Page 131 of Lovestruck at Sundown
The big day was finally here.
Nina, Zara, and I organized several hair and makeup stations for Lily and the rest of her bridal party at Nathalie’s penthouse. The men were all gathered at Joel and Lily’s apartment. Lily’s mom was with us, too, and she was so emotional from the moment she arrived. I had to make sure we had enough tissues on hand, especially after her makeup was done so that it wouldn’t get ruined.
Nathalie couldn’t stop smiling. She was ecstatic and kept saying she couldn’t believe her firstborn was getting married. Sivert had arrived a few days ago and was downstairs at Joel and Lily’s with the rest of the men.
Lily looked breathtaking when we were done helping her get dressed. She was going to wear three dresses, all from different designers. An Enzio de Luca for the ceremony and official photos. One for the first portion of the reception. And then another short, fun one for when the party started.
Her first look was stunning. It was a tiered, off-the-shoulder gown with ruffles and florets. It was bohemian but elegant. A delicate ribbon in the same creamy white tone cinched her slender waist. Her hair for this first look was half-up, half-down, and done in loose, lustrous caramel waves.
Lily’s natural beauty was enhanced with flushed cheeks and glowing skin in subtle tones of warm honey and soft peaches. Overall, her look was elegant and wildly romantic.
After getting dressed in our beautiful, customized gowns in assorted soft, muted shades of lilac, amethyst, and lavender, we helped Lily into her dress. Once everything was perfect, Joel arrived at the penthouse for the first look. Haute Magazine had the exclusive on the wedding, and a photographer had been documenting everything, aside from the photo and video crewLily and Joel hired for their personal archive.
It was time for the official bride and groom photos. Lily had been upset about the order of things. She wanted Joel to see her for the first time when she walked down the aisle, but the photos were set to be published the next day on the magazine’s social media and digital platforms. The magazine needed enough time to edit and prepare the article, so logistically speaking, it couldn’t wait until after the ceremony. She’d let it go a few weeks ago and promised herself she wouldn’t let anything ruin her big day.
Zara and I accompanied Lily and Joel on their photoshoot, which took place on the rooftop where the ceremony would take place. The space was adorned with beautiful arches made of wisteria and white orchid blooms, which served as the perfect backdrop for the shoot.
We observed from afar as they posed for the photos and made sure to be ready in case Lily needed help with anything.
“I did something that might piss William off,” Zara said, twisting her fingers in front of her stomach as we watched the photoshoot from the near distance.
“Why?” I frowned. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t talk much with Zara, so I wasn’t up to speed with her personal life, but I cared about her.
“You remember Moira, right?”
“Yes, of course I do.” I liked Moira. All I knew about her was that she’d moved back to New York to get a fresh start after her breakup, but this was a few months ago. William and Moira texted sporadically to catch up and talk about food, recipes, etc. But we hadn’t seen each other since she came to my place to cook for me when William was in Vancouver.
“She’s my date for tonight.” Zara sighed. “And I don’t think William will be happy about it.”
“Oh.” Zara invited Moira to Nathan’s birthday the day wemet, but I wasn’t aware they had stayed in touch. “Why would William disapprove? They’re friends.” William hadn’t mentioned anything about this matter, so I was clueless about why he would disapprove.
“Exactly,” Zara said. “When Moira moved to New York a few months ago, we started hanging out, and Tobias mentioned something to William about it. So I called him to let him know I liked Moira, and he got worked up about it. He said he didn’t want his friendship with her to become ‘compromised’ if things went south between us.”
Lily asked for water, and Zara rushed to help her and Joel take a few sips from the insulated tumbler. It was a warm day, but at least the reception would be indoors.
Zara returned. “I like Moira, Billie. Like,reallylike her. But I hate it when William gets in overprotective brother mode.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll talk to him and see if I can get him to relax about it.” I regretted saying the words the moment they left my mouth. It wasn’t my place to get involved, but a big part of me wanted to keep bonding with Zara and improve our relationship.
“You would do that?” Zara’s eyes widened with hope.
“Of course.”
“Thank you so much, sis!” Zara squealed and hugged me. “Can you hold this for a minute?” She placed the tumbler in my hands. “I need to run to the loo. Be right back!” Zara walked away with a massive smile on her face, the train of her soft lilac mermaid dress flowing behind her. She looked beautiful.
I pulled out my phone to check my texts to ensure no one needed anything. People would call me all day, so I would relay any information or message to Lily since she was obviously phone-less. But my messages were empty except for one coming from Cecile.
Cecile:Hey! I know you’re in the middle of the wedding, but I have exciting news to share. I was just informed that my petition to transfer to NYU was granted, and I will be graduating here in New York next spring.
“What!” My squeaky reaction made the few people around, Lily and Joel included, shift their attention toward me. Lily regarded me with concern, and I mouthedsorry, lifting my hand apologetically. I covered my mouth with equal parts shock and embarrassment for interrupting their shoot.
Me:This is so amazing, Cecile! I can’t believe we’ll be living in the same city again. Congratulations!
Cecile:I know, right? Thank you. I’m excited but also nervous about this big change. But I knew I had to do this. I miss him, Billie. I know I’ve told you I’m okay every time you asked, and I am, but not entirely. Not a single day goes by without me thinking about him, of what could’ve been if I hadn’t been so confused back then. But it’s all crystal clear now. I don’t know if there’s still a chance, but when I saw him in the lobby the other day, I saw the same hurt in his eyes from when I called it off in December. So maybe he misses me, too?
Tobias was devastated when he returned from Paris, beyond heartbroken, frustrated, and angry after losing Cecile. He focused on work to deal with the pain since more roles had been offered to him since he starred in that action film that did great last year. But with Cecile back in the picture, it seemed like the peace he’d finally achieved was bound to be perturbed.
I wasn’t sure if he missed her too, so I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to give herany false hope.
