Page 78 of Flame
Jason grins at me as Damaris envelops him in one of her warm hugs.
“There’s one more thing,” he says, handing me a small black box. “From Mom.”
I slip the top off and stare at the sparkling necklace lying against the white fabric.I can’t believe how meaningful this day has become.
“That’s beautiful,” Damaris says as Jason helps fasten it around my neck.
How will I get through his day without bawling my eyes out? The gifts. The extremely warm and loving acceptance from the Carmichael family. My mom gifting me this necklace.
I take a deep breath, hoping I can get myself together.This. Isn’t. Real. Breathe, Bianca, even if you hate that you’re essentially lying to Foxx’s family.
“It was my grandmother’s. She promised me when I was a little girl that I could have it when I got married.” I laugh, the sound muffled by my emotions. “I’d forgotten about it.”
“Mom wanted to be sure it made its way to you,” Jason says.
I look up at him and smile.Thank you, brother.
A part of me hates that this is all … false. The treasured Carmichael family heirlooms really aren’t meant for me. That Jason didn’t show up to support me during my real wedding day. That I’m not really having a wedding at all.
This is so wonderful, so lovely. I wonder if things were different, if this wasn’t based on a lie—if Foxx hadn’t been transferred to Renn and had stayed with me and allowed himself to fall for me, if all of this could’ve been real.
“I hate to break this up,” Pippa says. “But it’s showtime.”
A surge of adrenaline spikes through my veins.
Jason flips out his elbow. “May I have the honor of walking you down the aisle?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Ashley hands me a bouquet of the most gorgeous vermilion-colored roses. Apparently, Damaris is friends with the local florist and asked her last night if she could custom-dye flowers for today.
The effort warms my heart.
If I’m not careful, I might fall in love with this family.
CHAPTER17
Bianca
“Ease up on that thing,” Jason says, nudging my bouquet. “You’re strangling it like you want it to die.”
Oof. I release my death grip on the flowers. “I’m antsy.”
“I can tell,” he says, chuckling. “You haven’t stopped moving since we got here.”
Jason and I stand in Damaris’s den, waiting for the first notes of the “Wedding March” to play. Per our instructions, we’ll exit the French doors leading to the backyard then. Then Damaris says, we follow the path leading to my fiancé.
The shiver of excitement that crept up my spine when she said those words is concerning.
I’ve stayed cool during billion-dollar mergers. I didn’t blink during an audit last year. I was cool, calm, and collected when Dad mademefire the CFO.So why can’t I stay composed now?
I bring my flowers to my nose and inhale the beautifully sweet scent.
Because this situation involves my heart.
It’s unwise to get caught up in this whole thing. We’re playing pretend. We’re ensuring Brewer Sports stays within our family and doesn’t land in the hands of the Downings. We are not choosing this act out of love.
The telltale notes begin to play, and the doors swing open to reveal a setup far from the fuss-free, simple event Foxx and I requested.
