Reaching for his wrists, I pull his hands away from my face, but his touch obliterates my resolve. He holds me steady, and before I can protest, his lips seize mine.
In my head I screamno.
I know I should not be kissing Linc just minutes before I am to marry Dean, but my heart selfishly takes everything it can from this kiss.
Because, deep down, I know this can never happen again.
Slipping my hands between his arms, I clutch his smooth face, pulling in a deep breath through my nose, inhaling every single breath of him. His tongue tangles with mine possessively as he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me close.
I never want him to let me go.
I want to lose myself in this moment forever.
My mind finally catches up with the moment and what we’re doing. My hands shove at the wall of his chest but he doesn’t budge.
“Sylvie,” he pleads against my lips, and my heart crumbles.
Tears clog my throat as I push at his arms, twisting my head away from his seeking mouth. “Linc, please.”
His forehead rests on my cheek, both of us searching for air.
After a few moments, I take a step back, attempting to regain some shred of composure. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror once more. Taking in my bloodshot eyes and my swollen lips.
Shame swallows me whole.
Linc continues to hold my hand. “Please don’t do this. I can’t leave this room without you,” he says, pain embedded in his voice.
“It’s too late, Linc.”
He squeezes my hand tighter. “No, it’s not. It’s never too late.”
I bring my free hand to my lower belly, knowing damn well it is. I will never regret this child. I plan on being the best mother and wife I can be, but I will always regret not telling Linc how I feel about him.
I shake my head; unable to find the words I need to let him go.
He takes a step closer. “Do you love me?”
“Linc, don’t do this to me, please.”
His hand shoots to the side of my neck, bringing my eyes to his. “Answer me, Sylvie. Do you love me?”
He can see it. I know he can. My heart is screaming so loud inside my chest; my ears are ringing with the truth. But if I confess my true feelings for him, it will only make it worse.
For him and for me.
“No.”
He stands silent, hope dying in his eyes right before me. It is too painful to watch so I close my eyes, tears flowing down my burning cheeks.
“You’re a liar,” he says. “You’ll regret this. Just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean you have to marry the guy.”
My blood heats as I grit my teeth and jerk his hand away from my face. I walk toward the door, determined to prove I am indeed making the right decision.
I snatch my bouquet of white calla lilies from the vase, remembering my mother’s request to choose another flower.
These always make me think of funerals, Sylvie, not weddings. You should go with roses instead.
Well, I made the right choice about that, too. They couldn’t be more appropriate, considering my youth will die at the altar today, along with all the love I harbor inside for Linc. But hidden deep within the confines of my soul, I know only one of those is the truth.
