How can someone with an ounce of a conscience go behind a bride’s back and change everything about her wedding that she agreed upon?
I glance at Brian, waiting for him to say something, to stand up for Lia, but instead, he just sits there like the pitiful, pathetic man he is.
Looks like I’m going to have to stand up for her, prove to her that I’m the man she can rely on. I’m the man who deserves her hand. I’m the fucking man who can and WILL make her happy.
I go to open my mouth with a retaliation when Lia turns to Brian and says, “You allowed her to do that? It’s one thing to just sit there and allow her to insult me to my face about how I’m not the pedigree of womanshewould prefer for you to marry, but to have a conversation with her last night, after we fought, and let her change everything about our wedding? Did you do that out of spite?”
“Okay, here are the samples,” the baker says, setting a tray in front of us, clearly not sensing the strained tension at the table as her assistant passes around the champagne. “We have as requested, the vanilla bean cake with vanilla frosting, the vanilla bean cake with chocolate frosting. The chocolate fudge cake with vanilla frosting, and the chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.” She sets some forks down and says, “Enjoy,” before she takes off again.
When the baker is out of earshot, Brian says, “I didn’t do anything out of spite. My mother was consoling me after our fight, and we discussed how the wedding was stressing you and that we should just let Mother do the planning.”
Lia sits a little taller, her confidence growing. “The only reason the wedding planning is stressful is because we’re being forced to get married in four weeks, your mother is trying to take over, and no one seems to be listening to me besides Breaker.”
“Because Breaker wants nothing more than for our relationship to fail,” Brian says. Oh wow, look at that. We finally have something we can agree upon.
“He’s been nothing but supportive. He even gave me tips on how to give you a blow job . . . one you didn’t want.”
“Jesus, Mary,” The Beave says, clasping her hand over her chest as Brian stares me down. I just shrug my shoulders because honestly, what else can I do at this point? I lean back and take a sip of the bubbly while I enjoy the theatrics. “Can we show an ounce of decorum?”
“Why the hell are you talking to Breaker about our sex life?” Brian asks.
“What sex life?” Lia announces, and it takes everything in me not to laugh. “You barely even look at me when I’m naked.”
Babe, I would look at you naked every fucking chance I got. Then proceed to fuck you until you can’t take anymore.
“Ophelia, lower your voice,” The Beave chastises.
“Why? So people don’t hear that your son would rather spend his nights working on his computer than fucking me in bed?”
I’m pretty sure the gasp that escapes The Beave’s mouth can be heard three blocks away.
And the clutching of her pearls is the perfect addition to her outrage.
Oh, this is good.
This is really fucking good. I can’t hold back my smile or stop from wishing there to be more.
Keep it coming, Lia.
“Lia, enough,” Brian says. “That is a completely inappropriate way to talk to my mother.”
“But she can act like I’m a second-class citizen, and you have no problem with that? Don’t you see the issue here, Brian?”
I do. *mentally raises hand* I see it bright as day.
Speaking quietly and in an even tone, The Beave says, “Let’s all take a deep breath and focus on the cake.”
Lia completely ignores her and turns toward Brian. “You will always take her side, no matter what. She can say to my face how I don’t meet her standards, but because she’s so desperate to see you married, she’llsettlefor me as a daughter-in-law. Do you understand how fucked up that is, Brian? Why would I want to enter a family who treats me like that? Why would I want to be with a man who allows his family to treat me like that?”
Brian’s eyes flit to his mom and then back at Lia. “Mother is right. I think we all need to take a deep breath.”
“I don’t need a deep breath,” Lia says. “I have never in my life seen anything more clearly.” She stands from the table and pulls her engagement ring off her ring finger and places it on the table.
Another expertly placed gasp by The Beave echoes through the bakery.
I want to slow clap, encourage this valiant behavior because, God Almighty, seeing Lia fired up like this makes my goddamn nipples hard.
“I’m done, Brian. I should have been done a while ago, but maybe I just needed the cold-hearted evidence aboutwhyI should be done.”
