I’m in a trancelike state as I climb the steps and take the seat beside my husband, who immediately clutches my hand.

“Breathe,” he whispers as he presses a kiss to my cheek.

I take a deep inhale of his familiar cologne, wishing like hell I could keep my face buried in his neck but fully aware this is the time to prove I’ve got what it takes to survive in this world. Fake it til ya make it, right? I tighten my fingers around his, plaster a smile to my face, and turn to face our hostess, who I’m liking less and less by the moment.

“First,” she says, grinning ear to ear, “congratulations to you both on the marriage and the baby.”

“Thank you,” my husband and I answer in unison.

My stomach flip-flops, and I can’t tell if it’s bean or my nerves acting up in there.

“So, most of our audience’s questions were surrounding the two of you.” Helen has the gall to look contrite.

“Naturally.” Lyle smirks. He’s so cool and collected, while my nerves are buzzing.

“Sammi…”

Oh, God. “Yes?”

“By far the most popular question was how you could claim to love Lyle when you were seconds away from marrying another man.” She crosses one leg over the other. “Would you like to shed some light on that for the fans?”

A cold sweat breaks out over my forehead. “I, umm,” I stammer, as bile climbs in my throat.

“You can do this, Li’l Bit.” My husband rubs a hand up and down my calf in a soothing gesture.

“Lyle and I were just teenagers when we fell in love.” I smile over at him, drawing strength from his unwavering confidence in me. “He was everything to me, but he was also three years older, and an actual relationship between the two of us at the time wasn’t in the cards.”

“Right.” Helen nods, encouraging me to continue.

“When he left to join the band, he all but begged me to date guys my own age. He wanted me to live my life while he was out living his. And he promised to come back for me when our age would no longer be an issue.”

“Sounds like something straight out of a movie.” Helen brings a hand to her chest for affect, romanticizing my pain.

“It was rough. Years went by, and I saw him less and less. His exploits were everywhere.” I shake my head. “All over the media.”

I watch Lyle’s throat bob with a hard swallow. Shame colors his cheeks.

“So, I started dating and found I enjoyed the attention. But my heart was never in it. For a long time, my dating life was a revolving door, until I met Trent.”

“The runaway groom?” she pries.