Page 95 of Deceit
He pulled me against his chest.“Of course I came. I wouldn’t miss yourwedding day.”
I beamed at him. While Miles and I were already married, we both agreedthatwe would treat the renewal of our vows as if it were our official wedding day. The first time around didn’t count. Neither of us had a choicethen. This time, we did.
So when Miles proposed after I’d finished crying in his arms, finally free tomake my own decisions, the answer was easy.
We’d spent the last few weeks pulling everything together, the two of usdecidingwherewe would get married,whowould be there, and every other little detailthathad been decided for us the first time.
“You look absolutely stunning, Sofe,”Rafe grinned, staring down at me withlove in his eyes.
But there was a hint of sadnessthathad me reaching out to caress his freshlyshaved cheek.“Is everything okay?”
He swallowed, and the brief hesitation before he answered told me hisanswer was a lie.“Never better.”
“I hate it when you lie to me.”
He sighed and gently removed my hand from his cheek, clutching it in his.“I hate not being able to tell you everything, but I will, Sofe. Ijustneed time. Can you give methat?”
I squeezed his hand.“Take all the time you need. You know I’m always herefor you, though, right?”
He nodded.“I know. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask.”
“Okay?”
His lips pulled from a sad smile into an affectionate one.“Can I give youaway?”
My heart swelled with the love I held for my brother.“I’d love nothingmore.”
At a second knock on the door, we both twisted to see who it was. Riley,dressed in her mint-green bridesmaid dress, appeared in the doorway, her features lighting up as she took in my dress.
“Wow, Sofia,”she whistled.“Thatdress is so much hotter than the otherone. Miles is totally going to want to bang you inthat.”
A slight tint of red colored my cheeks. She was right, the silver dress wasway sexier than the first one I’d worn. The silk material of this one clung to my curves like a second skin, and it was completely backless,meaning I’d had to forgo a bra, the soft silk pressing against my nipples every time I moved.
“Christ,”Rafe said, pinching the bridge of his nose.“That’s my sister you’retalking about.”
“Oh, shush,”Riley grinned.“You know as well as I dothatthe newlywedswon’t be able to keep their hands off each other.”
“Yeah, but I don’t need the mental image.”
At his anguished groan, Riley and I giggled. When Angel appeared at thedoor, also in her matching bridesmaid dress, happiness rolled through me. For most of my life, I’d been nothing but lonely, invisible to most. But now, I had everything I had always wanted.
I was no longer a ghost.
“Are you ready?”Riley said, handing me a small bouquet she’dbeen holding, and clasping Angel’s hand.
“More than ready.”
The four of us made our way through the house and up to the roof terrace.Exactly one week after I'd nearly drowned, Miles had the swimming pool filled in after I’d had a nightmare about drowning in the pool.
Instead, he’d hired a team of gardeners to transform the area into a rooftopgarden. The space was now filled with a variety of beautiful flowers in all sorts of colors, sizes, and scents. There wasevena bench with a little plaque in memory of my mom, where I often sat and stared at the city of Hollows Bay until the stars at night came out.
It was the perfect place for us to renew our vows.
Reaching the doorthatwould lead out onto the terrace, Riley gave me a kisson the cheek before stepping out with Angel by her side. The second they did, piano music filled the air, the notes ofCanon in Dby Beethoven ringing out; one of my favorite piano pieces.
Offering me his arm, I looped my arm through Rafe’s, my body vibratingwith excitement. He pushed the door open and led me through, my gaze clashing with the man who had changed my life.
My mouth dried, somethingthathappened often, especially now Miles’ hairwas back to the length it was the first night I laid eyes on him. It hung neatlyjustabove his shoulders, and he’d tucked it behind his ears. My mind fluttered to the night before when he made me come three times usingjusthis tongue, and I’d gripped the silky-soft strands.
