Page 58 of The Marriage Narrative
“I think I kind of represent all the things your family missed out on in your life. They can’t understandhowyou could getmarriedwithout telling them first. Damon is nice. I like him a lot. But I think Wylie gets upset when you choose to pay attention to me over him. Lulie too, except she’s—I don’t know what’s going on there, but she’s decided it’s my fault. And Amber straight-up hates me.”
She looked up at him in just enough time to catch his lips quirk—his tell that he’d picked up on what she wanted to do.
“My mom doesn’t hate you.” He laughed as if that wasimpossible. “I know things are still rocky, but it won’t be this way forever. They’ll get used to you and us and everything will be exactly as it should be.”
“I love how optimistic you are, but I’m gonna need you to take those rose-colored glasses off. We’re in a hell dimension.”
“I’d say we’re in a liminal space. Transitioning between dimensions. Already on our way out.” He grinned. “My dad wants to take you golfing. I gave Wylie a list of your favorite books and he’s read two of them already. I think he’s working up the nerve to talk to you about them.”
“Okay, wait. Golfing I believe. You all hate sports, and I’m a try-hard so of course I’m going. But books? Really?”
“It’s true. You also have a secret present from him hiding somewhere on the estate. I can’t tell you what it is, but I can give you a hint: it’s staring you in the face every morning.”
“And it’sfromWylie?”
Jordan didn’t miss the way her camera pod panned to said gift, but she did. “It was his idea and everything. They want you here. Even Sadie has been shifting things around in her schedule to find some time for a surprise visit.”
“What about Lulie?”
His smile grew tight, pained. “She wants to take you shopping.”
“Why?” she asked, instantly suspicious.
“She’s really into fashion and thinks your wardrobe could use a little upgrade.”
“Oh, so she hates my mom’s handmade cardigans. Got it. Great.”
“For the record, I love how colorful you are.” He rubbed her lapel—it was pale blue and dotted with white clovers. “I really do think about your first-date dress daily. Sometimes hourly. Howradiant you looked as you breezed into my store and headed straight for the mystery section.”
“Radiant.”She bit the inside of her cheek. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Only for you.” He kissed the same cheek as if he knew what she’d done, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut.
Zinnia needed a reality check. Quickly. He was using what really happened and exaggerating it for the show. It didn’t matter how dreamy and nostalgic he sounded. How easy he made it to believe that moment happened twenty years ago and was now his most treasured memory. She loved the necklace, but she’d be naive to ignore that giving it to her was a part of this too.
It wasn’t real. Not entirely and that was what mattered. Not how he made her feel.
“Are you going to stay with me?” she whispered. “For the rest of the day?”
“If you want me. I want to.”
She’d never get used to how willing he was to match her. “I usually spend my last hour of work at the gym. Let’s do something else.”
“Name it. I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Couldthey leave? She really wanted to go berry picking at the local farm not too far away. Actually, doinganythingaway from the estate would make her happy at this point. She was so desperate she’d settle for going to a drive-through and eating french fries in a parking lot.
But Jordan was already breaking schedule. Fleeing the premises might push Amber over the edge and into something even more drastic than villainy.
Her job was to be his Sweetheart. That meant keeping the peace by following the rules.
“Do you have a favorite room or place on the estate?” she asked.
“The bungalow.”
“Something frombeforeI got here, please.”
“Oh.” He kissed her knuckles. “The library. It’s where—”
