Page 56 of From Best Friend to Bride
That had been another side effect of our relationship.
Discovering how many people were in this weird ‘FreDeli’ shipping club that had seemingly been going on for some ten or so years now.
On one hand, I wished that would die. On the other, I had no choice but to respect their dedication to the cause.
Even if I did feel a little guilty that our relationship was actually nothing but a bold-faced lie.
Gosh, they were going to be more heartbroken than us when we broke up.
Maybe this place needed to allocate some of the budget to stocking up on tissues and therapy sessions.
We walked into the formal dining room—my next clue as to the evening’s events—and Fred guided me to the chair to his right, next to the seat reserved for Granny with a little name tag.
This was usually her seat.
I never sat this close to the head of the table.
Were they even trying to hide the hell they were going to put me through tonight?
A spark of discomfort snaked its way down my spine, but I sat down. It was somewhat stiffly, but hey, sitting was sitting.
Aunt Vi’s famous turkey meatballs were brought out by her and Granny, and they both took their respective seats. Aunt Vi was directly opposite me as the current lady of the house, and Granny was next to me, despite being the previous lady of the house.
It was her way of saying she approved.
Not that it was a great surprise to anyone, of course.
Aunt Vi raised her wine glass and looked at me with a warm smile. “To family—both the one chosen for us and the one we choose for ourselves.”
I followed suit with everyone else and echoed the toast, then sipped uncomfortably.
She was one of the few who knew the truth, but that didn’t mean her words weren’t sincere. The Wellingtons and the Peters were bonded through generations of closeness, and even though our families had never been officially joined by marriage, that didn’t mean we weren’t family.
But now, we really would be.
I swallowed hard and looked at my plate, picking up my fork. It was my favourite food in the world, but my appetite was completely dead. The guilt of lying was eating at me, and I knew it would for however long we lived this deceit.
Could I really do this?
Could I truly live such a lie? We had no idea how long Nana would live. It could be the few months Dr Anthony had given her, or she could defy expectations and live for years. Nothing was guaranteed.
What if it was years? Would we have to stay married for it all? What if one of us did meet someone we truly loved? Even though we’d agreed to be honest and break things off, I hadn’t considered what would happen if such an event occurred before Nana died.
If all of this was to make her happy, could I bear to break her heart?
No. But I couldn’t bear to hurt one of the people I loved most in this world, either. Fred and I had once joked that we were platonic soulmates because we understood each other in a waynobody else could fathom, and I wanted nothing more than for him to be happy.
That was why, even though the thought had briefly flashed across my mind, I hadn’t suggested that we get married.
It’d been him.
Someone’s foot touched mine, resting softly on top of it, and I glanced up. My gaze met Fred’s warm, reassuring one, and he smiled gently at me. The softness of his face sent a rush of comfort through me, and I returned his smile.
He knew I’d figured it out. He knew exactly what I was thinking right now. He knew every bit of guilt, insecurity, and unease that was humming through my veins. Heck, he was probably experiencing some of it, too.
For a moment, I felt it.
Relief.
