mean you’re not coming to my wedding then?”

He snorts and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t miss that for the world. Riley McGrath getting married to a random stranger? I have to see that.”

“Great, thanks. Here I was thinking my big brother would step in and put a stop to it.”

“We both know I’m not nearly that important.” He gives me an awkward sideways hug. “Go on, sit down. I’ll be there in a sec.”

I curl up at the kitchen table and pick at my food. I wish I hadn’t mentioned the wedding. Even though I like hearing from my future husband, I don’t enjoy thinking about marrying him and everything that comes after.

Sharing a house. Starting a life. Becoming an entirely new person.

Trapped with a man I barely know.

Brenden sits across from me with a plate of toast and black coffee. He never was much of a breakfast guy. All that food’s for me and Dad.

“Alright, tell me about it,” he says, taking a big swallow of coffee. “You holding up okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say, and when he keeps staring at me with a deep frown, I stab some eggs and shove them in my mouth. “I’m actually fine, okay?”

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