Total pages in book: 190
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“How can you not be against this?” he demanded of her, plopping his fists on his narrow hips. “Wait, don’t answer that. I forgot who I was talking to.”
Tamara’s back snapped straight. “It is not wrong that she likes to take risks in life, Ollie,” she said, sitting on Sabrina’s other side. “Do not insult her because you are angry at something else.”
“Really, everyone needs to take a breath,” Alicia again declared.
Dane began pacing. “Bottom line, Addie, you deserve better than an empty marriage. Surely you want more for yourself.”
“Unless you’re going to tell us that you and Dax have feelings for each other?” Vienna probed. “That would make it different.”
I could point out he and I had a connection based on sexual chemistry, but I didn’t really want to talk about that to my parents. “Such feelings might grow,” I said, though I figured the best we could really hope for was that we’d develop the warm companionship I spoke of with Brooks.
A muscle in Dane’s cheek ticked. “They also might not.”
Very true, but I wouldn’t concede that out loud. “Look, I didn’t decide this on a whim. I took an entire week to think about it. To look at it from every angle. There are more pros to this than cons.”
Dane’s brow knitted as he halted abruptly. “How can there possibly be pros to this? Why marry someone you don’t love?”
I glanced from him to Vienna as I said, “People do that sometimes, you know. They marry for other reasons, and they probably don’t expect feelings to develop. They likely think it will end in divorce—that may even be part of their agreement when they marry. But it turns out they’re wrong, and something good comes of that marriage. Those people would be hypocritical to judge me for this, wouldn’t they?”
My parents subtly exchanged a wary look.
I’d once overheard them talking about how their marriage had initially been one of convenience. Dane had needed to marry someone in order to have access to his trust fund and, since Vienna had owed him a favor, he’d requested that she help him. I hadn’t mentioned it to anybody else, though. Not even my siblings.
I skimmed my gaze over everyone. “I realize this isn’t the traditional reason to stand before a priest. But I’m tired of waiting for the things I want from life to happen—I don’t have to elaborate on what those are. This could all go tits-up and end up in divorce, sure. But any marriage can.”
“You’d have less chance of it happening if you and Dax were marrying for the right reason,” clipped Ollie, sinking onto the cushion beside his fiancée.
I shrugged. “Probably. But I’m still going to take that chance.”
Marleigh shot me a pleading look. “Addie—”
“No,” I snapped, my eyes darting from her to Ollie. “It’s easy for you two to sit there and lecture me on this. You have been together since you were teenagers. You’ve always known that you’d one day get to the point you’re at now. You haven’t spent years searching for it, hoping for it, failing over and over to make it happen. You didn’t almost make it happen only to then unfairly lose it.”
Ollie rubbed at the corner of his eye. “If this is about Lake—”
“It’s about what I feel is best for me.” Again, I glanced at everyone. “None of you can possibly know what choice you’d make in my shoes, because you’ve never walked in them, so those of you lecturing me need to dismount your high fucking horses.”
Sighing, Ollie cut his gaze to Alicia. “Don’t you have anything to say about this? She wants to marry this guy. And don’t get me wrong, I respect Dax. But do you really think he’d be good for her?”
Idly stroking her fingers down one palm, Alicia pursed her lips. “Do you remember how the son of one of Dad’s colleagues used to get all up in my space at parties? You said he’d make a good partner for me; that I should give him a chance. I took your advice, and I quickly realized he was using me to get to Dad.”
Ollie awkwardly plucked at his collar.
Alicia placed her hands on her thighs. “Both Addie and Harri have had to deal with that kind of thing as well. You never did, because you’ve always had Marleigh. You can’t know how refreshing it is to be around someone who doesn’t need or want anything from you; who you can be sure is all about you. Dax might not love Addie, but he wants her for her. And I believe he’d treat her well, just as he did years ago.”
Appearing somewhat irritated that she’d made valid points, Ollie turned to Harri. “What’s your opinion on this?”
Harri tucked her joined hands between her thighs. “I know you’re hoping I’ll back you up, but I agree with Alicia. Plus, as Mom said, Addie’s always made good, solid decisions. If she thinks this is the best thing for her, who are we to tell her differently?”