I married a stranger

Chapter three: The conversation

Rose’s POV

“Oh my god.” Samantha said sounding so shocked. We were at her bakery where I was telling them about the marriage.

“That’s insane, I thought stuff like this only happens in movies.” Isabella said shaking her head in disbelief.

“ I know right, I was not expecting this at all, marriage is the last thing I would think of happening to me.” I said while taking a bite of my cake. After what happened yesterday i just could not help but tell them about it , they were my best friends and I needed their input on this.

“if we are being fair I think this is a dumb idea but at the same time is not, the Blackwoods are like one of the richest families in the United States.” Isabella said while touching her chin which is a habit she does when thinking.

I frowned, staring down at the half-eaten slice of cake in front of me. Somehow, hearing how wealthy his family was made the whole situation feel even more unreal. I knew my parents were serious about the marriage, but hearing his name and how powerful his family was made me realize just how much I actually did not know about the man I was supposedly going to marry

“Do you even know his name.” Samantha added.

“I did not bother asking, I do not even know the guy.” I said with a shrug.

The truth was, I did not want to know anything about him. Asking questions would only make everything feel more real, and I wasn’t ready for that yet.

“you are kidding right, you do not know Christopher Blackwood?” Isabella said bewildered.

I looked around the bakery hoping no one was listening to our conversation. “Is he that big of a deal.”

“Not only is he rich, he is really handsome. Like a Greek god.” Isabella said.

I rolled my eyes. Of course she would focus on his looks.

“And that is supposed to make me feel better?” I asked, giving her a skeptical look.

“ I do not think there is anyone who does not know him.” Samantha said in disbelief.

I let out a small laugh. “Apparently, me.”

Samantha shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “You really have no idea who you are about to marry, do you?”

“No,” I admitted, taking another bite of my cake. “And honestly, I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Why not?” Isabella asked.

“Because knowing more about him is not going to change anything.” I placed my fork down and sighed. “My parents have already made up their minds. What difference does it make if he is handsome, rich or some kind of Greek god?”

Samantha leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “It makes a difference if you are going to marry him.”

I stared at her.

She had a point.

I hated that she had a point.

Yesterday, the idea of marrying a complete stranger had felt impossible. Today, sitting here and listening to my friends talk about Christopher Blackwood like he was someone everyone knew it somehow felt even more real.

And I was not sure I was ready for that

“Anyways I’m meeting up with him this weekend.” I told them knowing i was going to get a reaction from them.

They both looked at me shocked. “Have you picked an outfit?” Isabella asked immediately.

I stared at her. “Which part of the arranged marriage did you not hear, if I had a choice I would not even go.” I replied.

“You should have told me and I could have picked out a dress for you, this is why I’m your assistant.” Isabella said while rolling her eyes.

I could not help but laugh. Somehow Isabella could turn almost anything into an excuse to play dress up. It felt great getting to talk to them like this.

“How did he even reach out to you.” Samantha asked curiously.

“ I got an email from him, it was probably his secretary who sent it.” I said.

Wait.” Isabella straightened in her seat. “You are telling me your future husband emailed you?”

I nodded.

“And you did not even reply yourself?”

“I did.”

She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head. “Rose, you are about to marry Christopher Blackwood. You should at least try to make a good first impression.”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “I’m not trying to make an impression on anyone. I’m just going to get through the meeting and come back home.”

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

“it’s technically a date.” Samantha replied.

“Where will you guys be meeting?” Isabella asked while taking a sip from her drink.

“I do not know yet. He said he would send me the details.”

Isabella groaned. “You need to find out what you’re wearing.”

“Bella...”

“I’m serious, Rose. You can not show up looking like you just came from painting class.”

I looked down at my clothes and frowned. “What is wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“Nothing. But this is different.”

Samantha smiled. “I have to agree with her on this one.”

I rolled my eyes. “You two are unbelievable.”

For a few seconds, we sat quietly, and I took another bite of my cake. The conversation had been lighthearted, but my thoughts slowly drifted back to everything that had happened.

If Lily were here, she would have probably made this whole situation ten times worse.

I smiled faintly at the thought.

“What?” Samantha asked, noticing my expression.

“Nothing.” I shook my head. “I was just thinking about Lily.”

The smile on Isabella’s face disappeared, and Samantha lowered her gaze.

“God, she would have had so much to say about all of this,” Isabella said softly.

I let out a small laugh. “She definitely would have.”

“She probably would have forced you to try on twenty different dresses before letting you pick one.”

“And she would have complained about every single one,” I added.

We all laughed quietly.

For a moment, it almost felt like she was still sitting there with us.

Then the laughter faded, leaving behind the familiar silence that always seemed to come whenever we talked about her.