22
“Leni,girl! Come here.”
One of my favorite faces beamed at me the moment our eyes connected. She threw her arms around my neck as I hugged her tightly. Leni and Silas had been on a month-long trip to Greece and the Philippines before I left Philly. I was happy that she’d found love and fulfillment, and Silas couldn’t have been more perfect for her brand of beautiful chaos.
We’d once thought our attraction to each other could have been more—we were part of the same world, the sex was goddamn good, and our chemistry and friendship had felt so natural. What more could we have needed? It wasn’t until we fizzled out that we realized that we could go longer stretches without sleeping together or hanging out the way we once used to. In hindsight, it was easy to see how and why we came together and then quickly fell apart.
Leni would always have a piece my heart and my loyalty in the same ways as Derek. She and Silas were family.
“You look beautiful as always.”
“Kai, look at you.” She patted my lapels and whistled her approval. “Now, I have to admit, I’m surprised Amalia hasn’t murdered you yet,” she teased, stepping to the side and letting Silas through.
“You owe me $50, love.”
I peered around him, a look of mock indignation on my face. “You bet him money that I wasn’t going to make it?”
“Hey, I’ve known Amalia longer than you. She must like you, at least a little bit, since you’re still standing without so much as a scratch on that pretty face.”
When Silas clapped my back, it was a reminder that Leni’s comment was half true. Sharp nails had carved my back last night, but no matter how much they stung, I was ready for her again tonight.
“Kai bear, are you ready for today?” Despite the nickname, Leni’s expression was etched with concern.
Parts of me would never be ready for todays events, of getting married and having such an extravagant wedding to someone I didn’t love…
I paused for a beat. Feeling those words out in my thoughts.
Marriage was never on my radar. That was Derek’s thing, oddly enough. But what I had once thought would be the worst three years of my life had turned into something…something else.
“I’ll be fine. And I thought I told you never to call me that again.”
“You know that’s not going to happen.” She laughed and twisted around, eyes roaming the courtyard. “Where is my baby?”
“Eva was getting her up and ready from a nap. She’ll be happy to see you.”
Leni suddenly took Silas’s hand, and with a nod, motioned to a young boy sitting by the fountain. He was looking aimlessly at the water, light brown hair hanging over his face.
As if he knew she was pointing him out, the boy raised his head, and while it had been a few years, I would never forget that face. Silas waved him over, and after a moment’s hesitation, he was at their side, leaning into Leni.
“Hey, kid. Been a while.”
“Maksim, you remember Kai?”
“I do,” he said, eyes on mine. He looked to be about twelve or thirteen now.
“Maksim Belov.” I’d often thought of that boy Derek and I orphaned years ago, though maybe we’d done him a favor. His mom was a piece of shit. Tried to use him as a shield and a fucking bargaining chip for her pathetic life.
But what the hell was he doing with Leni and Silas?
“Maksim is staying with us,” she said, reading my thoughts. “Pulled some strings, and he was able to accompany us on our trip.”
I realized years ago when I was younger than Maksim, how small and deceiving the world truly was. So it didn’t surprise me that our paths had crossed again, and in a seemingly more permanent situation—similar to mine and Amalia’s. There was a reason he was spared that night and was standing in front of me, looking more confident than a kid his age had any right to be.
“Valentina!”
Leni darted past me and scooped up Vali, Eva and Derek just steps behind them.
Derek zoned in on Maksim immediately, but the boy’s attention was on Leni and the baby.
“Fucking small world, brother.”
Familiar faces lined the front row while strangers occupied the rest of the seats, all there to witness the marriage of Amalia Montesinos. I was never one to feel nervous, but as I skimmed the crowd, I quickly realized all eyes were on me. Many must have been asking themselves who the fuck I was, where had I come from, and how had I managed to win over la reina.
Derek tapped me on the arm with his elbow, maybe sensing my nerves, as he gestured a reassuring nod. A little over four years ago, he’d been in my shoes, and I was his best man. Though the event was much smaller and more intimate, it was one I’d never forget. His fond expression, the emotion in his eyes, it was all I ever wanted for my brother. And now here we were, roles reversed, but in a much different circumstance.
As the music started to play, my heart thudded and blood whooshed in my ears, causing me to nearly sway.
This was it. I knew she was close, and the distance between us felt electric. When Amalia finally came into view, I felt an overwhelming need to grip my chest.
She was fucking breathtaking.
A black wedding dress adorned her beautiful body while a long veil of the same color carved a trail behind her. When her signature red lips curved into a smile the moment her eyes connected with mine, time was suddenly suspended. Not a single soul existed in that venue. The emotion burned my throat, and it was then I realized I hadn’t taken a breath.
“Easy,” Derek whispered, his hand on my forearm as I swept in a lungful of air.
Shaking off his touch, I focused back on my bride as she walked past Gio and sent him a wink.
I reached for her the moment she was close, my arm around the curve of her back, nose against her cheek, as I took in every gorgeous inch.
“You wore this for me, and I’m going to spend all night thanking you for it.”
“Is that a promise?” she asked with a smile in her voice and a touch of emotion in her eyes.
The sound of a man clearing his throat behind us snapped me back to the moment. That was when I lifted my gaze to the sea of guests, though none of them were distinguishable because no one else mattered.
Even as the officiant began to speak, my attention was solely on Amalia.
“With this ring, I vow…”
As I slipped the black band onto her finger, and lost myself in the depths of her eyes, I had never been more sure of anything else in my life:
I was completely fucked.