Chapter 32
32
M aeve
His pupils dilate when I say that. His tongue peeks out to lick his lower lip just as his throat bobs.
“You’re good,” he says huskily with unfocused eyes. His obvious interest gives me the courage I needed.
Squaring my shoulders back, I fluff my hair, giving it volume and happy that it didn’t go down in flames like my dress, and head back to the venue, hoping he’ll follow. Otherwise, my return won’t be so epic.
He doesn’t let me down. Hot on my heels, Ezra’s there too. A quiet presence of power. Someone who doesn’t bow under my father’s pressure because he’s got enough of his own. Someone who can teach me to do the same.
The moment we show up, cameras start clicking, and Ezra quickly moves to walk by my side, showing the whole world that I’m not a lonely psycho in grandma’s panties and a corset covered in diamonds. Mom hired the paparazzi to show how awesome this ceremony would be. Well, the joke’s on her. Now the whole world will see what really happened here. Even though I’m sure she’ll be controlling what can be shown from today’s disaster.
“And she’s back,” my father announces the obvious for everyone. “Just like we predicted,” he cackles, and I skip a step. Ezra’s hand instantly grabs mine, steadying me before anyone notices my misstep.
“The whole world,” he whispers.
“The whole world,” I say, sending him a grateful look.
Bea’s standing by the arch at the bride’s side. She has a bouquet of white flowers in her hands and a very concentrated look on her face. When she notices me, she tries drawing my attention with a subtle wave of her hand. When I look at her face, she mouths ‘I’m sorry.’ I give her a quick nod of acknowledgment because she has nothing to be sorry about. But she still looks like I’m about to walk into a death trap. I should have been more honest with her and told her that I’m not opposed to extending our deserted vacation and spending more time with Ezra.
Noah’s standing with his hands behind his back, his pants wet from walking into the ocean to offer me his jacket. He drops his hands by his sides when he sees us coming.
The official is wiping down sweat from his forehead. He looks tortured. He probably didn’t expect to be in the center of such a pickle when he woke up this morning. When he notices us, he quickly grabs his book from the table and flips through the pages.
I want to run to him and be done with this charade, but Ezra’s hand stops me. A squeeze of his hand on mine and his deliberately slow walking urges me to follow his lead. The walk is torture. It’s long. It’s miserable.
But despite the pitiful looks, with every step I take, my shoulders seem to grow wider. My head seems to sit straighter. And my smile wider.
By the time we reach the arch, I’m owning every single moment of my situation. Of my awful outfit. Of my rat’s nest of hair. Ezra’s blazer on my body gives me the confidence I forgot I had. It reminds me that everyone is here because of me. Us. This is my wedding, even if it’s fake. And I’ll be the one dictating the mood.
I flip my hair back, brush sand from my groom’s arm, and finally turn to the official.
“We are ready,” I say, proud to be still standing here after everything. If not for Ezra, I’d be hiding with hens somewhere under a bungalow until everyone leaves the island.
The official smiles, looking around, and starts talking.
A small, soft hand grabs mine. Just for a second. And squeezes. A tiny encouraging gesture I didn’t know I needed. My sister showing me that she’s here.
The official starts his speech, but my father interrupts him in the rudest way possible.
“Yes, we’ve heard that before. Skip to the good part,” he snaps, rotating his wrist in the air with a motion for the official to continue. The poor official starts sweating even more. He takes out a tissue from his pocket, dabs his forehead, and flips a page of his notebook.
“Alright. Okay.” He looks lost, trying to focus on me and Ezra. “Ezra King, do you agree to take this woman, Beatrice?—”
“It’s Maeve,” Bea chimes in as a few chuckles erupt through the small crowd.
“What?” the official asks, blinking.
“The bride’s name is wrong.”
“Yes, that’s what it says.” The official shakes the book in Bea’s face. “Beatrice Wrong. ”
“Yeah, that part is right,” she explains, leaning closer to him. “But the bride is Maeve Wrong, not Beatrice.”
“But it said?—”
“Just fix the damn name and keep going,” she hiss-whispers back to him.
“Okay, alright.” His eyes widen as he looks between her and me. “Alright then. Ezra King, do you agree to take this woman, Maeve Wrong as your rightful wife? And cherish her in?—”
“Yes,” Ezra interrupts the official, who seems to be one breath away from fainting.
“Okay. Good, I guess. Where were we?” He starts riffling between the pages again.
“Ask her now.” At Ezra’s order, the official’s eyes focus on something in his book, and he quickly lifts his head to me.
