The Fake Engagement

It had started out like that, but it wasn’t what he felt anymore, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Eliza felt the same way.

Chapter Sixteen

Getting drunk was completely irresponsible.

Eliza vowed to never do it again.

Preston had seen her at one of her worst moments. She rarely ever got drunk. That one time at work when he announced they were engaged to his sister was the only time she’d done it in so long.

She was the responsible one.

The down-to-earth one.

Yet, the last few days, it felt like her life was running away from her and there wasn’t a single thing she could do about it.

Running fingers through her hair, she tried to think of something, anything that would help her understand why she had vomited so bad.

Preston was nowhere to be found.

Juliet and Mackenzie had left her a note, saying they would be back, but they were going to visit the diner. They were going to see Melinda. They were both fascinated with the woman who foretold life stories.

Walking through the house, she was surprised by how empty it felt. She went to the kitchen to grab a large mug of coffee. It was still so warm, and rather than stay in the kitchen, she took herself outside, where she found her mother and Marsha organizing the wedding.

They had several catalogs and magazines all open. Notebooks were in their hands, and they were laughing about something.

Eliza wanted to make her escape undetected, but her mother chose that moment to glance up.

“Eliza, honey, we’ve been waiting for you to get up. Preston told us you weren’t feeling well.”

“I wasn’t. Do you know where he is?” She had no other excuse she could think of. There was no quick resolve for her to make a quick escape. She was at their parents’ mercy.

Had Preston done this on purpose?

She showed no weakness as she moved toward them and took a seat. “What is all of this?”

Her mother looked so proud. “This, sweetheart, is the wedding you always wanted.”

“I have not had this much fun in so long,” Marsha said. “I had no idea you and Preston had such similar ideas. You both love roses, did you know that?”

Eliza smiled. She didn’t know that. When he’d broken up with women in the past, he often ordered them tulips, never roses. Why?

She made a note to ask him. Not that it was important, and it was only a minor detail.

“Don’t you think you should be planning your anniversary?” Eliza asked. “Preston and I can handle this.”

“This is no trouble. In fact, it has given me a sense of direction. For instance, Roger, Kian, and Andrew have gone with their wives to go and test the cake, which is a relief. They were getting a little underfoot,” Marsha said.

“We have already gotten the wedding dress altered to your measurements, and Trudy took care of the fine details.” Her mother got to her feet and opened a box.

Eliza felt close to losing it.

This wasn’t what she had hoped to achieve when talking to her parents.

She was just about to open her mouth to tell them to stop when her mother held up the most beautiful white wedding dress she’d ever seen. Back in the day, the plunging v-neck and exposed arms had seemed risqué at the time, but she remembered people back home who had been at the wedding who only said nice things about her mother and just how beautiful she looked.

“It looks amazing,” she said.

“I want you to try it on.”

“Isn’t that bad luck?” Eliza asked.

There was no way she should try it on. No way at all, but within minutes, she stood in the main living room, in a wedding dress that fit her like a second skin. It was so beautiful. Running her hands over her waist, she turned this way and that and smiled. “It is … amazing.”

“I must commend Trudy. She did an amazing job,” Marsha said.

“Oh, honey, I think I’m going to cry.”

“Please, Mom, don’t cry. If you cry, then I cry, and we all cry.” She felt tears well in her eyes. This wasn’t the time to be crying.

Her mother waved her hands in front of her face. “No. I can contain myself, but to see my only child like this. It’s a dream come true.”

Someone cleared their throat, and Eliza looked up in time to see Preston had stepped into the room.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

And then, chaos ensued.

Her mother and Marsha fussed him out of the room, and Eliza began to wriggle out of the dress.

This was playing along in the pretend.

She and Preston were not getting married.

Her mother came back toward her as Marsha went to deal with Preston.

“Did you see his face?” she asked.

“No.”

“He is so besotted with you. Your father will be pleased. You know he’s going to do his routine.”