The house was quiet by the time we finally went upstairs. Andre was asleep in his room down the hall, worn out from cake and dancing and the sheer effort of being the ring bearer all day. Lucas walked me to the door of what was now, officially, our room, and stopped there like a man bracing himself for a meeting he hadn't fully prepared for.
"I'll be sleeping here tonight," he said. "We are married. We can't raise any suspicions."
"I'm aware of the arrangement." I heard the words come out steadier than I felt. "You don't have to explain it to me twice, Lucas."
"I'm not explaining it for your benefit." A faint, almost nervous smile crossed his face, gone as quickly as it came. "I'm making sure we're aligned. People will talk if we don't at least look married."
"Yeah. Yeah, it's fine." I
