Chapter 23 #2
I wait for the three dots to appear on the screen. They don’t. It guts me that she has no answer to give. Which is when I realize I’m in too deep already. Fucking Eric. He called it, didn’t he?
What do I do now? How can I expect her to confide in me if we’re just friends?
Or a potential fling. Or whatever. Not once have I told her my feelings run deep.
Not once have I given her a reason to abandon this ridiculous plot to trick me into dating her younger sister.
The why is obvious: I’m scared as hell that I’m barreling into a disaster.
But if I want us to have a shot, I need to put myself out there and just hope she doesn’t crush my heart.
“I’ll be right back,” I whisper to Denise.
“What the hell? The ceremony’s going to start soon. Mami will freak out if you’re not here.”
“Cover for me, then.”
I slip out of the bridal suite and rush down the stairs to the Solarium, where the ceremony will be held. The room is bright and airy, the decorations simple but tasteful. Everything fits Cami’s and Bryan’s personalities perfectly: classic, no fuss, comfortable.
I spot Vanessa immediately, her golden-brown curly hair a beacon among the straight- and dark-haired people around her.
She’s stunning in a long royal-blue dress that skims her curvy figure.
From the front, the dress appears prim, but the rear view is a different story altogether.
The back is largely open and held together by a few silver straps that look delicate enough to give with a single tug.
Her silver stiletto sandals highlight her toned calves, which I can see through the side slit that ends just above her knee.
I know she’s wearing makeup, but it’s so subtle I’m imagining this is how she would look the morning after a night in a bed—preferably mine—that hasn’t been used for sleeping.
She sees me, too, and strides in my direction. We meet in the middle of the aisle that separates the room into two sides.
“Everything okay?” she asks. “You look anxious.”
“I’m fine. Everything’s good. I don’t know why I needed to get this off my chest right now, but I do. I lied.”
She tilts her head and frowns. “About what?”
“The other day when I invited you to be my plus-one. I said I wanted you here as my friend, but that’s not true.
We can take as long as you need, explore this as slowly as we feel is necessary, but I want to be more than your date.
When I’m up there in the bridal suite, I want to be able to say that I need to get back to my girlfriend downstairs.
I just want to be on the same page about that and know that we’re working toward something.
And if you’re not ready for that, I’m okay with that too.
It’s just…I don’t think I’ve ever said those words.
And you obviously can’t read my mind, so I wanted to put that out there.
” I take a deep breath and exhale with a laugh. “All right, I’m done.”
“You sure?” she asks, her eyes sparkling in amusement.
“I’m sure. The floor is yours.”
She steps closer and slips her hands around my waist, looking up at me with a mixture of nervousness and longing. “I thought you’d be tired of me by now.”
“Hardly. We’re just getting started.”
“In that case, I should probably tell Tío Francisco that I have a boyfriend.”
“Little known fact: He’s not my real uncle. We don’t even know who he’s related to. Just showed up at one of our parties back in the day and has been a part of the family ever since.”
She laughs.
“I want to kiss you,” I tell her, bending a fraction to whisper in her ear. “Properly. Thoroughly. But not here.”
“Later, then,” she says softly, her eyes flickering with promise. “I’m counting on it.”
“See you after the ceremony,” I say, my fingers lingering on hers as we slowly drift apart.
I take only three steps, and I’m already tempted to return to her.
Yeah, I’m in so deep I’m drowning.
“Jason, my man. It’s so good to see you!”
“Hey, Torres, give me a ring next week. I might have a job for you.”
I’m distracted by my errand as I make my way through the guests mingling on the Solarium terrace, occasionally shaking hands with a cousin or some other distant relative. It’s tight in here. And now that the ceremony is over, people are being freer with the liquor and their voices.
I spot Vanessa and wave at her as she approaches. “Hey, have you seen your sister?”
She raises a brow. “No, I figured everyone was taking photos. I was hoping to speak with her myself.”
“We thought we were done, but the photographer called us back for one last group pic. Something about wanting to take a photo with us standing on the staircase.”
“I’ll text her.” Vanessa’s fingers fly across her phone’s screen, and then we wait. “Hmm. She’s not answering. Bathroom, maybe?”
We leave the Solarium and take the stairs to the level immediately below us. Vanessa pushes open the bathroom door and returns seconds later. “Not there.”
“Shit, my mother’s going to throw a fit. Denise is missing too.”
I stride through the hall, until Vanessa stops me with her hand on my arm. “Hey, it was a beautiful ceremony. Most of the photos are done. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“You’re right,” I say, letting out a breath. “I’m just used to doing the wrangling in this family.”
“I get it.”
“And now that I’m calm, I seem to remember we’re due for a kiss.”
“We are,” she says, waggling her eyebrows.
I chuckle, then look around and take her hand. “This way.”
We power walk to the end of the hall, and then I pull her into a lounge. I stop abruptly when I see that the room’s already occupied. “Fuuuck” is all I can think to say.
What. Is. Going. On? No, it can’t be. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.
“What’s wrong?” Vanessa says, jumping in front of me. “Oh God.”
Yeah, I’m glad I’m not the only one seeing this train wreck. I need another witness; otherwise, no one would believe me.
“What the hell?” Vanessa asks, her eyes blinking furiously. “Are we in the Upside Down?”
“Sure looks like it.”
Why? Because we’re watching my sister nuzzle Lisa’s neck as they lean against a wall, the skirt of Lisa’s gown bunched up and fisted in Denise’s hand.
“Privacy, please?” Denise says, turning her head in our direction, her mouth curved into a wicked grin.
A flush creeps up Lisa’s cheeks, and then she hides her face behind the lapels of Denise’s suit jacket. They don’t spring apart, though.
Well then.
“You’re both needed for another photo,” I say, pulling a stunned Vanessa away. “Might want to wrap this up.”
Outside the room, Vanessa rubs her eyes. “Did that just…?”
“It did.”
I hope Vanessa’s processing the implications—because I sure the hell am.
There’s nothing stopping us from being together now.
Obviously, Lisa’s moved on to someone else.
Never mind that the someone else is my sister.
So if there’s any chance Vanessa’s feelings for me are real, she doesn’t need to hold back anymore.
God, I hope that’s the case. I want it more than anything.
My phone buzzes, so I pull it out and read the screen. “It’s Nelson. Wondering where the hell everyone is. Let me take this photo, and then I’ll come right back to you.”
“Of course. I need a minute to myself anyway.”
She doesn’t meet my eyes, but there isn’t enough time to parse out what’s going on in her head. I squeeze her hand. “Don’t go too far. I won’t be long.”
Because this? This changes everything.
(I hope.)