Page 28 of Wild Ever After
I close the distance between us and clasp the necklace in place. She rests a hand over the diamonds and steps back.
“No kissing until after the vows,” her mom yells from the other side of the door.
“I better get back in there.”
“Yeah.” I put my hands back in my pockets.
She grabs the doorknob and pauses before going inside. “Last chance to back out of this.”
It’s a final out. Maybe one I should take.
But instead, I say, “You look beautiful. I’ll see you down there.”
11
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE IS A LUXURY
JADE
The ceremony isover in a blink of an eye. Which is good because I felt like I was going to pass out the entire time.
I was like freaking Sleeping Beauty up there, totally out of it at my own wedding because anxiety and nerves had me in a chokehold, and then the officiant must have said it was time to kiss the bride because Declan leaned forward and put his lips on mine and I woke right the hell up.
While our guests enjoy cocktail hour, the wedding party goes outside for pictures.
“You look beautiful, baby.” My mother has tears in her eyes as she hugs me and then Declan. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” he says. It’s the first time he’s looked uncomfortable at our fake wedding. I don’t blame him. I’m biting back irritation and a million catty things on the tip of my tongue. Our family? What freaking family? This is the first time we’ve seen each other in over a year. Since she started dating Kenny. He seems okay, but there’s no use in getting to know him.
Still, it has been nice to have her here. I love her and I miss her. Or at least the idea of her. We don’t even spend holidays together anymore. I tried the first couple of years after I left, but it’s too hard to watch her with these terrible men, who treat her shitty and are exactly like the twenty others that came before them. She’ll never learn.
I save Declan by telling my mom the photographer is ready for us. The photos are endless. We take about a million with the entire wedding party and then it’s just me and Declan being posed this way and that.
When the photographer finally frees us, my face hurts from smiling, but the nerves from earlier are gone.
Declan hooks a finger under his collar and tugs gently. “Are we serving food at this thing?”
I giggle. “This thing? You mean our wedding reception?”
He smiles sheepishly.
“Yeah. You ordered the chicken, or well, technically, Sam did.”
Rubbing his hands together, he grins. “I don’t care what it is. I’m starving.”
“First, I have to change. I have a whole second outfit and then we make our grand entrance as a married couple.”
“All right. Wardrobe change, entrance, food,” he recites like a to-do list. How weird must have today been for him? I’ve been so consumed with my own nerves that I haven’t had a lot of time to wonder what must have been going through his head as we said vows in front of our friends.
I take his hand and squeeze. It’s rough and warm and steadying. Somehow, he’s always steady. “I’ll be right back.”
Scarlett is waiting for me near the barn entrance with the dress bag. I snag two glasses of champagne from a server on the way to the bathroom. She helps me out of the long, white gown, and while I get into the reception dress, she carefully hangs the first one on the hanger and puts it into the bag.
“Well?” I ask, holding my hands out to my sides, “as good as you remember?”
“I love it,” she says in a quiet voice that tells me something is wrong.
“What is it?” I ask.
