She blinked, setting her glass down. "About what?"
"It's about Grandma," he began carefully. "She's... concerned about our marriage. She thinks....never mind.
She wants us to visit the estate tomorrow for dinner."
Bri's brow lifted slightly. "Won't it be awkward? I mean...we are not a real..you know what I mean. But then again, It's Grandma Eleanor."
"Do you feel comfortable with that?" he asked after a moment. "I can always cancel. I'll tell her I'm not available."
Bri hesitated. "It's fine. I don't mind."
William relaxed slightly, giving a faint nod. "Good."
Silence settled again, softer this time.
Bri took another sip of juice, her thoughts still tangled. She hadn't expected him to ask for her opinion or to sound so... considerate.
"She also asked that you invite your two friends." William added, filling the silence.
That made her pause. "Anna and Jake?"
He nodded.
She sounded surprised as she continued. "Does your grandmother always invite strangers to family dinners? I mean, yes, she has met Anna a few times, but now she wants to meet Jake? Why?"
"She's... old-fashioned," he said after a while. "She likes to know the people close to the family."
"Or maybe she wants to make sure the marriage is real. She wants to interrogate them." Bri muttered under her breath.
He almost smiled at that, the honesty catching him off guard. "Maybe both."
***
After dinner, William cleared the table and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher before heading to his room for a quick shower. His original plan had been to drive back to his office suite for the night, but it was already close to midnight.
He decided against it.
He'll stay here, in his room, and give Bri her space. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.
Out in the living room, Bri had turned on the TV and was rewatching the first season of Verdict Street, the show she was working on. She wanted to study how her character fit into the new season, but exhaustion had gotten the better of her. Before long, she fell asleep on the couch, the remote still in her hand, and her tote bag beside her.
When William returned to the kitchen to make himself a cup of chamomile tea, he found her there..fast asleep, her breathing calm, and the faintest smile lingering on her lips, like she was dreaming of something far away.
William stood there for a while, just watching her.
Bri was, without question, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He'd thought so when he was thirteen, the first time he saw her running through the Whitmore gardens, laughing like she owned the world. But now, at twenty-five, he knew it without doubt. His heart wouldn't have allowed him to marry anyone else, even if the choice hadn't been his to make.
That was why he quickly agreed to the arrangement..because he couldn't imagine anyone but her. At twenty one, when his grandmother mentioned to him about her being his fiancée, Bri's grandmother was sick, and a year later, she was gone. At the thought of how sad she had been at the burial, William moved closer, his steps quiet. A loose strand of hair had fallen across her face, and he felt the sudden urge to brush it away or to do something else, just this once, maybe a forehead kiss to show his love.
But just as his hand almost reached her, Bri stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, dazed for a moment before she realized where she was. She sat up quickly, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry, I fell asleep," she murmured, switching off the TV, she grabbed her bag and stood, then turned toward the hallway.
As she disappeared down the corridor, William's voice followed softly. "Goodnight, Bri."
She glanced back briefly, offering a faint, sleepy smile. "Goodnight," she said.