Page 80 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
“I’m not used to seeing you so misty-eyed,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I love it. And I love you too, Harper. Thank you for being the most wonderful cousin–slash–best friend–slash–maid of honor. You saved the day. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“Save the thanks until you see how it all looks out there,” I joke.
Her lips tremble as she beams at me. “It’s gonna be beautiful, I just know it.”
Naomi arrived at the house early this afternoon to start getting ready in my room while Lewis was just starting to set up the living room for the sunset wedding we threw together. I smile to myself when I think about how she stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes for a solid ten seconds, stammering her own name when he introduced himself to her.
She turns back to the mirror to fix her makeup, and I move to help her. I’m in the middle of powdering her T-zone when she locks eyes with me in the mirror.
“Look, I know I was a little starstruck when I met Lewis, but I saw the way he’s been looking at you. He really, really likes you, Harper.”
Since I’m looking at our reflections in the mirror, I don’t miss the way the skin on my neck and chest flushes.
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
When I set the brush down, she gently turns my face to look at her, then dabs a Q-tip under my eyes.
“You’re in love with him.”
The way she says it, so surely, so definitively, feels like an accusation and a revelation all at once.
“I am.” I say it so quietly I can barely hear myself.
“Have you told him?” she asks gently, like she always does when she knows she’s asking me a borderline-intrusive question.
I shake my head. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve.”
She fixes me with a stare that’s tender and determined all at once. “I know I’m especially loved up right now since it’s my wedding day and all, but please tell him how you feel. I’ve never heard you gush about a guy like this before. I can tell he’s different—he’s special to you. And I know I only just met him today, but I can see the guy feels something deep for you too. His eyes turn to hearts when he looks at you. I can’t wait to see his reaction when you come out in that dress.”
I smooth a hand over the floor-length Grecian-style rose-gold satin dress I’m wearing.
She points to the V neckline. “Your boobs have never looked better. He’s gonna notice that for sure.”
I playfully shove away her hand but quietly hope that what she says is true. Because today is a special occasion, I went the extra mile with my makeup and styled my hair in loose waves. I even opted to wear contacts. He’s never seen me without glasses, and I’m hoping the full-on glam look I’ve managed blows him away.
My stomach does a backflip in anticipation of what he’ll think when he sees me. He’s seen a million glammed-up people in his line of work. Will I even make an impression? Will it drive home how he feels about me? Or will it just be a blip on his radar?
Naomi cups my hand in hers, like she can tell I’m second-guessing myself.
“When he sees you, he’s going to choke on his own tongue, you look so freaking stunning. He also spent the last three days busting his ass to get the house ready for your cousin’s wedding, someone he doesn’t even know. He gave up his hiding spot to use as a wedding venue—for you. That’s love.” She rests her hands on my shoulders. “You deserve to be happy, Harper. You’ve spent so much time working hard and looking after everyone else, making sure we’re all taken care of. Now it’s your turn. Go for it with him.”
The bedroom door opens, and in walks Maren in a flowy long-sleeve dress with a pink-and-green floral pattern, her long hair in messy barrel curls. I tuck away Naomi’s words for later and refocus on the task at hand: making sure my cousin’s wedding goes off without a hitch.
Maren takes one look at Naomi and gasps. “You are freaking gorgeous.” She gushes over Naomi’s low side bun with a few loose waves framing her face.
“Thank God for hair and makeup tutorials on YouTube,” Naomi says.
Maren points to the wedding dress, which is hanging against the back of the bedroom door. “Shall we get you dressed, Mrs. Rutler?”
Naomi nods excitedly. Together Maren and I help her into the long-sleeve, off-the-shoulder lace gown. When she’s dressed, I fetch her heels. She slides into them and then turns to the mirror.
Maren and I can barely keep it together as we stand on either side of her. The three of us gaze at Naomi in the mirror, a trio of teary eyes and quivering lips.
“God, we are so pathetic,” Naomi says, fanning her eyes.
We all chuckle. Then she grabs our hands. “Thank you both for being here with me. You’ve made this day so special.”
