Page 101 of Be My Bride

I brush my thumb over the back of her knuckles. “Have you called your mom back yet?”

“Can we not talk about that?” She throws her head back and squeezes her eyes shut. “Just thinking about explaining myself to my parents makes me want to throw up.”

“Think they’ll hate me?” I arch an eyebrow.

“It’s not that.” She huffs. “I spent my entire teenaged life swearing that I would never turn out like them. When other kids were reading Twilight, I was reading Proven Principles of A Healthy Marriage.”

“Weirdo,” I tease.

She swats at me. "The point is, I acted like I’d never make the same mistake they did.” She gestures to us. “And look at me. I’m coming home with a man I met in Vegas—”

“We met before that,” I remind her.

“Once.” Her eyes gleam with amusement. “You suggested we hook up to get over Thad.”

“Me? I would never.”

“My parents are going to rub my face in this forever and when we get divorced…” She shudders.

“So we don’t give them the chance.”

“What?” She blinks slowly.

I choose my words with care and lean back to appear casual. “What if we don’t end this?”

“What are you saying?”

“Since we’re already married,” I lift one shoulder, “we could stay married.”

Asia’s mouth forms a perfect ‘o’.

Silence falls in the car.

Lasts for one beat.

Two.

Suddenly, she bursts out laughing. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Why’s that funny?”

“I wonder if my dad proposed to my mom the same way.” She lowers her voice in a poor imitation of a masculine timbre. “‘Well, Renesha, we might as well get hitched since you’re already expecting.’” Her ponytail swings back and forth as she shakes her head. “That’s not a sufficient reason to stay married, Hansley. We already agreed to get divorced.” Her expression turns serious. “That hasn’t changed for me.”

Her words slice me straight in the heart.

Hurt seeps beneath my skin, but I don’t let it show.

Laughing along with her, I play it off. “Ridiculous, right?”

“So funny.”

I pull my hand away from hers.

The laughter dies an awkward death.

We both go quiet again.

Asia chews on her bottom lip the entire trip home.

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