A bubble of laughter escapes my lips, “You mean there are others who want to be forced into a loveless marriage? Maybe you should go find one of them?”
“Don’t act like a spoiled brat. You made the right choice by coming home and agreeing to marry Matt. Now make the best of it.”
“Funny, you act like this is a choice that I got to make. This was never a choice. It was forced on me. It was do this or face the consequences of the men I love being injured, or worse, that’s not even close to it being a choice I get to make.”
Her red-painted lips curl upward with disdain, and I can feel the anger vibrating off of her, slamming into me like waves against the shoreline. Her anger threatens to pull me under and into deep dark waters.
“You did have a choice, you could have let your father take care of those Bishop boys, better yet, maybe if we get rid of them, you will finally forget they exist and come to your senses.”
The mere sound of their name makes me shiver, and the inky dread of her confession coats my insides with darkness. “You wouldn’t…”
My mother smiles at me, but it isn’t a smile of happiness. A dreadful chill runs down my spine at her coldness. “I’m just saying, maybe you should put more effort into looking happy. Smile a little. No one wants to see such a beautiful bride moping around, least of all, one with the entire world at her feet.”
She acts as if I’m being a hormonal teenager that’s throwing a tantrum because I can’t get my way when in reality that’s not the case at all. She’s the one delusional, and, I can’t stand to be in this room a moment longer with her. Without a care for the ten-thousand-dollar material, I strip out of the dress and put my own clothes back on.
Shock colors my mother’s features, “Where do you think you are going? We are not done here. We have to find matching shoes and a veil still.”
“I’m going to call Matt and ask him to take me out for a few hours. It’s been some time since we’ve seen each other.” I didn’t think I would ever end up taking him up on his offer, but I need to get out. I need to get away from here, and most importantly, her.
“Oh, splendid,” my mother sounds genuinely happy and pleased with herself, “That will be great. I’ll just pick whatever I think will look best, don’t you worry. Come your wedding day, you’ll be the prettiest bride this side of the Mississippi.”
Rolling my eyes once again, I escape the suffocating room and suck in a breath of fresh air or at least one that isn’t filled with bullshit. Pulling my phone out, I find Matt’s contact and cover my thumb over the green call key.
Do I really want to do this? The thought of hanging out with him, of getting close to him. It leaves me feeling sick, it makes me feel like I’m betraying the brothers, and in a way, I guess I am. Still, it’s this or something far worse, and I’d rather hurt than ever let something happen to them. My love for them is endless.
Pressing the green call key, I swallow down the pain and remind myself that I have to do this. I have to…for them, always for them.
Twenty minutes later, Matt pulls up in a sleek sports car outside the dress shop. I open the passenger door and slip in the car before he has the chance to unbuckle. Sinking into the leather seat with a deep sigh, I look over to him. He’s staring at me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
“What’s going on? Needed saving?” he asks.
“Yes, I really just need to get away from my mom for a few hours, and my parents won’t let me out of their sight unless I’m with you so…”
He nods in understanding before asking, “Are you hungry?”
“God, yes. My mom has me on a ridiculous diet, so I’ll be extra skinny for the wedding,” I explain while buckling myself up. Matt’s eyes leave my face and briefly roam my body, making me immediately feel exposed even though I’m fully dressed.
“I don’t know how much skinnier you can get without looking sick.” He turns his attention back to the road and pulls out of the parking spot. “So, burger place?”
“Hell yes.”
After a short drive, we pull up to a little diner. Matt parks upfront, and we both get out at the same time. The hostess greets us with a friendly smile as we walk in, and then seats us, handing us menus as we sit down. I flip through it right away, my mouth watering at the pictures I see. I want one of everything.