Seduction - Chapter 29
Saturday
My hands were shaking as I put my earrings on. For some reason all I could see was myself staring back at me in that dingy hospital bathroom. As I’d tried to wash James’ blood off my hands. As I’d tried to tear my bloodstained wedding dress off.
Bee’s eyes met mine in the mirror. “Are you okay?”
I blinked again and saw myself in my bridesmaid dress.
Safe. In the bridal suite of Hunter Creek Country Club.
“Mhm.” My voice sounded squeaky and strange.
I finally slipped the last earring on. I needed to get myself under control.
It would be easy to blame my crazy hormones.
But…it was more than that. Each hour that passed brought us closer and closer to the wedding.
Which brought us closer to tonight. And just the thought made my throat feel tight.
Bee leaned against the bathroom vanity and stared at me. “Does Rob have any crazy exes that you’re aware of?”
“What?”
“Of all the girls that Rob dated, are any of them legit insane?”
“I’m honestly not even sure if Rob’s had a real girlfriend before.”
“Well…there you go. No psychos with guns at this wedding.”
I sighed and leaned against the vanity too. “Every time I close my eyes I hear that gunshot. You know…I thought they were fireworks. Instead of looking at James I was looking up at the sky.”
“Me too.” She grabbed my hand. “But this is Rob’s wedding. And Rob doesn’t have an insane ex-wife.”
I nodded.
“I know it’s only been a few months since your wedding, but time heals everything. Maybe by the time my wedding rolls around you won’t be thinking about that night anymore.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I nodded, as if that would help make it happen.
“It’s okay,” she said. “You have time. I’m pretty sure Mason thinks that marriage is synonymous with babies because of you and James. And he is definitely not ready to be a father. Yet.”
I laughed.
“There’s my girl,” Bee said. “Today is going to be so fun. And what could possibly go wrong here? Ian, Porter, and Briggs have got this place locked down.”
I thought they did at our wedding too. “Isn’t there another wedding here today?”
Bee waved her hand through the air. “Apparently it’s this cute little old couple. They aren’t a threat. And their guests are sectioned off. Now come on,” she said and dragged me out of the bathroom. “The photographer should be here any minute and we need to get ready to strike a sexy pose.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure I can pull that off right now.”
Bee looked down at my stomach. “Nonsense. If you face the camera head-on you won’t even be able to tell that you’re pregnant.”
Maybe. I did have to admit that the black color was pretty slimming. And I felt sexy with the way it crisscrossed in the back. I couldn’t wait to see James drooling.
Justin strutted into the room looking like he wasn’t hungover at all. Seriously…how did he do it?
“Ladies,” Justin said and clapped his hands.
“The photographer will be here in five minutes. We’ll be doing pictures of the bridal parties separately so Rob and Daphne don’t see each other before the big moment.
The boys will be taking pictures outside first, so we’ll be in here.
” He sat down on the couch and crossed his legs.
I loved that he was one of the girls with us. I sat down next to him, already happy to be off my feet.
“Last night was fun, huh?” he said.
“I think you probably had the best time.”
He laughed. “What can I say? I like what I like.” He started drumming his fingers on his thighs.
“Everything alright?” I asked.
“Yes, of course. I’m always just a little hyper on wedding days when there hasn’t been a rehearsal.
I tried to talk them into coming down last night and doing the rehearsal with a dinner and everything.
But they insisted they wanted to spend the night in the city.
” He shook his head. “Now who knows what’ll happen. ”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I know. But the last huge wedding I planned was yours and it was perfect until that crazy witch ruined it. And now it’s all anyone can remember.” He pressed his lips together.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was thinking about that. “Well, James and I did have a rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner. And it was a fiasco.”
Justin shook his head. “No, everything was perfect. But I didn’t expect the unexpected, that was the problem.
Isabella ruined everything. I hate that woman.
I hate her, I hate her, I hate her! I don’t know how James could have married her after everything she did.
I’ll never forgive her for any of it.” He huffed.
“Everything she did? Did you know her before they got married?” I knew for a fact that Justin hadn’t planned James and Isabella’s wedding. It was one of the reasons why I’d chosen him. Well, that and the fact that he was amazing.
“What?” he asked.
“You said how could James have married Isabella after everything she did. What did she do?”
