“You want to see it?” I ask, feeling an awkward tension falling between us.
I know he’s not actually happy for me. I know this is all coming out of the blue—just like it did for me. But he’s putting on a smile, and he’s trying, which only seems to make it feel . . . worse.
“Yeah, show me your ring.”
“Okay.” I grab the ring from my room, and then hand it to Breaker once I’m back in the dining area. I don’t slip it on my finger but rather just hand it to him.
“Wow, that’s nice,” he says as he lifts his eyes up to me, probably trying to gauge my reaction. “Put it on.”
He hands it back to me, and I slip it on my finger.
“It looks great on you, Lia,” he says softly. And there he is, my best friend. He will say just about anything to make sure I feel comfortable, even though he probably knows that I’m anything but comfortable wearing this ring.
“It’s different than what I would have picked out,” I admit.
“Doesn’t make it any less beautiful.” He smiles and stands. “Come here.”
I stand, and he pulls me into a hug, his strong arms wrapping around me as I rest my head on his chest. I don’t know if it’s because everything is happening so fast or because he’s being so nice, but my emotions get the best of me, and my eyes start to water, so I squeeze him tighter.
“I’m happy for you, Lia.” He kisses the top of my head. “Five weeks is quick, but I’m sure it will be great.”
My throat tightens, my tears ready to drip down my cheeks. I don’t want him to see me crying. I don’t like being emotional in front of anyone, let alone Breaker, but it doesn’t seem to be something I can stop from happening.
A light sob escapes me, and the moment Breaker hears it, he puts a touch of space between us and bends at the knees to get a look at my face. I swipe my eyes under my glasses, but it’s too late.
“Hey,” he says quietly. “Why are you crying?”
“I . . . I think it’s all too much for me right now.”
“Come here,” he says, taking my hand and walking me over to the couch. We both take a seat, facing each other. “Talk to me. What’s going on? Do you not want to get married?”
“No, I mean . . . I do. I just, I wasn’t expecting it. Brian and I hadn’t ever talked about marriage, so I was caught off guard when he proposed. Then at lunch today, it felt like everything was moving at warp speed. The Beave wants me to wear at least three dresses, which I think is a waste of money. Brian won’t stand up to his mom, and the ring is just . . . wow, it’s big, and I always sort of wanted one of those past, present, and future rings with the three diamonds, and then there’s you. I was so afraid of telling you because I know Brian is not your favorite person—”
“Let me stop you right there,” Breaker says in a calming tone. “You don’t need to worry about me or how I feel in any of this, okay? My feelings, my thoughts, my opinions don’t matter. All that matters is how you feel and what you want.” He squeezes my hand. “So how do you feel?”
“Scared,” I admit. “Sad. Not . . . right. And it’s not because I don’t love Brian, because I do, but I just think this is all weird. I used to talk about this day with my parents, and they won’t be there. Things are happening fast, I don’t know. I expected to feel different when I was proposed to.”
“Maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he says. “It might just take you a moment to comprehend what’s happening.”
“Maybe.” I circle my finger over the couch fabric as I stare down. “You’re not mad?”
“Lia.” He tilts my chin up so I’m forced to look at his crystal-blue eyes. “If I were mad at you, then I wouldn’t be a very good friend, now, would I?”
“I guess not.”
“This is exciting, okay? Brian proposed, and you’re getting married. Let me see a smile.”
Tears drip down my cheeks as I attempt a pathetic smile.
He chuckles. “Well, that’s just sad.”
“I’m trying. I think I was doing okay about the news, just waiting to tell you, but at lunch today, I felt like I was getting steamrolled left and right by The Beave. I know the wedding is important to their family because of their social status, and it’s all about keeping up with appearances when it comes to them, but I should have a say in all this, shouldn’t I?”