Sixteen

SEBASTIAN

There were so many people in the house that I worked most of the day in my father's office. Well, that was the plan.

I kept staring out the window into the garden, imagining what Georgia will look like in her dress. Then I became obsessed with finding her an outfit she'd love for tonight. I scoured the online sites of the boutiques in town, debating about what to get her. I finally narrowed it down, called my order in, went and picked everything up, then returned to the office.

I still can't concentrate on the merger I need to close in the next few weeks. Every time I look at something I need to review or figure out, Georgia's smile pops up in my mind.

I glance at my watch. It's four thirty, so I give up. I go to the house and into our bedroom, expecting to find Georgia, but she isn't there. Disappointment fills me, but I jump in the shower to get ready for our date.

When I'm ready, I text her.

Me: Where are you, Sunshine?

Georgia: I'm in the library playing board games with the girls.

The warm feeling in my stomach grows. It happens whenever I'm around Georgia, and I can't seem to shake it.

I knew she'd fit in well with my family. Everybody adores her differently than I anticipated. It's not that my family didn't get along with my other fiancées, but something is different with Georgia. I can't put my finger on it, but there's no denying it.

Yet it isn't just my family who loves her. She genuinely seems to care about my family too.

My family will kill me once they find out I'm no longer with her.

My stomach flips for the hundredth time today. A voice in my head says I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing, but I don't know how to get out of this.

It's not like Georgia doesn't know what's going on.

She agreed to it.

She negotiated like a rock star.

Pride mixes with distrust whenever I think about how she got me to agree to a million dollars.

She's going to hate me when this is over.

I should stop this before it goes any further.

I stare at myself in the mirror, telling myself to push all these feelings away. I've made my own bed. Now I have to sleep in it.

I make my way through the house and get to the library. My heart stammers when I see Georgia. She's wearing all the new items I got her, and she looks more gorgeous in them than I could have ever imagined. I give myself a high five for finally getting something right. And it's another thing that my exes wouldn't have gone for—it's just too country-ish.

Except for Molly.