Page 35 of Falling for You Again

“This won’t be long term. Three years, tops.”

“You’re moving in with him. He’s a stranger.”

“Would it help if I told you that I know him better than you think I do, that we were already married once?”

I freeze, mouth agape, tongue turning to lead. Did I just say that?

Emi lurches back. “Come again?”

I wince. “I should go. It’s late.”

Emi blocks my exit from the kitchen. “You’re not leaving until you explain.”

I pull at my fingers, crack a knuckle. “I might have lied about how I know Aaron.” Emi crosses her arms, not so patiently waiting for me to spit it out. “I might have met him on my flight to Vegas.”

“The one you took after you left Paul?”

“We might have had too much to drink. And I might have dared him to marry me. Vegas, baby.” I lift my hands.Ta-da.

Emi shrieks. “You what?”

“I dared him to marry me for twenty-four hours, and he said yes, and we had a lot of fun. And he might have gone to Maui with me.”

Emi’s mouth falls wide open.

“We divorced as soon as we got back. It was super quick and quiet. We didn’t tell anyone.”

Emi shakes her head, backing away like she doesn’t know me. I’m a stranger in her house. On top of her anger and disappointment in me, she looks hurt.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I say, following her from the kitchen. “I thought—”

She shows me her palm. “I can’t be with you right now. I just ...” She waves her arms around, then points at the door. “You need to leave.”

“Emi.”

“Not right now.” She retreats to her room and shuts the door.

I stand alone in the middle of her apartment.

Now probably isn’t a good time to ask her to be my maid of honor.

I swipe up my keys and cross the hallway. Blueberry is in the midst of a cleaning session, and my arrival startles him. He hisses at me, arching his back, and stomps off, giving me his one eye.

Great, snubbed by my friend and my cat.

Chapter 14

I Do 2.0

One week and one marriage license later, I stare at my reflection in the floor mirror. I’m alone in one of Aaron’s spare bedrooms, a decent-size space pleasantly decorated in neutral tones that remind me of the coast. There’s a queen bed sandwiched between two rustic oak sideboards I recognize from the Savant House catalog, and a matching dresser. A gallery wall of scenes from the Cape is on one side of the bed, and on the other, two tall, narrow windows that overlook the street. Sunlight pours into the room, puddling on the floor between the bed and wall. Dust motes float like specks of light.

The room suits me, which is a good thing. Starting tonight, it will be mine. Today I am marrying Aaron for the second time. And I am nervous. I still haven’t decided whether to tell Uncle Bear and my parents I’ve temporarily moved from our apartment building and why, or if I’ll wait until my uncle receives word from the Savant House. They’ll demand an explanation then.

I also haven’t spoken to Emi all week because she isn’t speaking to me.

As I continue to gaze at my reflection, I’m reminded how different this wedding day is from my last one, where I also stood before a mirror in a wedding gown. Cheryl’s gown, because it had meant so much to her to have her son’s bride wear it. And my agreement to wear her dress pleased Paul because it pleased his mom. But I wasn’t pleased, andlooking back now, I see how unhappy I was. Despite having the gown tailored, the material was scratchy and the fit uncomfortable. The style just wasn’t me. I didn’t feel like me wearing it. And Emi noticed.

After Cheryl had left the church’s antechamber to go sit with her family, Emi stood by my side. “I can tell something is bothering you. What is it?” she asked gently.

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