Her Substitute Groom

Her Inappropriate Thoughts

Carys

I walk down after lunch hoping Lorenzo has made it back. He’d seemed so worried when he answered his phone last night. Our rehearsal is tonight along with another big dinner. Though we could skip the dinner as no one besides me, Annis, Lorenzo, and my mother seem happy about it. And my mother being happy about it shouldn’t be in the win column either.

My dad ended up coming up for breakfast this morning begging me to call this whole thing off. I had told him I couldn’t because we would be homeless. He didn’t seem to care said we would figure something out but he does not want me marrying into this family. I had hugged him and reassured him repeatedly. He said he’s also worried my mother is going to pester us for money the whole time we are married. That’s when I revealed that part of the contract said I cannot give money to my mother or else. I have no idea what the ‘else’ entails but Vincent assured me it should keep my mother out of my hair. And it shouldn’t come back on me, only her. I hadn’t told Lorenzo just Vincent so it didn’t make things worse right now. I will explain it once we get back home. I probably need to come clean and tell him all of my mother’s bad traits before they surface and cause issues.

Dad had calmed down a bit but was still upset with how Gabriella treated me. When he left, he was still asking me to reconsider but said he would go along with whatever I wanted.

I hadn’t slept the best either. I looked up my name on an internet search and wish I hadn’t. Article after article talking about how I somehow convinced Lorenzo Taylor to get married. Several sites speculated I was pregnant and had trapped him. Then there were the truly vicious ones that said he must need to get married for his father to hand over his company to him otherwise he wouldn’t even look at someone as ugly and unassuming as me, or that love was blind and he fell in love with the opposite of a good looking model. There was even one that talked about how his entire family hated me and rumors were that a huge fight had broken out at a recent family dinner. No shock where the rumors and anonymous source for that came from. Someone in the restaurant ran off and sold that quickly I think unhappily.

I shake all that away as I exit the elevator quickly. As I step out without looking I plow straight into a hard chest covered in a gray suit jacket. Strong hands grip my biceps to keep me from falling and I gaze up into the brown eyes of Maxim Taylor.

“Careful. You might fall next time and no one will catch you.” He says in that deep velvety voice, the one that makes shivers go down my spine I think as I feel them.

“I’m so sorry Maxim. I wasn’t paying attention where I was going.” I bite my lip and look away.

“Were you lost in writing one of your stories?” He asks quietly.

My head jerks back to his face in surprise. “You remember I write stories?”

His mouth sets in a firm line as he simply nods.

“No, I was hoping Lorenzo has made it back. He left in a hurry after a phone call last night and I haven’t been able to reach him.” I admit.

His frown turns into a scowl. “I am sure he will make it back for your wedding.” With that he climbs into the elevator. I watch him disappear and wonder why he seemed so cold again. I continue on to Lorenzo’s suite. He doesn’t answer my knocking and I send him another text.

Three hours later, I am pacing in our suite and even Annis is fretting. She is trying her hardest to hide it though. I take a shower hoping the warm water washes away some of my worries. Annis mumbles she is going to do the same. We have an hour to go before we even need to start getting ready but it is something to do.

“Carys let’s go ahead and get you dressed for the rehearsal.” She walks to the closet and pulls out the soft blue dress I chose. It is made of a soft gauzy material with a beaded halter that goes around my neck. Annis sticks two seashell combs on each side of my head holding my loose waves and curls back from my face. Seeing my face, she squeezes my shoulders. “I am sure he’s here. Probably waiting to surprise you or hiding from his award winning parents.”

I attempt to smile. The fact he hasn’t answered me though has me doubting that. There is a niggling thought at the back of my mind that he has deserted me but that’s ridiculous right?!

When we exit the elevator to the lobby, the first person I see is Maxim with his back to us. He wears a light gray suit and looks incredibly large. He turns when Annis says something to me that I ignore and I see he has on a black shirt the top two buttons undone. No tie today. Guess this is his island wear. He’s like something out of GQ magazine and I feel my heartbeat pick up. My fingers itch to unbutton the rest of them and see what he looks like beneath that shirt. Maxim has always been incredibly handsome. It wasn’t hard to understand why girls would hang around his locker in high school waiting for him with dreamy stares. If I had been better looking I would have done the same probably. No I wouldn’t have, I could never figure out how to flirt or act coy like most girls my age did. I see his eyes look sideways at me and wonder if he’s amazed at my change in appearance. He licks his lips staring straight ahead and I wonder how soft they are. Would they feel nice if you kissed him? I’d always fantasized about him being my first kiss in high school, and maybe other things too if I’m completely honest with myself. Not that I ever had a chance. He always had the head cheerleaders and the hottest girls in school waiting for him. Not that he dated them, they would always complain in the bathroom. However that seemed to just make them want him even more. A sound breaks me from my rambling reverie.

As I realize I am staring at my fiancée’s cousin with thoughts that are not so family like, my phone goes off. I shake myself out of my trance and look at the screen. It’s from Lorenzo.

Oh thank goodness. I open the message and read. I cannot…..what? No that can’t be. I shake my head and blink my eyes a few times before I look at it again. I hear roaring in my ears and it drowns out every other sound. My legs tremble and the phone leaves my hand heading to the floor.

I'm sorry, Carys. I can't marry you.