Page 146 of Pretty Little Threats

epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

ROSE

The white gown,with shimmering diamonds covering the bodice, is elegant. Beautiful. A real wedding dress. Everything I’ve ever dreamed about, and yet, a small part of me longs for that little short dress Dare insisted I wear for our first ceremony. It was sexy, and that night was the first time Dare lost a little bit of control.

But today isn’t about the past.

It’s about our future, and the woman staring back at me in the mirror is wearing a smile. Not one pasted on for the pleasure of other people, but a real, genuine smile that fills the room with sunshine.

Or maybe that’s the two women bustling around me, fixing my train, cooing over the dress, and telling me how pretty I look. Who wouldn’t feel amazing with that sort of praise?

Analise, one of Dare’s sisters, joins me at the mirror. Her blonde hair is pulled into an updo with yellow roses that match the color of her bridesmaid dress pinned in her hair. “Wow, my brother doesn’t deserve you.”

“It’s not too late to run away,” Emmie, Dare’s other sister, offers, stopping beside her sister and looking at my reflection. Today, in the matching bridesmaid dresses, it’s even harder to tell them apart. The only way I’ve learned who is who is by the subtle difference in the shape of their noses. Emmie’s is a little thinner than Analise’s. Like Dare, their features are as perfect as the Greek statues—symmetrical faces, pretty jawlines, high cheekbones, and rich, dark brown eyes. They’re so beautiful, and their reentry into NYC caused a stir with the city’s most eligible bachelors, but they’ve spent the last year enjoying their newfound freedom.

I don’t blame them. After a decade of hiding, they’d more than earned every minute of independence.

Most of the world mourned the loss of Joseph Miller, who was suspected to have a stroke as he drove along the coast and lost control of his car, but the Richardson family finally found a reason to celebrate. The twins moved into my house, since I moved into Dare’s. Joseph’s funeral was on a Saturday, and for the sake of appearances, I attended, but I made sure his grave was nowhere near Mom’s. No one was surprised by the giant plot of land Josephpickedfor his final resting place.

Losing him was different from losing Mom. There are still strange moments of sadness I don’t quite understand, given that he was so terrible to me at the end. I still have some good memories of him, and I’ve chosen to think of my dad as the man in those, and Joseph Miller as the man who owned JD Miller & Co and tried to kill me.

Even though the founder died, the business continues to thrive. After a majority vote, I took my place as chair of the board of JD Miller & Co. It didn’t take long to discover the secrets Dad kept from me, but Dare and I are working together to choke out the bad parts of the conglomerate.

And today, we renew our vows, a ceremony of our own making.

The door opens and Cassia rushes in, a veil in her hands. “I can’t believe you left this in the car,” she chastises, coming to place it on my head.

“We could have done without it.” Dare and I didn’t need one last time.

Cassia gives me a pointed look. “The bride needs a veil. It’s part of the romance of the moment.”

“She’s right,” Analise says, helping straighten the see-through material. “Now you’re definitely too pretty for my brother.”

Emmie chuckles. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

Their words mean a lot, but Dare is my world. “Your brother is everything I’ve ever wanted. I love him.”

The twins trade looks and blink back tears. Cassia squeezes my hand, and the four of us look in the mirror. My redheaded friend stands out, but she was born to make a statement.

After everything that happened last year, I thought I lost her, but she showed up on Dare’s doorstep the day after he rescued me and apologized for being distant. It was never a question of if I’d forgive her, and honestly, I wasn’t mad at her, only scared she’d never want to talk to me again.

But she did, and now we’re closer than ever.

“I’m so happy you’re my friend,” I tell her.

She grins at me and looks up. “Dammit, Rose. Don’t make me cry.”

The church is full, but that’s to be expected, since Dare took out a full page in the newspaper to announce the renewal of our vows, and the murmur of hundreds of voices rumbles over my skin as we make our way toward the aisle. Remy, Crue, and Mace wait alongside Frank. They’re all in matching navy tuxedos with yellow pocket squares that match my ladies’ dresses.

Remy’s dark hair is cut short, and the line of his beard is perfectly straight and pristine, but even still, he looks like a giant dressed in a suit too small. His dark gaze roves over Analise quickly, and she’s too busy peeking around the doorframe to notice the hunger in his gaze. His eyes cut away when she turns and beams at him. I arch an eyebrow, and he simply shakes his head.

Dare would never allow it.

On that front, Remy is probably right.

Music cues up.

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