Page 109 of A Vine Mess
“You and Gramps are theonlyreasons I’m here.”
My mom’s expression softened, and as I had many times over the course of my life, I once again wondered why she continued to remain shackled to a man who was no better than a piece of chewed up gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe. More than anything, I wanted my mom to be happy, and I just didn’t think she was. She’d gotten really fucking good at pretending, though.
Sammy appeared in the doorway of a room off to the side, and I could practically see the steam pouring from his ears as he waved me over. After squeezing Ella’s hand a final time, I reluctantly walked to him.
“About fucking time,” he grumbled, though he pasted on a fake smile and made a show of hugging me for the photographer stationed nearby, capturing every moment of thisjoyousoccasion. “We have to be out there like…now.”
“Then I’m right on time,” I grinned as I pulled away, though my cheeks felt brittle and liable to crack under the force of it.
“Whatever,” Sammy said with an eye roll. “Follow me so we can line up.”
I did as I was told, walking behind him and his buddies through a door on the far side of the room, which opened onto a receiving area at the back of the atrium where the ceremony was being held.
Yeah, as if this place wasn’t pretentious enough as it was, there was a fuckingatriumon the grounds.
The Delatous wouldnever.
The groomsmen quickly paired off with the bridesmaids,assumingly having been alerted ahead of time who they were walking down the aisle with. With a jolt, I realized as best man and maid of honor, I would be stuck next to Mellie for much of the formal parts of the evening.
Fuck me.
“Hello, William,” Mellie said as she sidled up to me. Though the silhouette of each was different, all the bridesmaids wore dresses in a burgundy color that, with Mellie’s pale coloring, didn’t do her any favors. Nor did the heavy eyeshadow I thought was meant to be a smokey eye but missed the mark.
I squared my shoulders, resolving to be cordial, and said, “I actually go by Liam.”
Okay, so much forcordial.
“Apologies,” she said. “I haven’t seen you in so long. You could’ve changed your whole name by now. Your last name is still Danvers, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I gritted out, trying my damnedest to hold it together.
I didn’t understand how I hadn’t seen it before everything fell apart. How I hadn’t caught onto her scheming and underhandedness. How like my father and Sammy and other players in this world she was. Fuck, was I glad I had gotten out. Before, everything Mellie did was magical to me, and I’d thought myself lucky that she was even giving me the time of day.
Now, it took all my self-control not to shrug her off when she slipped her hand through my proffered elbow.
Sammy walked down the aisle with Mom, Dad, and Mellie’s mom, kissing both of the women on their cheeks before taking his position at the altar.
The harpist began strumming, and the procession began, fourpairings going before it was my and Mellie’s turn.
I did my best to smile and appear happy as we made our way toward the altar, but I could tell I was failing miserably. Mellie, meanwhile, was eating up the attention, a bright grin on her face, offering little waves to the friends and family we passed. Almost as if she was saying, “See? Liam and I look so good together.” As though she was trying to convince me.
She must’ve read my mind, because she said, “This should’ve been us,” through her smile. “It still can be.”
We reached the end of the aisle, and a moment before we parted, I whispered, “Never.”
I took up my spot next to Sammy as Mellie did the same on Char’s side, her lower lip jutting out in a pout briefly before she schooled her expression into that of happiness and excitement for her younger sister.
The harpist launched into the wedding march, and the guests rose to their feet, turning to watch as Char and her father came down the aisle.
I didn’t give a fuck about her, or this whole charade.
Instead, my eyes found Ella’s in the second row, and everything in me that had been whipped up in the last twenty minutes settled. I knew without a doubt I was looking at my forever, and while Mellie had serious delusions if she thought she and I would ever find ourselves wed, I could easily picture the day when I vowed myself to the second youngest Delatou daughter.
Hell, I’d marry her right this second if she’d let me. Shove my brother and his bride to the side and commandeer the entire affair, simply so I could forever call her mine in every sense ofthe word.
But if I knew Ella as well as I thought I did, she’d want something small and intimate. On the vineyard, probably. With a big floral arch that she designed herself, her sisters standing next to her. Funnily enough, when I imagined who would be by my side, I envisioned each of the partners of the Delatou women. Logan, Cal, Owen, and Ezra had been more like brothers to me than my own ever had.
I tried to pay attention to the ceremony, I really did, but it was difficult with Ella so close, her presence drawing my attention in like a lodestone. Rings and vows were exchanged, the officiant read that cliche 1 Corinthians Bible verse, Sammy and Char kissed, and just like that—it was over.
