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Chapter 1

Afton

I pop open the lid of the rectangular gift box, and my breath catches

Inside is a stunning necklace The chain is delicate and crafted of silver The pendant is a pear-shaped sapphire surrounded by six small diamonds

“This is your so blue, Afton”

I look up and into the eyes of theWarren Rotham has been a staple in my life since I was sixteen years old I crushed hard on hie, and two years ago, I accepted when he finally asked me out on a date

“The color of the sapphire is a perfect match for your eyes”

I s My eyes are light blue My brother Nelson and I share that in common He’s a blond, just like our mom My hair is the sa

“It’s beautiful,” I say softly “Will you help me put it on?”

“Of course” He tugs the necklace free “Spin around and lift your hair”

Bunching my hair into my fist, I turn on my heel

Warren’s fingers brush over my neck as he works to fasten the clasp “Mother saw this in theof her favorite jewelry store She told me you’d love it”

I gaze at our reflections in the full-length ainst the wall in front of us

Warren is super focused on the necklace His teeth are pinching his bottoht he was the cutest boy I’d ever seen

We touched hands in the school cafeteria when Warren stepped in front of rab a packet of ketchup for the fries he’d just ordered I felt a surge of nervous energy so strong that I al

Today, I feel nothing but an uneasy lump in my stomach

We’re set to walk down the aisle in two hours

“Are you naked under that robe?” His breath gusts over my neck

“I’erie” I try to catch his eye in the mirror, but he’s dropped his attention to the phone he just pulled out of the back pocket of his tuxedo pants

A pre-wedding quickie won’t happen

Warren and I haven’t been intimate in more than three months