“Well, I guess you wouldn’t have. Dear old dad did it for you, making sure everything was worded perfectly so you both got what you wanted.”

I shove away from the table, glancing down at the top of her head. “Derik and Rebecca are having a party in honor of their little girl tonight. Be ready to go at six.”

Brooke lets out a small gasp and glances up at me. “Why am I going?”

I brace my arm on the table in front of her towering over her small form. “Because you’re my wife and according to our contract, you have to show up on my arm, looking pretty, because that’s what I want from you.”

Brooke flinches at my cruel words. I push away from her and lock myself in my office for the rest of the day.

CHAPTER 11

The Party

Brooke

I am dressed in a loosely fitted black dress with a beige-colored cardigan over it. It seems that I am always in sweaters or cardigans lately, but I cannot ever get warm. It is just another side effect from the disease. I am also sporting my glasses tonight. I had to get new ones with a higher magnification as my vision continues to worsen. My hair falls in thick waves around me, and I had to put on some blush to take away some of my pale color.

I do not want to go. I do not want to go to his friend’s stupid party where everyone politely ignores me and acts like Landon’s snide comments against me do not exist. My hands quiver as I turn the doorknob. I did not feel very strong today. Landon’s words at breakfast this morning made me realize it might be a bit harder to move forward with my plan of the cottage. If I had a girl, I do not think he had let me leave. I knew one thing: I could not stay after the baby was born.

“Brooke, where are you?” Landon called from downstairs. He still sounded angry. I do not know why he got so mad at me this morning. I know he does not truly think of me as his real wife. I know he has dreams of finding the one someday. My heart pinches at the thought of him and another woman blissfully curled up on the couch watching some cheesy romance, maybe as a dog sits at their feet while the babies’ sleep.

“Brooke!” he yells again, pulling me from my torturous thoughts.

“I’m coming.”

The climb down the stairs takes a huge amount of my energy, and I pause in the landing. Landon rounds the corner as I catch my breath.

“What are you doing just standing there? We’re going to be late,” he chides.

“I’m not feeling so good, maybe you should just go without me.”

“What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” Landon steps forward as if to reach out for me. I cannot have him touch me. I would probably cry from the comfort it would give me, so I step back discouraging him.