Chapter 24
Dean filled me in on his idea, and while it’s a little intimidating, I’m ready to end Adrianna once and for all, and this plan is certain to do that.
Normal people’s rehearsal dinner is intimate, with the guest list being the wedding party, immediate family, and maybe a few extra people.
But Adrianna and Everett’s? It might as well just be the wedding itself because over one hundred fifty people are currently upstairs, celebrating the couple’s impending nuptials with dinner and dancing.
Momentarily, it’ll be one hundred fifty-three because Asher, Dean, and I are going to be making a special appearance.
They are currently waiting in Jules’s room while I finish getting ready, and thanks to her, I’m nearly there. Unfurling the last curl, she rests it against my back to allow it to cool for a moment before stepping back and admiring her work.
“You look so beautiful, Ciri,” she coos.
I have to fight my eyes from welling up with tears as my chest tightens from how much she means to me.
Jules isn’t just my best friend. She’s become my family and someone I can’t imagine going through life without.
She and Myra took me under their wings without hesitation or thought, even knowing how risky it was to help me.
“Thank you.” I swallow my emotion.
Gus squeaks, and I give him my attention as he sits up on my desk.
“Please keep him with you. I don’t want Adrianna to be able to sneak away and possibly target him. Or sic her cat after him.”
“I’ve got him. Don’t worry,” she assures me, picking him up and setting him into the pocket of her cozy overalls.
When I look up at my reflection, an odd sense of familiarity strikes me, like I’m seeing an old friend.
I was worried I wouldn’t recognize the person I’d become over the past month, along with the changes Jules helped make to my hair today, adding in pastel-blue streaks. These ones are far more permanent than the clip-ins. And I love them.
It’s like the parts of me that were brave enough to meet the guys and share that night at the engagement party are merging with the shy parts of myself that everyone sees.
I feel powerful, seeing this new version of myself. Someone who’s not going to be pushed over and stepped on repeatedly.
My eyes are sharply outlined with a white liner and stunning opalescent makeup. My cheeks have been brushed with a rose pink, and my lips match.
While I’ve always taken pride in my fashion and apparel, I’ve never worn something as bold as I am tonight, certain to draw the attention of onlookers.
The A-line gown, constructed of pale blue iridescent organza, flows down my body, parting at the slit on my left leg—which is starting to become a pattern in my designs.
Three spaghetti-thin straps on each shoulder hold it up.
A sharp V in the front tapers down to the delicate matching fabric that encircles my waist.
Along with Myra and Jules helping with the sewing, I put this together last night, and it’s officially my favorite piece ever.
Standing from my chair, I fix my gown into place. Jules ruffles the curls in my hair before sliding the most beautiful headband I’ve ever seen onto my head, with the front of my hair lying flat beneath it and tucked behind my ears.
I feel like I’m embracing my namesake with this ensemble, putting my own spin on it because this isn’t just a fairy tale, but my real life.
I can’t help but jump as a knock sounds at the door, but my worry is quickly calmed when Asher and Dean walk in, their hands covering their eyes.
“We’re not peeking. We just wanted to bring you something,” Asher announces, a gift box in his hand.
Oh my God. They’re so goddamn cute.
“You guys don’t have to hide. You can look.” I chuckle.
Tentatively, they lower their hands, their eyes adjusting for a second before landing on me. Their faces instantly light up, their lips parting simultaneously, as they take me in head to toe, making me burn from the inside out.
Soft smiles grow on their faces as they walk over, stopping a few feet in front of me.
Asher offers me the large gift box, and I take it from him as he beams, “We thought you could use a couple of things for tonight.”
Flutters start in my stomach, rising up into my throat. “You know you guys didn’t have to do anything—”
“Open the box, Princess,” Dean mutters impatiently with a smirk on his lips.
Tucking my tongue up into my lip, I grin at his impatience. “Fine.”
Lifting the lid, I pull back the tissue on top, and my smile falls.
Whoa.
It’s a pair of shoes, sparkly and clear; they almost look like they’re made of glass.
“For our very own Cinderella.” Asher beams proudly.
“I might be biased, but if it were up to us, there’d be a story named Cirella to inspire others to take control of their life the way you have.
You’re a warrior, Ciri. You’re more than a namesake or a fairy tale.
