Chapter Seventy
Evan
Nine months later
“You look fantastic,” my sister Sonja said. She straightened my gold bowtie as I got ready in a room the estate had for this purpose.
“Thanks. I’m a little nervous,” I admitted as I examined myself in the mirror.
Sonja was one of my attendants, wore emerald green, and looked fantastic, her braids even matching. My sister was tall for a beta, and curvy like Riley. She and her wife had come down from Portland for the weekend.
Today was the day I married Grace. After her being in our lives for well over a year, we were finally having our enormous fantastic wedding.
Actually, the Enormous Fantastic Wedding people had reached out to us about filming it for their show. Even if Brennan hadn’t been absolutely against it, I didn’t want to share this with the world.
Just the people we cared about.
Riley’s phone beeped, and she looked at it. “Grace looks amazing in her dress.”
“Grace is just amazing,” I laughed. While I hadn’t been permitted at her fittings, I’m sure she looked incredible.
Riley was dressed in a long, dark rose dress, and looked so grown up.
“Is Sasha coming?” I glanced at my phone, where she’d never answered my texts.
She was supposed to be one of my attendants, too. We’d gotten her a plane ticket, a hotel, and a dress. Sasha was here in Rockland, though she’d missed the rehearsal yesterday, because she’d had an exam and needed a late flight.
“She’s coming,” Sonja promised.
“Yeah, I mean she hasn’t tried to guilt trip you about getting married in weeks,” Riley replied, texting someone as she sat on a chair. Probably her boyfriend.
“True.”
“It’s probably because she’s actually seeing someones,” Riley added.
Sonja turned to her and frowned. “What? She’s not seeing anyone. How do you know that?”
Riley rolled her eyes. “She has secret social media accounts where she posts about her actual life. Though dumbass didn’t make it private. Like I can’t find her just because she uses another name. Amateur.”
“You are absolutely terrifying sometimes.” Sonja chuckled.
“This is nothing.” Riley made a face.
Riley was now gainfully employed at Compass BioTek and enrolled in a program where she was taking university classes while still at Hadley Hall.
Of course, given she originally learned her computer skills from Grandpa, who’d basically done the same thing Wes had done in the military, then done cybersecurity for banks, we shouldn’t be that surprised.
“But yeah, Sasha has some people in her life, and it might be getting serious. So, you know, if she wants to have a wedding, she might need to change her opinions on a few things.” Riley shrugged.
Huh. Sasha had been a little nicer in the past few months.
“Hey, Evan, is this the right room?” Sasha knocked on the door.
“You’re here. Come in.” I let her in.
Sasha came in, dressed in her emerald gown, looking a little frazzled, hair up.
“Sorry. I forgot my shoes, and we had to find me a new pair. Wow, you look good.” Sasha gave me a hug.
“We?” Riley smirked.
“Um, I might be seeing some people. Yes, they’re here in Rockland but not coming to the wedding. No, you can’t meet them yet, because you’ll scare them.” She sighed and grabbed a soda from the table.
Riley rolled her eyes. “I’m not scary.”
“I’m just glad you came,” I assured her. “Your test went okay?”
“Yeah. It went great,” she replied. “This place is fantastic.”
“Bren literally bought it so Evan could marry Grace.” Riley gave her a hug. “I’m happy you came too. I suppose you can meet Hiro.”
“Hey, I’m excited to meet your boyfriend. Are Marcos, Kilroy, Mercy, and Rose here? I hear so much about them.” Sasha gave Sonja a hug.
“Yep.” Riley nodded.
Riley had invited some of her friends, but it wasn’t like they didn’t all know Grace. I was pretty proud of Rose, who’d be graduating high school with honors next month. Mercy was an attendant, along with Verity. Marcos, Hiro, and Kilroy’s families were here, too.
Sasha’s eyes lingered on Riley’s pack tattoo on her shoulder, which she’d gotten last November when she turned sixteen. The entire pack had gotten them together.
