Page 31 of Bride

Thirteen

Clementine

As I drive awayfrom the Prince estate, tears fill my eyes. I’m not even sure why. I’m not sad. I’m not anything.

I think it’s a purging of my life before this moment. Everything I’ve gone through to get me to where I am today.

I worked hard, and now all of my dreams will come true by this time next year. I can finally give Tenny the life I’ve always dreamed of for him.

I won’t lie, I used to fantasize about winning the lottery. Well, this is my lottery. This is my chance to better my life, and I won’t stand on the sidelines and watch it fly by me. I won’t sit in solitary counting down the minutes until this farce of a marriage is over. No, I want to embrace it. I need to be positive.

Erin chatters about the party as I drive through town and into my driveway. Tenny is fast asleep by the time I turn off the ignition.

Without waking him, I carry him inside. Erin waits in my living room as I put Tennyson to sleep in his bedroom and then change into shorts and a T-shirt. When I return, she’s sitting on the couch.

“So I guess I’ll be moving in with Gabriel.”

“When?”

I sit beside her and prop my aching feet on the table. “Immediately.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she asks me.

“Well, I have to pack.”

She glances around the house. “What will you bring with you?”

I survey my tiny home. “I guess just our personal belongings.”

“I have a friend you can rent this place to for a year.”

“Really?” She nods and gives me the details, vouching for their reliability. “Erin, thank you.”

“I’ll still get to see you, right?”

“Oh my god, yes.” She’s my rock, and I may be moving up in social status, but I won’t abandon my best friend. “I still plan on working for Dena.”

Erin smiles and stands, moving across the room into the kitchen. “But you won’t need to work.”

I follow behind her. “I know, but it still makes me feel like me.” I shrug.

“So, when’s the big day? You need to start planning this wedding.” Erin grabs a bottle of red wine from the counter.

I step closer, opening the side drawer and producing a wine opener before grabbing two wine glasses from the shelf. “I haven’t even thought about it.” Erin pours our wine, and I clink her glass with mine. “I don’t even know what I want.”

“Imagine a dream wedding where there’s no limit when it comes to money.”

“I never really wanted the big lavish wedding.” I sip my wine. “Can I confess something? I’ve never really told anyone.”

“Tell me.” She takes a drink.

“I’ve always kind of thought Gabriel Prince was cute.” My cheeks flame white-hot. “When we met years ago, I may have had a tiny crush. Until, he flew a drone into my hair.” I down the rest of my wine.

“Aw, it’ll be true love.”

I shake my head. “No, not now. I can’t stand him.”

Erin places her hand over mine. “It’s one year. And then you can move on and find the love of your life.”