I pulled a face. The wedding planner looked amazing, but he reminded me of everything I wasn’t. Of secret longings that would go unfulfilled. Like his kick-ass nails and the finger tattoos. I had one, but Carter didn’t like tattoos, so I hadn’t gotten any more ink. “Think I’ll take a pass on the wedding planner. I should be able to handle the preparation on my own. If you’re serious about helping me, that is.”
“I am. You won’t have a repeat of today, I promise.”
“All right, then.”
“But we should probably still listen to what the wedding planner has to say just so you have an option. Then you can decide if you want to truly do this alone.”
“But I’ll have to pay for the consultation, even if I don’t use his service.”
“I’llbe paying for everything, remember? And I refuse to let you worry about a thing. Whatever you want, it’s yours. Just say the word.”
He was saying all the things I wanted to hear. How did they sound so right and yet wrong at the same time?
You need to stop twisting everything he says. He already told you he wants you to marry his son.
“Okay, then. Let’s go. I’ve already wasted half an hour of the time.”
“Rowan seems like a nice guy. He won’t mind.”
Rowan? I swallowed to clear the knot that appeared out of nowhere in my throat. Was Gray pushing me to keep my appointment with the wedding planner so he had an excuse to see him too? Of course. Now it all made sense. This morning, he’d said he was attracted to me, but now came along the beautiful twink with his bubbling personality. No wonder he insisted on me marrying Carter. He’d lost interest.
I forced a smile. “Let’s go, then.”
This was really for the best. I would marry my fiancé as intended, and Gray could have fun with the new guy.
Why did I feel so miserable about it?
Side by side, we walked back to the studio. The door to the wedding planner’s office was wide open. Rowan sat in a sea of swatches, ribbons, and flowers. God, he was so fucking beautiful. I should hate him, but the way he got so excited to see us, shooting up on the tips of his toes and waving us over, made me grin.
“You made up!” he cried. “Does this mean the wedding’s still on?”
“Yes, it is,” I replied. “But I have to warn you I’m thinking of handling the entire event by myself. I’d still like to honor our consultation, though, and pay you for your time.”
Gray nodded at me with a smile of approval.
“Oh, honey, why would you want to do that to yourself?” Rowan asked. “All the work that goes into planning for a wedding is exhausting. Wouldn’t you rather spend that time with your man rehearsing for the honeymoon?”
“Umm, I’ve been planning this day for as long as I can remember. I think I can handle it.”
“All right, honey, but if you change your mind, Rowan’s here to make your special day fabulous. Sit, sit, and let’s talk about your plans.”
“Okay.” I turned to Gray. “Did you want to do something else, and I can meet you after?”
“Nope. I told you I’d be here for you, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
As good as that sounded, all he did was remind me that this was his son’s responsibility that he was assuming. He was only making Carter look pathetic.
I chewed on my bottom lip as we sat on a loveseat. With Gray’s size and my weight, there was not an inch of space between us. With every move I made, I rubbed against him.
“Sorry about the lack of furniture. I’ve ordered some that should have arrived today. I guess it wasn’t wise to get rid of my aunt’s stuff before the new ones arrived, but anywho, you guys, relax. It’s so nice to have both partners make the time to plan their wedding together. It really shows you are committed to each other. If you don’t mind me being nosy, what’s the age gap?”
Huh? Wait a minute…did he think Gray and I were the grooms? Oh my god.
“Actually, Gray’s not—”
“Twenty-four years,” Gray answered.
I stared at him. What the hell was he doing? Why wasn’t he correcting Rowan?
