Page 55 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

“Likewise,” I mumbled against the crown of her head with my arms tight around her shoulders. Even if Del spent more and more time at Beck’s, she was, in many ways, the little sister I never had. Not only because my dresses kept mysteriously disappearing from my closet.

“You should blow out the candles,” she said and loosened her grasp. Beck’s arms were around her waist again before she had even properly stepped back, and I couldn’t help but grin. That man was dark hair, cold eyes, muscles and confidence, all stirred up and poured into a suit, but god forbid he wasn’t touching Del. Even when she was just out of reach, you’d find his finger hooked into her belt loop. Couldn’t fault him for holding on when he’d almost lost her last year.

“Do you know what you’re going to wish for?” Defne asked, hands clasped under her chin.

“I do,” my eyes skipped to Victor for just a heartbeat, meeting his direct gaze, before I forced them back to Defne, “good weather for Del’s wedding.”

That got a few chuckles before I leaned over the kitchen table and blew out the candles, wishing for the one thing I actually wanted.Cordelia and Victor.

People found their seats around the table and I handed out cake to everyone, except Tabitha who was trying to combat her constant stomach issues by cutting out sugar. And I sprayed a mountain of whipped cream on my cake, and everyone talked about cake flavors and about summer weddings and about the flower-shaped napkins, and it was good. Having people in my space was good.

“I’m not saying you bought the cake for that reason. I’m just saying, it’s a very light pink, and there’s probably smarter ways to cut it,” Tabitha argued, waving her hands at the cake. Withhalf of it gone, the two and a half remaining petals did look a little suggestive, but Del was insisting that she didn’t seeit.

“If you say so,” Del sighed.

Defne leaned over to Tabitha and fake-whispered: “Maybe Beck’s is horribly deformed and that’s why she can’t see it.”

Beck’s brows jumped up, his drink halfway to his lips, his other hand resting on the back of Del’s neck. “I’m choosing not to dignify that with a response.”

“How’s this?” I asked and leaned forward, cutting off the half-petal and loading it onto my plate. I could do a third slice of cake.

“Well, now it’s just balls,” Tabitha huffed.

“Oh, yeah, I can see that,” Del said.

All four of us broke out in laughter, while Beck grinned and pulled Del over to kiss her. I looked away from their affectionate moment, to find Victor already focused on me. I tilted my head in a silent question to see how he was coping with having people over, and he responded with a small smile and nod.

“I need something stronger to deal with this lovey-dovey crap,” Tabitha announced and jumped up to go for the drink cart.

“Speaking of lovey-dovey crap,” Delilah leaned back in her chair and bit her lip, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Me?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “how would you feel about hosting our wedding in your backyard?”

The images came faster than I could process them. A wedding arch, chairs, Del in a white dress, people wearing pretty clothes, people filling the chairs, people shuffling through my house, Del throwing her bouquet at a group of young women, children running around and tossing flowers-

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Victor said, cutting off the film in my thoughts.

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “He’s probably right.”

“Before you make a final decision,” Del smiled and cut a quick reassuring glance at her fiancé, “it would just be the six of us here already, my mom and grandma on my side, and Isaac and Brody on Beck’s side.”

“That’s it?” I asked. “Ten people?”

“Yes, well, eleven. Someone needs to officiate,” Del pulled her shoulders up, “I’d rather haveyouat my wedding than two hundred people who don’t mean half as much to me. If this would make it possible for you to attend, I’d love it.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that for me.” I blinked against the tears shooting into my eyes. I couldn’t let her make that kind of sacrifice. “You should have the wedding you’ve always wanted, regardless of whether I can be there.”

“I’m already compromising on not marrying an English lord.” She grinned.

“I’d buy you a country estate in England right now if you’d let me,” Beck replied in a tone that implied they may have had a similar conversation before.

“Right now? You have a guy on speed dial?”

“I have a guy.”

“Besides,” I said, re-entering the conversation, “we’re planning to remodel the backyard. Get rid of the fence and install a small pond.”

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