The next few days passed in a blur. Every time I turned around, there was another person telling me how happy they were for us or asking about the wedding details. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I kept wanting to tell everyone that we hadn't even had a chance to talk about it yet, but the words never seemed to come out of my mouth.
Luke seemed to be enjoying the chaos even more, relishing in the role of the supportive older brother.
I tried to find some time alone with Brooke to talk about this, but every time I cornered him, someone would show up and interrupt us. My feelings of frustration and anger began to build inside me.
As the wedding drew near, I finally managed to get him alone in the garden. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the flowers and trees. It was a beautiful setting, but I couldn't help but feel the tension between us.
"Look, I don't want to get married next week," I blurted out. "This wasn't the plan."
Brooke sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "I know, I know. But, my mom is so excited, and she's been planning this. We can't just tell her now. She'll hate us."
I felt a twinge of sympathy for him, but it was hard to ignore the betrayal I felt. "But we didn't even talk about it! We never said anything about getting married."
"I don't want to hurt her. She's been through so much. This wedding is her way of trying to make things better" He said.
At this point, he was being really selfish, but I didn't know what to do. I just sighed.
"I've come up with a plan," he started, "If we can keep this up, after a year of convincing my mom, we can split."
"What!??" Anna gasped. "A year!? That's insane. We can't keep this up for a year. In case you didn't know, I have a life of my own."
"Look, I know it's not ideal, but we have no choice. Just play along and after a year, it'll be over," Brooke said, his voice stern.
I couldn't believe he was asking me to agree to this. A whole year of pretending to be in love with him? It was bad enough that I had to go through with this wedding next week, but a whole year was unthinkable.
"I don't know if I can do that," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "A year is a long time."
Brooke reached out and took my hand in his. His touch was surprisingly comforting. "I know it is, but we don't have a choice. We have to play along. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Just... Please, help me out here."
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of sincerity, but I couldn't find it. He was just as confused and overwhelmed as I was. I knew that I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't help but feel trapped.
Finally, I nodded. "Okay," I said softly. "A year."
Brooke's POV:
This isn't exactly how I planned things to be. I could see the hurt and fear in her eyes. This isn't fair on her part. But I didn't know what to do.
I hated seeing her worry like this. I hate that I have to put her in this position but I can't stop now. Once I get the family business, it'll be over.
I was scared that Anna might find out the truth about this. I was even more scared of our future together. I was practically taking away one year of her life without even asking. She would hate me for this if she finds out.
Okay," I heard her say. "A year."
She looked like she was about to cry and I wanted to hug her so tight, I wanted to comfort her…feel her…kiss her.
I recalled the last time we kissed and it sent shivers down my spine. I had to make things clear so as not to get distracted about my mission.
It wasn't long before I saw a tear stream down her cheek. But she quickly wiped it.
"Anna," I was devastated, I never meant for it to reach this length.
I caressed her cheek and wiped the tears that fell. As I touched her skin, I felt some electricity down my body. I looked into her emerald eyes, she looked so beautiful even when she cried.
I drew my face closer to hers and said in a whisper, "One word and it's over."
Can't believe I was saying this, WTF am I doing? What happened to taking over the family's business.
She looked up at me, hopeful and asked, "Really?"
Her voice was cracked and tears were still filled in her eyes. It made my chest hurt.
"Yeah," I said. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing, but I think I was doing the right thing.
"What about your mom? What'll we tell her?" She asked, "Won't she be mad at us?"
"Doesn't matter…as long as you're happy." I whispered. Our faces were still inches apart and it wasn't long before I pressed my lips against hers.
Her lips were warm and soft against mine. As I kissed her, I could feel her respond. She was shocked I know, based on the last time we talked about it.
I felt her hands moving up to my hair, tangling in the curls. I moaned into the kiss, feeling an overwhelming need to be closer to her.
I slid my hand down her back, cupping her bottom and pulling her against me. She gasped into the kiss as I felt the heat between her legs. I knew she was as affected by this as I was.
Her hands moved from my hair, trailing down my chest and back up again, before settling on my shoulders. She pulled me closer, her lips parting beneath mine. I could taste her desire, feel her need for me.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, pressing her body against mine. It was driving me crazy. I wanted more. I wanted her.
I pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. They were filled with desire and something more. Something I couldn't quite place. "You know," I whispered, "we don't have to do this."
She swallowed hard and looked down for a moment, before meeting my gaze again. "I know." Her voice was barely audible. "But I want this."