This Love

Chapter 73

SCARLETT PARKER

It takes me a second to recognize where I am when I wake up in a foreign bed, and not next to Harry, but next to a tangled mess of blonde hair instead. But then I start to smile with a feeling in my chest reminiscent of waking up on Christmas morning. Today is my wedding day. I'm getting married to Harry within a matter of hours. I'm going to be a wife.

I was just about to reach out and wake Hailey up so I could tell her the same thing, but then I stop and stare at her as she rolls over to face me. My mother pops into my mind as I study her features, as does Frank. She does look a lot like him and I wonder if that ever bothers her. Sometimes, I think I forget that she left her parents behind only because I did that so long ago myself that I very rarely think about it now. Still, that doesn't make it any less sad.

But then I think of what Dr. Wright said about how maybe Harry and I are giving her a better life than Amber and Frank could. The only unfortunate thing is the financial situation, seeing as Harry and I were never really prepared to take in a teenager, but I've noticed that her materialistic tendencies aren't as prominent as they used to be. Maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

As the sun begins brightening up the room, I roll over to check my phone for the time and turn off my alarm before it can sound and wake Hailey up. We still have another hour until we said we'd be up, but now that I know there's no going back to sleep for me, I quietly climb out of bed and find the sweatshirt Harry left me with so I can sneak out for a cigarette.

Right outside the bedroom is a view of the rolling green hills surrounding the villa, and I start to zone out thinking about living here like I told Harry I wanted to the other day. It was when we were exploring the villa grounds and found this sort of forest that looked like something straight out of a fairytale. I felt a certain kind of calamity that I never do in London or any city. It was almost like it was just the two of us all by ourselves and I think that's what I liked so much about it.

I'm trying to picture what kind of house we might live in when my phone vibrates with a text from Seth asking me if I'm awake. I message back to let him know that I'm outside my room, and just a few minutes later, I see him walking down from the lefthand side of the villa where he was staying. His hair is still a mess and he was in a hoodie and sweats, so he seemed to have just woken up too.

"What's wrong?" I whisper for some reason. "Is Harry having second thoughts?"

He coughs out a hoarse laugh. "Yeah, right."

"Well? What's going on, then?"

"Uh," he sighs and stuffs his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Can we talk?"

I blink at him, exhaling the smoke to suspend in a fluttering cloud between us. "Sure, but you're freaking me out."

He laughs again, nodding knowingly as we sit down on the two chairs around a small table under an awning keeping us out of the sun. "I just know that we probably won't have much time to talk later between you getting ready and then just enjoying the party."

"Yeah, true," I cross one leg over the other and take another pull, waiting for him to start talking, but he seems to still be trying to figure out what he wants to say for himself.

"Can I be really honest and say something really fucked up?"

"If you tell me I look anything but perfect on my wedding day, I'll strangle you with my bare hands," I respond, earning a laugh from him as he shakes his head.

"No, um...I was just going to say that I'm so happy for you. I mean, I can't even begin to explain how happy I am for you."

Now I'm confused. "Why is that fucked up to say?"