I tensed, waiting for her to say something, given she’d been against it.
But she didn’t. All she did was sigh.
Sasha took a box out of the bag and handed it to Riley. “I found one of the old videos you used to make of your dolls having adventures, and I feel terrible about what I did. I know it won’t replace them. I’m sorry. It wasn’t you. I was mad at Evan, but it was easier to punish you.”
“Yeah, that’s something to talk to your therapist about. But I accept your apology.” Riley took the box and opened it. “Awww, is this me and you?”
It was an Everydoll doll holding the hand of a little sister Everydoll. They were custom. Grace and Tru had one made of the two of them.
“Yeah. I do love you, and I’m sorry I’m a bitch sometimes. You didn’t ask to be born and usurp me as the youngest. You didn’t cause Mom and Dad’s death. And you didn't become a theta to taunt me.” Sasha hugged her tight.
Wow, that was a lot coming from her.
“I’m proud of you for saying that,” I told her. While I could handle her being mad at me, her taking out past grievances on Riley really hurt her.
Sonja sucked in a breath. “Are you actually going to therapy?”
“Um, yeah.” She looked away for a moment. Sasha would see a therapist once or twice then quit, saying she didn’t need to talk to a stranger about her problems.
“Thank you for realizing this. The doll is cute,” Riley replied.
“Also, I’m proud of you for getting into that dual enrollment program at Rock Tech. You’re doing really well here with Evan,” Sasha admitted.
Riley grinned at me. “It’s eighty percent Grace.”
Very true. Grace took a very active role in raising Riley, and her love for my littlest sister showed. As did Riley’s love for her. Okay, so we had chickens, bunnies, and a hedgehog, but it was all worth it.
“Evan, I’m sorry.” Sasha gave me a tentative look. “I… I always blame everything on you. But it wasn’t you. You’re an adult and allowed to leave home and live your life. You and Sonja both offered me that opportunity, and I chose to not take it and play the victim.”
I hugged my little sister. “I get it. You were in high school. Understanding things like that I couldn’t just leave the Army because Mom and Dad died is hard. We crunched the numbers, and it was better for me to stay and send all my money home.”
Sasha didn’t have to stay home after high school. Spencer had even said that he’d pay for her to go away to any university she wanted.
“I’m sorry for not moving Wes’ ass to Rock Springs with me after we got out of the Army. I could have finished my degree there, and he could have gotten a job locally, instead of here with Spencer.” I kept hugging her. While I’d said it before, maybe this time she’d listen.
“You’re an adult. I could have left. Grandma told me that enough.” She sighed, still holding onto me.
“Hey, it’s all good. You’re finishing up your degree, and it looks like you’re thriving, and I’m happy for you.” I squeezed her tight. I could smell two scents on her, and I was happy she’d found some people she cared about.
“Also, I forgive you for being an omega even though I wanted to be one.” Her look went a little more solemn.
Oh. Wow.
“Thank you. Believe me, I didn’t ask the omega fairy for it, promise. As much as being an omega helped me find my career path, I did like what I was doing for the military,” I said.
Sasha nodded. “Yes, I didn’t understand what shit omega nurses got until I started this program. I always thought they chose cushy jobs at the Center or specializing in omega medicine or pediatrics. I never realized most were pushed into it.”
“Not sure I’d call working at the Center cushy,” I laughed. But the working conditions might make up for the salary differences.
“I’ll let you know. I’m doing a rotation at the Center this summer,” she replied.
“You do that.” I grinned.
She let go of me and looked in the mirror, fixing her hair. “Did you pass?”
“I did. I am officially part of the Omega Center Crisis Response team.” And I was joining the emergency roster while keeping most of my caseload.
“Hey, Grandma wants to take pictures of us before you go have your moment with Grace. If we’re done being saps here, that is.” Riley stood.
Grace wanted to do something she called First Look. Excitement shot through me.
I gathered my three sisters up in a hug. “Let’s do it.”
Then I could marry my Grace.