“Oh.” He shook his head. “No. I just meant…I hate her.” He pressed his lips together and stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
First Daphne had been acting secretive.
And now Justin was too.
I looked over at Bee. She was sipping on a mimosa, watching us. She seemed equally perplexed by Justin’s comment about Isabella.
I cleared my throat. “Well, at least she’s dead.” I’d never wished harm on anyone before Isabella. But I meant what I said. Isabella was a menace to society, and I was glad she was six feet under.
“If it had happened sooner, everyone would have been a lot better off,” Justin said.
I nodded. Wow, he really did hate her. I thought I hated Isabella more than anyone else, but Justin was winning that competition. I stared at him. It seemed…personal. What had Isabella done to him?
Justin cleared his throat. “You look lovely,” he said to me. The change in subject was not at all subtle.
“Thank you. But…you have me so curious now. Did you know Isabella before what happened at my wedding?”
Justin shrugged and looked down at his watch. “No, not personally. An old friend of mine…” He swallowed hard. “Isabella hurt a good friend of mine.”
“I’m sorry. Well, I’m sure your friend is happy Isabella is dead too.”
“No,” he said. “She passed away a long time ago. Way before Isabella got what she deserved.”
“Justin, I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head. “I just get emotional at weddings. She was the first person who believed I could do all this, you know?” He gestured around the bridal suite. “And every now and then it just hits me. I owe everything to that girl. And she never got to see it.”
I grabbed his hand. “I’m sure she’d be so proud of you.”
He shook his head and opened his mouth like he was about to respond. But he snapped his mouth shut when the photographer came into the room. He leapt to his feet, literally running away from our conversation.
If Justin had lost his friend years ago, before Isabella died, she must have been so young. I felt tears welling in my eyes. There was nothing worse than a life cut so short. I put my hand on my stomach.
“That was very strange,” Bee said and sat down next to me.
“Yeah.” I stared at Justin who was talking animatedly to the photographer. “You don’t think he was implying that Isabella killed his friend?”
“I don’t know.”
“Isabella really had a way of wrecking peoples’ lives.”
“She didn’t succeed in ruining yours. You got the fairytale ending.”
With a dose of everlasting fear. That I hoped each day would go away. I just nodded.
Daphne emerged from the changing room. Alina was walking behind her, adjusting her veil. But it didn’t really need any adjusting. Daphne looked perfect.
I exhaled slowly. My new sister was getting married. This was not a time to be thinking about Isabella and doom and death. This wedding was a fresh start for all of us. I put my hand on my stomach. Right, little man?
Bee smiled at me and then grabbed my arm to pull me over to where the photographer was already snapping photos.
I didn’t bother trying to stand straight to hide my baby bump. I didn’t want to hide it. This baby was the blessing that had kept me going after what happened to James. He’d given me strength. I owed this baby everything. I wasn’t sure I’d still be breathing without him.
I put my hand on my stomach and smiled at the camera.
And when Daphne pulled me to the side for a picture with just her, I knew everything had a way of working out.
My whole family was here. I was safe. We were all safe.
And I started to feel those butterflies in my stomach.
The same ones I’d felt before I walked down the aisle on my wedding day.
I pressed my cheek to hers as we cheesed at the camera.
This felt like a do-over. And this time James and I would get it right.
***
The golf cart attendant drove slowly, doing their best not to mess up our hair in the wind. The leaves hadn’t started to change yet like Justin hoped. But the golf course was stunning in the setting sun.
We pulled up close to the willow tree. The arch they’d set up was covered in white flowers with sprigs of green.
It was absolutely gorgeous. It looked like it belonged there.
The aisle was dotted with white rose petals and all the guests were seated.
There was an electric buzz of anticipation in the air.
Rob and all the groomsmen were standing several feet behind where all the wedding guests were seated. I smiled as I watched James straighten Rob’s tie.
But when Rob saw the bridesmaids, he hurried over to us.
“Is everything all set?” he asked me and grabbed my hand, helping me out of the golf cart. “Daphne hasn’t run away yet?” He flashed me a smile to let me know he was pretty sure that wasn’t what was about to happen.
I laughed. “Of course she hasn’t.”
“Good.”
“Nervous?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “Excited.”
I smiled. “Daphne is amazing. You did good, Rob.”
“You too, sugar tits.”
I groaned.