Page 35 of Promises We Meant to Keep

Elia stared down at the whisk still in her hand. She was being ridiculous. Kamryn would never be interested in someone like her. She was too cold, too bitchy, and way too shut off from her feelings for that. Kamryn deserved the world and the sun and the moon and the stars when it came to romance.

Elia couldn’t give her that.

Even if she might want to.

thirteen

Kamryn pulled up outside of the country club and parked the vehicle. Elia was pressed into the passenger seat, bundled in a jacket since the temperatures had dropped so significantly in the last week. Kamryn hadn’t managed to keep her jacket on.

Her nerves were going haywire.

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Elia said calmly from the seat next to her.

“You’re not about to lie to all of your friends.”

Elia chuckled lightly, a smile playing at her lips but not quite getting there fully. “We couldnotlie.”

Kamryn shook her head. “Nope. I’m not ready to admit my first lie to Lauren yet. Well, really to Rosie. Lauren would probably just call me an idiot and walk away.”

“Then let’s give them the show of a lifetime.”

“Are you secretly a theater kid and just never told me?” Kamryn laughed, but it helped settle the last bit of those nerves she hadn’t managed to calm before they’d left Windermere that morning. The drive had been pleasant and warm, but now that they were here, it was all rushing back to her.

“No.” Elia put her hand on the door. “So you’re going to have to carry the bulk of the lies.”

“Deal.” Not that it was really going to be that difficult. Kamryn was finding more and more that she enjoyed the time she spent with Elia, that they’d finally broken down some barrier between them that was holding them hostage. “Let’s go before I chicken out.”

“I won’t let you do that,” Elia said as she got out of the car.

Kamryn took one last steadying breath. She hated that this made her so nervous—not the bridal shower, but the fact that she had to watch Lauren and Rosie do whatever they were doing in their relationship. She didn’t want that jealousy to push her to do stupid things.

Finally out of the car, Kamryn grabbed her jacket from the back seat and slid it over her shoulders before snagging the small gift bag she’d put together for Andra. This was thefamily appropriategift, something off her registry. Kamryn definitely saved the gift that was solely between friends for the bachelorette party and would sneak that to Andra when she could.

She shut the door and stepped away from the car, surprised to find Elia standing right next to her. Without hesitation, Elia slid her hand into Kamryn’s free one, lacing their fingers together like they had during the mock meet. Kamryn had to swallow the lump in her throat.

This felt so real.

So much realer than it should have.

“Ready?” Elia asked.

“No,” Kamryn answered. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not going in.”

She took the first step toward the large building and pulled Elia along with her. Kamryn led the way inside, finding which room they were supposed to go to and immediately setting the gift on the table that was waiting for them. She took Elia’s jacket and hung it up first before taking off hers. The nerves runningthrough her body were insane. They were damn near close to taking over everything.

Elia turned on her sharply and snagged both of Kamryn’s hands. She looked into Kamryn’s eyes and gave a very sweet smile. “Feel free to touch me today if you want. I know that physical touch can help with nerves, and I don’t mind.”

“I… really?” Kamryn cocked her head in confusion.

“Yeah.” Elia leaned in closer, pressing their cheeks together and whispering, “Besides, it’ll make the fake seem more real to those distant observers.”

“You’re really into this, aren’t you?”

“I need a bit of excitement in my life.” The laugh rang through Kamryn’s ears and was exactly what she needed to hear. Elia wasn’t doing this out of some distorted obligation but because she really wanted to be here.

“Then let’s get to it.” Kamryn skimmed her hand down Elia’s arm from her shoulder to her elbow before she laced their fingers again. She’d just been given permission to not let go for as long as they were there, and she was absolutely going to take Elia up on that offer.

Andra immediately came over as soon as she saw them. She wrapped her arms around Kamryn’s shoulders in a big hug and then rolled her eyes. “Remind me to never get married again, or better yet, next time remind me to elope. I can’t do this with my mother again.”

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