Chapter 3

"Don't go to the engagement photos tomorrow," Lucas said to me.

I looked at the calendar. Under tomorrow's date, I'd written "engagement photos" in big marker letters.

I didn't know why Lucas wanted to cancel, but since I wasn't going through with the wedding anyway, this actually saved me trouble. Even if he hadn't said anything, I would've found an excuse to cancel.

I nodded.

"Okay. I'll call the photographer," I said.

Lucas blinked. He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

He'd probably thought I'd ask why. After all, I'd spent ages researching every part of the wedding. And I'd paid extra to get a famous photographer to squeeze us in so that the photos would be perfect.

But I actually said yes.

Lucas looked at me strangely.

"Don't cancel," he said. "Summer says she'll never get married. She wants to take wedding photos with me, so she can pretend she did. So she won't have regrets.

"Tomorrow, I'll take the photos with Summer. We can do ours later."

His voice was casual, like he was talking about the weather. It was exactly like the day a month ago when he first said he wanted to have a baby with Summer.

He acted like he was discussing it, but he was actually telling me what was going to happen.

I looked down so he wouldn't see the sarcasm in my eyes.

Later?

Lucas didn't know I was only staying in Hibiscus for thirteen more days.

He didn't know there was no "later" for us.

I said okay quietly and went to the bedroom.

The wedding wasn't happening anyway. Who Lucas took photos with didn't matter to me.

Lucas watched me go, feeling uneasy.

I was too calm. I didn't even question him. None of the arguments he'd prepared were needed.

But then Summer called, and he pushed his doubts aside. He walked out to the balcony to answer.

When I woke up the next morning, Lucas was already on his way out.

He pulled on his shoes and said, "After the photos, Summer and I are going on a trip. She's always wanted to go to Marazul. I'm taking her.

"For the wedding, keep it simple. I won't have time to rehearse or help with decorations. You handle everything. Don't bother me about it."

I swallowed my toast and said, "Okay."

Simple. No engagement photos. No guests. No officiant. And no bride.

Lucas saw me calmly eating breakfast and felt weird. After a pause, he added, "After the wedding, we'll go to Europe for our honeymoon. I remember you always wanted to go."

Before, if Lucas had offered to take me on a honeymoon, I would've started planning excitedly right away.

I'd begged him to travel with me before, but he always said no. He said he didn't like it and thought it was tiring.

Now, I only kept eating my bread and didn't answer.

There wasn't going to be a wedding. So there wasn't going to be a honeymoon.

Lucas gave me a strange look. He started to say something else, but his eyes caught the clock on the wall. He rushed out the door, throwing over his shoulder, "We'll talk when I get back."

I picked up the calendar and drew a big X through "engagement photos."

Twelve days left.

After breakfast, I started packing my things and clearing out the stuff I didn't need.

A photo album with fewer than five pictures. A dusty projector. Matching pajamas we never wore together.

In five years, I'd filled this apartment with things I'd picked out carefully, one by one. I turned it from an empty space into somewhere warm and cozy.

But looking closer, Lucas had never used most of it.

He said that even though we were dating, he was still his own person. He didn't like couple items. They made him feel tied down.

I shook off the memories and kept cleaning.

There was no point leaving this stuff here to bother him. Better to throw it all away now.

And while I was at it, I'd throw away all our memories too.