close my eyes. I just wanted this nightmare to be over. I wished I hadn’t taken Sean back to begin with. When we went back to Penelope, that’s when the relationship should have ended. I could have kept sleeping with Cortland and perhaps he and I would be together right now. Cortland would never hurt me. He’s my brother’s best friend. It would have been a perfect match.
Ryan lied beside me and guided his hand across my back, trying to make me feel better.
“I’m sorry that I had you take me here.”
“I’m always here for you, Scar.”
“You really think I’m making the wrong decision?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not.”
“You don’t sound confident.”
“Just because I’m making this decision doesn’t mean it’s easy. I don’t want to hurt Sean.”
“It’ll cripple him to be dumped twice like this. The first time his girlfriend cheated on him, and the second time his fiancé left him on their wedding day. I guess that’s punishment for everything he’s done.”
“I wish there was another way around it.”
“You aren’t so innocent yourself, Scarlet.”
“What?”
“I know you’ve done things you’ve regretted. You aren’t perfect either.”
“I never said I was.”
“You lied to him about Cortland and he forgave you for it.”
“That’s totally different. And even if it wasn’t, that was one mistake I made. In comparison to everything he’s done, that’s insignificant.”
“Pain isn’t insignificant.”
“Why are you rooting for him? I made up my mind.”
“Because you’re meant to be with him, Scar. You both started in bad places, but now you’re both safe and whole. You’re never stronger than when you are together. I think you’ll regret this. Maybe not right away, but in months, maybe a year. You’ll want him back but it might be too late.”
“He’ll probably sleep with someone else tomorrow.”
Ryan sighed. “It’s like you’ve forgotten the person you’ve been sleeping with for the past year. You aren’t marrying who Sean used to be. You’re marrying who he is now.”
I turned my head into the pillow and closed my eyes, feeling more tears fall.
Ryan moved from the bed and grabbed the ice bucket. “I’m going to get ice.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
12
Sean
When I opened my eyes the next morning, everything looked different. Colors had never been so bright and vibrant. The world seemed quiet, like everyone in the world had taken a moment of silence to acknowledge my marriage to Scarlet, the girl of my dreams. I couldn’t believe my wedding day was here. And I couldn’t believe I was marrying Scarlet.
I was so excited I thought I could scream. I pulled on my clothes and left the bedroom. Monnique and Janice were in the hallway, looking stressed like I expected. The expression on both of their faces looked like someone had just died.
“Morning, ladies. How’s my fiancé?”
They both glanced at each other, waiting for the other to speak first. They looked scared.
“Is everything alright?” I asked. “Is Scarlet okay?”
“She’s fine,” Janice said quickly. “She’s just getting ready.”
“There’s something I made for her and I really want her to see it.”
“Oh,” Monnique said. “Well, hand it over and we’ll make sure she gets it.”
“Actually, it’s a place, not an object. Take her inside when she has the time.”
“Uh, okay,” Janice said hesitantly. “Where is it?”
“It’s downstairs in the second living room. You’ll know which room it is because there will be a sign. No one else is allowed to go in there but Scarlet, okay?”
“Sure,” Monnique said.
“And tell me what she says.”
“Okay,” Janice said, squeezing her hands together.
“You’re more nervous than I am,” I said with a laugh.
Monnique grabbed her arm. “We’ll see you la ter.” They walked back into Janice’s bedroom.
“Shouldn’t you be in Scarlet’s room?” I asked
“Oh yeah. Our
Ryan lied beside me and guided his hand across my back, trying to make me feel better.
“I’m sorry that I had you take me here.”
“I’m always here for you, Scar.”
“You really think I’m making the wrong decision?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not.”
“You don’t sound confident.”
“Just because I’m making this decision doesn’t mean it’s easy. I don’t want to hurt Sean.”
“It’ll cripple him to be dumped twice like this. The first time his girlfriend cheated on him, and the second time his fiancé left him on their wedding day. I guess that’s punishment for everything he’s done.”
“I wish there was another way around it.”
“You aren’t so innocent yourself, Scarlet.”
“What?”
“I know you’ve done things you’ve regretted. You aren’t perfect either.”
“I never said I was.”
“You lied to him about Cortland and he forgave you for it.”
“That’s totally different. And even if it wasn’t, that was one mistake I made. In comparison to everything he’s done, that’s insignificant.”
“Pain isn’t insignificant.”
“Why are you rooting for him? I made up my mind.”
“Because you’re meant to be with him, Scar. You both started in bad places, but now you’re both safe and whole. You’re never stronger than when you are together. I think you’ll regret this. Maybe not right away, but in months, maybe a year. You’ll want him back but it might be too late.”
“He’ll probably sleep with someone else tomorrow.”
Ryan sighed. “It’s like you’ve forgotten the person you’ve been sleeping with for the past year. You aren’t marrying who Sean used to be. You’re marrying who he is now.”
I turned my head into the pillow and closed my eyes, feeling more tears fall.
Ryan moved from the bed and grabbed the ice bucket. “I’m going to get ice.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
12
Sean
When I opened my eyes the next morning, everything looked different. Colors had never been so bright and vibrant. The world seemed quiet, like everyone in the world had taken a moment of silence to acknowledge my marriage to Scarlet, the girl of my dreams. I couldn’t believe my wedding day was here. And I couldn’t believe I was marrying Scarlet.
I was so excited I thought I could scream. I pulled on my clothes and left the bedroom. Monnique and Janice were in the hallway, looking stressed like I expected. The expression on both of their faces looked like someone had just died.
“Morning, ladies. How’s my fiancé?”
They both glanced at each other, waiting for the other to speak first. They looked scared.
“Is everything alright?” I asked. “Is Scarlet okay?”
“She’s fine,” Janice said quickly. “She’s just getting ready.”
“There’s something I made for her and I really want her to see it.”
“Oh,” Monnique said. “Well, hand it over and we’ll make sure she gets it.”
“Actually, it’s a place, not an object. Take her inside when she has the time.”
“Uh, okay,” Janice said hesitantly. “Where is it?”
“It’s downstairs in the second living room. You’ll know which room it is because there will be a sign. No one else is allowed to go in there but Scarlet, okay?”
“Sure,” Monnique said.
“And tell me what she says.”
“Okay,” Janice said, squeezing her hands together.
“You’re more nervous than I am,” I said with a laugh.
Monnique grabbed her arm. “We’ll see you la ter.” They walked back into Janice’s bedroom.
“Shouldn’t you be in Scarlet’s room?” I asked
“Oh yeah. Our
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