Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Rosie
Saturday
There isn’t enough space for all of us in the bridal suite at the same time. There should be, but the army of hair and makeup people who have arrived take up more room than we anticipated.
The brunch spread is competing for real estate, too.
And then there’s Daniel, looming larger than life, officially here to watch over his daughter. Unofficially eye-fucking me every chance he gets.
So maybe it’s just me who needs a break.
When it becomes clear that each of us will take about an hour with the beauty team, and we have a few hours until the photographer arrives, I excuse. I tell myself I need to fetch my dress from Daniel’s suite, but clearly, I left it up there in the morning so I’d have this excuse to return.
Daniel follows ten minutes later, and for a change of pace, we fuck on my bed.
After, as he traces the lines of my naked body, he asks me when I’m going to put on my bridesmaid dress.
“Not until after my makeup, I think,” I say, looking at the dress hanging on the wall. “Why?”
“I’ve been thinking about you in it ever since you sent me that photo.”
I frown. “What photo?”
“From the dress shop.” He finds his pants, abandoned beside the bed, and pulls out his phone to show me. “This one. God, you’re so fucking sexy.”
I’m in the background, and my face is obscured by the fact I’m holding my phone, taking a picture of Mel.
But I still flush with pleased heat that he so obviously wants me—and only me.
“That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“I’ll make it my mission to say a hundred nicer things by the end of your birthday tomorrow.” He looks at the time. “All right. Think we can last twelve hours this time?”
“What?”
“Before I can be inside you again.”
I giggle.
He frowns. “I’m serious.”
“Wow.” I catch his face in my hands and kiss him full on the mouth. “That’s another very nice compliment.”
He holds me against him. “You’re irresistible.”
At this rate, he’d hit a hundred compliments before the wedding was over.
I love you. It’s on the tip of my tongue but now isn’t the time. “I have to go.”
“I’ll be down soon.”
“Maybe wait a while so Leesa doesn’t get suspicious at our conveniently timed absences.”
He doesn’t respond to that, and I kick myself for letting that thread of jealousy burst into this sweet moment.
Instead of pulling away, I burrow closer, soaking up the warmth of his skin and the comforting strength of the muscles beneath it. He’s so rock-solid that I just want to cling to him forever.
“You have to go,” he reminded me.
“I know. I just said that.”
Now it’s his turn to chuckle.
“I’m going.” I smooth my hands down his bare chest. “Right. . .now.”
I’m still grinning like an idiot when I stroll into the bridal suite with my dress bag over my shoulder.
The grin disappears when I find Leesa in tears, Leigh drinking deeply from a bottle of champagne, and Mel locked in her bedroom.
“What happened?” I turn in a slow circle.
The hair and makeup people are ignoring us.
Leigh waved the bottle. “Just pre-wedding drama.”
“Mel?” I must look horrified because Leigh quickly shakes her head.
“No.” She points to Leesa. “The drama llama.”
“Oh, shut up,” Leesa sobs.
They’re really killing my post-sex buzz, but I can’t tell them that. I cross to the bedroom and knock softly. No answer, so I chance it and peek inside.
Mel has earbuds in and is dancing her butt off.
I close the door behind me. “Hey,” I say.
She doesn’t notice.
I snap my fingers, and then when that doesn’t work, I jump in front of her.
She shrieks and loses her step. “Are they still fighting?”
“I think it’s a grumpy peace. Are you okay?”
“Mm-hmm. I’m marrying Javi tonight. Nothing can ruin today, not even my silly decision to do the cliched roommates-as-bridesmaids thing.” She throws her arms around me. “Oh, Rosie. You would never put yourself before me this weekend. I’m so grateful for you.”
Well, this is awkward. I hug her back because there’s nothing else to be done.
“Two hours until the photographer arrives,” I say, my poker voice even better than my newly acquired poker face.
“Let’s feed you one last time—just a little nibble, all right?
And then it’s time to get this beauty show underway. ”
Food helps everyone move past hurt feelings. By the time Daniel returns—in a perfectly tailored black suit that stretches over his shoulders and shows off the length of his muscled legs—my hair and makeup are done, and I’m about to get into my dress.
I duck into Mel’s room to change, my heart beating wildly.
Five hours and probably three thousand pictures later, it’s time to go to the chapel.
Leesa walks down the aisle first. Then Leigh. For a moment, it’s just Mel, Daniel, and myself waiting outside, and then I’m cued.
With one final glance at them, I step into the cozy space. Step, pause, step, pause. All eyes are on me until I reach the officiant, and then I turn, and the music changes.
Mel walks down the aisle to a piano version of "Canon in D Major." She grips Daniel’s arm, but her glittering gaze is all for Javi, who’s waiting just across from me, his chest puffed with pride.
I’m so glad I have a handkerchief wrapped around the base of my bouquet. I’m totally going to cry as soon as they’re holding hands.
But right now, all I can see is Daniel. The square set of his shoulders, the tense flex of muscles in his cheeks. He’s staring straight ahead, a rock for his daughter, and I love him so much it hurts.
Why now? How did this happen?
And then, after he passes Mel to Javi, he slides his glance to me, pausing for a moment before taking his seat, and I don’t need the answers to those questions.
It can remain a mystery as to why and how. All that matters is that this is happening. It’s wild and unbelievable and perfect, so perfect.
As the ceremony begins, and all the way through the vows and exchange of rings, I can feel Daniel’s gaze burning up my skin.
Have I gotten myself in over my head? Nobody knows about us. We’ve only had. . .whatever this is. . .for a few days. Is it crazy to think that this could be us at some point? Exchanging forever kinds of vows?
And why does it hurt so much to even consider that it might be impossible?
I try to picture telling my parents I fell in love with Mr. Burke while we were in Vegas, and a horrible panic swells inside me.
I love him.
Dragging in a deep breath, I focus on that.
One thing at a time.