Promised (The Promised Series)

included. If we keep it up, she’ll be a spoiled gypsy princess by the time she starts talking. My relationship with Dani has gone back to the way it was before our fight. We spend the majority of our time together. She tried to bring up Linc a couple of times, but I stopped her immediately. My heart isn’t ready to relive everything that happened, and it might never be.
    Once Marley has all her supplies packed up, she gathers it into her arms. “I’m going to go ahead and take these back to the car. Try and relax. You look like you’re going to be sick.”
    “I might be.” I tell her honestly. My stomach has been rolling since I woke up this morning. Not from happy butterflies, but my body telling me not to do this, obviously. But there’s no way of stopping them. I might have them for the rest of my life after I go through this. I’ll be nauseous the rest of my life, a symptom of my self-inflicted heartbreak.
    “I think I have some peppermints in the car. Do you want me to bring you one? It’ll help settle your stomach.” She offers sweetly.
    “Yes, please.” I answer, already knowing a peppermint won’t be the cure to my problems. She walks out and I glance at the time. Half an hour. Half an hour till graduation starts. Half an hour till I walk down the aisle to marry Shay. Half an hour till I officially give up on every dream I’ve ever had.
    The room suddenly becomes unbearably hot. I stand, moving towards the door, needing air.
    “Where are you going?” Mom calls, acknowledging me for the first time all day.
    “I’m going to get some air. I’ll be right back.” I answer back, looking over my shoulder, my hand on the door knob.
    “Alright, but make sure you don’t run into Shay. It’s bad luck for him to see you before the ceremony.” She warns.
    “I know. I’ll be careful.” I promise her and continue out the door. I follow a hall that leads out the side of the church. Figuring I’ll be least likely to be seen there.
    I pace back and forth on the sidewalk, taking in deep breathes and releasing it. It doesn’t help so I give up and walk over to the side of the stone church and lean against the corner. I don’t care if the dress gets dirty. By my society’s standards, I already am.
    The shade from the trees has kept the stones on this side of the church cool and that coolness is soothing against my bare arms. I’m taking in the silence around me and trying to sort out all the thoughts running around my head when I hear voices coming from the back of the church.
    I recognize Shay’s first, and figuring that’s my cue to head back in, I move to do just that. But catching the second voice stops me in my tracks. Aidan. They’ve never been close so I don’t know why they’d be having a heart to heart right before our wedding. I highly doubt my brother’s finally decided he loves me and is giving Shay the talk about treating me right. If anything, he’s telling Shay to make sure to smack me around daily to keep me in line.
    Curiosity gets the better of me and I slip off my heels so I can move closer without the click clack sound giving me away.
    “I have to thank you. If you hadn’t suggested this, I never would’ve asked for your sister’s hand.” I hear Shay say. What the hell! Aidan is the reason Shay did this?
    “You’ll be good for her.” Aidan grumbles. You can tell by his tone that he doesn’t care if he’s good for me or not; he just doesn’t care. At this point, I start to see red. My own brother is the reason I’ve been so miserable.
    “I hope so.” Shay responds wistfully. If I wasn’t so pissed, I’d feel bad for the guy; he’s been talked into thinking this is a good thing for him, for us.
    “Just make sure you keep her in line. Don’t let her walk all over you. A girl like Wyn needs to be tamed; otherwise, she’ll be in all kinds of trouble.”
    “You asshole!” I growl, storming around the corner in plain view. I throw my heels at his head, but they miss him so I stomp right up to my brother and pound my fists against his chest. “It’s your fault.”
    He grabs both of my wrists in his hands to stop my assault and sneers. “Someone had to make sure you realized your place.”
    “What’s going on?” Shay asks, completely shocked by our show.
    We both ignore him and I ask, struggling against Aidan’s hold. “Why? Do you hate me that much?”
    “Yes!” He growls, leaning into my face, tightening his grip on my wrists. “You’ve