You’re our real-life princess, who survived hell to get here. ”
I fight back tears—something that seems to have become a pattern as of late.
How did I get so lucky to be loved by these two? We may not have shared those words with each other, but we don’t need to. I can feel it.
“You’re so strong, so resilient, and so brave. We’re in awe of you, baby.” Dean rubs the back of his neck as I take one of the shoes from the box, studying it closely. “Obviously, if you don’t like them, there’s no pressure to wear them.”
“I love them.” I scoff, struggling to get any words past the lump in my throat.
Dean questions breathily, “Yeah? Oh good.”
I nod rapidly, blinking any wetness away so as not to ruin Jules’s hard work on my makeup. I take both shoes from the box and set them on the ground to put on.
But something else in the gift box catches my eye … a jewelry box. The shoes are more than enough. I don’t need anything else.
My boys stay dead silent as I take the jewelry box out and remove the lid.
Oh my gosh. My chest aches, my heart overflowing with love for them both.
I may not know exactly what it means to love or to be loved and the challenges it will bring, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want to figure it out with Dean and Asher.
My fingers carefully take the silver necklace from the box, and I drop the containers to the floor without thought.
I separate the two sides of the silver pendant with my nail, opening the locket I never thought I’d see again.
I sniffle, and my heart explodes as I brush the image of my mom with my thumb, doing the same with my dad on the other side.
I haven’t seen this locket in years. Adrianna kept it hidden from me once she learned how important it was to me.
Barely audible, I whisper, “H-how did you get this?”
Stepping closer, Dean reaches out and blots the tears under my eyes, pulling my attention. “We might have made a visit to your parents’ house. But don’t worry; Adrianna has no idea.”
He opens his hand, offering to take it from me, and I hand it over before spinning around and lifting my hair.
Even if Adrianna somehow found out or will soon, I sort of don’t care. While I want to protect the last things I have of my parents, they are just things. Trinkets. Art. Photos.
What really matters is my memory of them, of the stories I used to replay over and over at night to cope with Adrianna’s reign.
The realization strikes me. I finally accept that belittling myself down to ash, burning myself to the core, is not worth it to cling to possessions that my parents would have destroyed for the sake of my happiness.
If at the end of the night, at the end of this whole debacle, I still lose the house, I’ll be okay.
I didn’t know that until now, not completely. But I’ll survive, just like I always have. But I’m not alone anymore. I have my guys, my best friend, and Myra, who has protected me like one of her own.
Who really needs a fairy godmother anyway? They’d have nothing on my newfound family.
Dean secures the clasp around my neck, and I take a moment to step into the glass slippers, which are a flawless, perfect fit.
I drop my hair and turn to face them. “Thank you, guys.” My gaze drifts to Jules and Myra, who must’ve slipped in a moment ago. “Thank you all.”
Asher stretches his hand out, spinning me into him as soon as I take it, my gown swirling around. “Always, Princess.”
Dean smirks, his eyes darkening with revenge. “What do you say? Shall we crash a party?”
I nod, confident and proud. “I was born for this.”
“Damn straight, Ms. Chamberlain.” Asher snaps his fingers before leading us to the door, his hand interlacing with mine.
My throat begins to feel tight as we leave the suite and step into the hallway to head upstairs, Jules and Myra in tow. But I take a deep breath and try to reset.
While I am ready and excited to do this, I’m equally terrified because there’s no going back afterward. I’m about to step into the spotlight, the same one my dad spent years keeping me shielded from and the same one Adrianna made me fear for years.
Dean and Asher lead us through the staff wing toward the main house, carefully bringing us around the event so we can sneak up to the top of the grand staircase without detection.
They take us up a back staircase, and we make our way through the house until the next turn will be the last.
The noise grows louder as we near the edge of the wall, the last separation between me and the inevitable future.
“Ready?” Dean asks me quietly.
“I’m ninety-nine percent sure that my anxiety is going to kill me.” My breathing is quick and laborious. “But I need to do this. For all of us.”
“I’m proud of you, baby. You got this. And we’ll be right here the entire time.” Asher plants a sweet kiss on my forehead before he pokes his head around the corner and waves someone over.
A man dressed in a suit and dripping with importance strolls around the corner, a small notepad and pen in hand. “Mr. Dean and Mr. Asher. Welcome. How would you like to be addressed?”