“Well, this is my first time playing. I’m sorry I’m not as good as Breaker. Maybe if you weren’t shoving all this godforsaken sugar down my throat, I would have been able to guess.”
“I wasn’t comparing you to Breaker,” I say through clenched teeth.
“You didn’t have to. I could see it written all over your face.”
“Great assumption,” I say as I offer him a thumbs up and then stand from the couch. “Because apparently, you know exactly what’s going on in my head, besides what I’m really thinking about, and what I’m really thinking about is freaking TEETH! God,” I shout, utterly frustrated. “I’m going to bed. Feel free to go home if you’d like.”
I leave the living room and head straight for my bedroom and bathroom, where I close the door. Since I’m already in my pajamas, I go to the sink and splash water on my face. I dry my face and then stare into the mirror as tears fill my eyes.
I don’t have a moment to blot them away before Brian opens the bathroom door and leans against the counter.
“I’m sorry, Lia.”
I can’t look at him. I’ll cry.
But I can’t move either.
I feel paralyzed.
Nothing seems to be going right.
Breaker is trying to remove me from his life.
Brian is an idiot and doesn’t understand a simple clue like dentist.
I’ve lit a veil on fire, flicked blood on my future mother-in-law, and punched her in the boob.
The wedding planning is going at lightning speed despite the accidents.
I’m embarrassing myself left and right.
I got in a huge fight with my best friend, something I don’t do very often.
And the worst part of it all is that I have no one to turn to.
No one.
I grip the counter even tighter as my body sways, the pressure I’ve been carrying mounting on my shoulders as my breathing picks up.
“Hey, are you okay?” Brian asks as he steps up closer.
“N-No,” I mutter right before my legs give out on me.
Brian quickly scoops me up, my name a frightened plea as he carries me to the bed.
“Jesus, what’s going on?” he asks as he brushes his hand over my forehead. “You’re pale. Lia, what’s happening? Do you want me to call for help?”
I shake my head as my lip trembles, and tears fall down the side of my head. “No. Just . . . just let me get some sleep.”
“You think I’m going to leave you like this? You almost hit your head on the counter. There’s no way I’m leaving.” He sits right next to me and places his hand on my stomach. “Talk to me, Lia. What’s going on?”
“I just . . .” My lips tremble some more. “I’m just freaking out,” I say, not wanting to tell him the truth. Things are already weird between Brian and Breaker—that much is evident after the display in the living room—I don’t need to make Brian mad at Breaker for putting me in this mental state.
“Freaking out about the wedding?”
“About . . . us,” I say, which is partially true.
“What about us?” he asks.
