Page 48 of Marry Me Not
I watched her walk out and shook my head.
She knew as well as I did there would be no changing my mind. But she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
Vita was already planning her countermove.
Whatever it was, I’d be ready.
CHAPTER 16
FABIANA
Five shot glasseswith slices of lime resting on the rims lined Cleo’s kitchen island.
“Okay, ladies,” Zo announced, lifting her glass. “Before our bride gets dragged off to a life of wifely duties and respectable sex?—”
“Respectable sex?” Nina cut in with a snort.
“What does that even mean?” Mia asked.
“You know. Missionary with the lights off and a nine-thirty bedtime.”
Cleo snorted. “Don’t listen to her. As the only one here who’s actually married, I can attest to still having lots of disrespectful sex.”
“Cleo!” I hissed, heat rushing into my cheeks. “You’re married to my brother!”
“Sorry!”
Zo cleared her throat. “As I was saying, let’s toast to giving our Fabi a proper send-off.” She grinned and tossed back her shot.
The rest of us followed her lead.
My friends had insisted on a bachelorette party, despite me telling them it wasn’t exactly the best time for it given that the Ferraros were still in mourning. But Mia had said Romolo didn’t see a problem with it, and apparently, he didn’t think Cosimo would either, which had turned out to be true. Rom had volunteered his club, Black Silk, as the venue for the night, and Rafe had supplied his own security for us.
So here we were, about to leave the house with four bodyguards in tow and a giant pink limousine waiting outside.
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married,” Nina said as we headed toward the foyer. “It feels like yesterday we were in that dorm room at Valais Academy, and Mia was crying because she thought getting her first period meant she was dying.”
“I was twelve,” Mia said indignantly, grabbing her coat. “And there was a lot of blood.”
“There was also a pamphlet in the bathroom explaining exactly what was happening,” Zo reminded her.
“I was panicking,” Mia said. “I didn’t have time to read.”
I laughed and tried to ignore the uneasy twist in my chest as I followed them toward the front door. My friends thought this was my one and only bachelorette before I married my forever husband. None of them knew the truth. That this marriage was only meant to last six months.
Given how rough things were between Cosimo and me in the beginning, they knew all about my concerns. It had been anawkward pivot to suddenly tell them that we were getting along now.
His father’s death had provided a convenient explanation. Grief changed people. Pressure changed people. So maybe it wasn’t that difficult for people to believe that Cosimo’s behavior had shifted. My friends knew me well though, and I could tell some of them didn’t quite buy it when I smiled and said that he and I were doing great.
Maybe I wouldn’t have to keep this secret forever. Maybe once Cosimo and I had annulled the marriage, and I was living something that resembled a normal life, I could tell them the truth.
But for now, I had to pretend.
We filed out of the house, the limo driver holding the door open while the bodyguards hovered nearby wearing wary expressions. Cleo had already made them put on pink sashes that read The Brideguard. I wasn’t sure the men found them as funny as she did.
The second I looked inside the limo, I burst out laughing. It was stuffed with penis-shaped balloons of every possible size.
“I wanted to be inclusive!” Nina hollered as we got inside. “You should see the ads I’m getting on Facebook now.”
