I blinked a couple times, snapping myself out of the thought. I still wasn’t happy about the marriage and pregnancy ultimatum I was given, but Cashlynn was keeping things interesting.
“That went well.” My dad’s voice broke me out of thought.
I turned to him and he along with my siblings and River were standing around us. He stared at Cashlynn for a long minute without speaking then glanced down at her brother.
“Attention is gonna be on you a lot more now. While I hoped people wouldn’t put it together, your parents weren’t the most upstanding people in the public eye so they are probably waiting for you to show those characteristics too.” He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders back then turned to me. “Make sure the publicist is on standby just in case. I’m still not crazy about this union but I’ve spoken my piece.”
“Yeah, it’s official now. Welcome to the family, sis. I never wanted a sister, but something tells me you’ll fit right in.” Ezra walked to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
She cut her eyes at him and nudged him off her, making him laugh.
“Can me and Carson go back home now?” she asked with impatience.
“Yeah, Devin will drive you today.”
“Cashlynn, tomorrow I’ll be by to get you. We must get you fitted for your dress,” Mom piped up.
Cashlynn looked caught off guard. “A dress? Isn’t this just gonna be a courthouse wedding?”
Mom laughed. “Oh heavens no, honey. You’re having a real wedding. It’ll cost a little extra since it was short notice but my planner is the best in the business and always on call for me. She’s getting things in order now. I’ll show you what she came up with tomorrow.”
Cashlynn looked between me and my mom. “Right,” she mumbled, shifting on her feet.
Eventually everyone scattered. Before he could leave, I called Emmet over. “That reporter, the woman throwing out things about Cashlynn, find out who she is for me then let me know what you can find on her.”
He nodded. “Gotchu, bro.”
Now that it was out in the public, the engagement just became that much realer.
____
My hand moved back and forth across the sketchpad, shading in the section of Cashlynn’s face I was working on currently with my charcoal pencil. I paused, eyeing my phone, looking at the picture of reference. It was one from the party tonight that one reporter had captured. It was a picture of her side profile and I also found one of her from the front with a blank expression on her face I planned to draw next.
As I sat out on my private balcony, I stared at the small ruffles in the pool’s water and admired how the moon reflected off it. The weather was comfortable, and I always enjoy sitting out here and taking the peace it brought me.
Dropping my eyes back to my pad, I studied it carefully. Drawing had always been something I was into, but recently I’d been into more lifelike pictures, with Cashlynn being my current muse.
Halting from my shading, I flipped back a couple pages and admired the drawing I’d finished recently. It was her hanging from the ceiling in my basement in nothing. Since then I’d drawn her three other times before this.
Going back to my current page, I stared at the drawing. Since proposing the marriage idea to Cashlynn, she’d consumed my thoughts more than she should. Drawing her was a way to help release her from my mind, but it seemed to only make things worse. Whenever I tried to draw my next inspirations, it was her face that popped up.
My hand brushed over the paper. With any hope I would move past this. This marriage wasn’t something I wanted, buthadto do. The issue was I was becoming infatuated with my wife.
CHAPTER 12
CASHLYNN
Currently, I was lying in bed with the lights off, staring at the ceiling, headphones on, and listening to a random meditation playlist I found on YouTube. Normally I would close my eyes to meditate and center myself, but after what happened last time, I needed to be alert.
Carson was in the game room, which seemed to be his favorite room in the house. He had adjusted to living at Nazai’s house a lot quicker than I expected him to.
My nerves were rattled from earlier when Nazai kissed me. It caught me off guard for many reasons. Mainly because that was the first time anyone had kissed me. It was embarrassing and pissed me off at the same time. I just froze, eventually biting his tongue, not sure how else to react.
I sighed. It had been a while since I’d meditated. My mind cleared and my body relaxed the most it had been in months. I hated that the Tavarezes were so in the public eye. I never cared for attention and wished they just would be a normal crime family and leave the spotlight to the upstanding citizens.
My calmness was interrupted when the lights were turned on and my headphones were snatched off my ears.
“What the hell!” I hissed.