“And you, Beatrice Wro?—”
“It’s Maeve!” This time, more voices come in a chorus, making the poor man sweat like a sinner in church. He dabs his handkerchief over his forehead, trying to even his breathing at the same time.
“Yes. Right.” He dabs his forehead some more. “Ms. Wrong?—”
“Call her by her name,” Ezra interrupts him once again. “I want everyone to know that it’s the right woman being called my wife.”
A loud exhale escapes my mouth at his words as I stare ahead, refusing to look at him. Because if I do, I might end up climbing him like a tree.
“Right. Of course. Ms. Maeve Wrong.” He pauses, quizzically looking around in case anyone else has objections. When none come, he nods to himself with satisfaction and continues. “Ms. Maeve Wrong,” he repeats, looking at me. “Do you agree to take this man, Ezra King, as your rightful husband? And che—” He stops himself after a quick glance at Ezra. “Do you agree?” he addresses me again.
I look at Ezra’s face. At his eyes focused on my face. At his intensely pressed together lips. And for a moment, it feels real. Or maybe I let myself believe that.
His brows slowly draw together, and I realize I still haven’t replied.
“Yes.”
His nostrils flare as he takes a big breath in.
“You can exchange rings now.” The relief in the official’s voice is loud and clear. He wants to be anywhere but here. When no rings are produced from Ezra’s pocket, the poor man starts sweating again. “Rings? Anyone?”
“Here.” Noah rushes in, shoving a black velvet box into his brother’s hand. “I’ve got it.”
Ezra grunts something and opens the box. And this is the moment I’m faced with the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen. It’s gigantic. And covered in even more diamonds around it. And pearls. God, there’re pearls. There’s so much going on my eyes are starting to hurt.
When he picks it up, it even looks heavy. When I offer my hand to him on instinct, he pushes this enormous construction onto my ring finger. Oddly, it fits perfectly, and sadly, it weighs a ton. I swallow, imagining how I’ll be moving around New York without someone trying to cut my finger off. I’m sure this thing costs a lot of money. So much good could be done with it. So many items bought for the homeless shelter Jeff goes to sometimes. Money toward repairing the damage from the fire. A new boat for the captain.
I realize everyone’s waiting for me. And this is where I came unprepared. I didn’t even think about that.
“I don’t have a ring for you,” I whisper shamefully. “I didn’t thi?— ”
“That’s okay,” he says back quietly and then adds for the official louder, “Please, move on to the next part.”
“Well,” the man sighs, “I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
“Oh,” I sigh, making a little o with my mouth. His gaze drops to it. “Are we going to do that?”
“We’ve done this before,” he whispers, bringing his hand behind my lower back and pulling me closer to him.
I’m pressed into him so closely, I can feel the beating of his heart in his chest. His uneven breathing resonates with mine.
He lowers his face to me, and his lips give my mouth a quick brush. Very quick. I’m not sure I haven’t imagined it. Then he releases me just as quickly and steps backward. Cheers and congratulations erupt around us while my new husband wraps his arm over my shoulders and leads me to the side, away from the photographers.
My parents and Bea join us a moment later.
“Well, my boy, welco?—
When my father sees Ezra’s face, he loudly clears his throat before continuing.
“King, welcome to the family.” Then he turns to me. “You’ve been good for something after all. Color me surprised.”
Ezra regards him with such a hateful stare, my father starts coughing again.
“Anyway. I’ve made the order to transfer the shares to your name. Remember about the clause though,” he adds, laughing. “Don’t make me come back from my retirement due to your unwise decisions.”
Mother, trying to make the situation better, ends up making it worse. She jumps to me to envelop me in a hug, but quickly pulls away, scrunching her nose. “You smell like smoke and seaweed, honey. You need a shower. ”
And these are my parents in a nutshell.
Someone’s phone rings. Noah. He picks it up, says a few words, and comes back to us.
“Martin said it’s all set.”
Ezra looks at his brother. “For good?”
Noah nods.
“Good,” Ezra says with a crooked smile and turns to my father. Grabbing the front of his jacket, he pulls him toward him. My father lets out a squeak and tries to pry Ezra’s fingers away from himself. “Listen here, old man. Nothing will stop me now from punching the ever-loving shit out of you if you ever disrespect my wife again. There’s no clause about that in the contract. This is the last warning.”
The atmosphere is daring. The air is heavy. While a million butterflies are flying inside of my belly. No one has ever stood up for me like that. No one. And it feels so good.
Or those butterflies are here because he called me his wife? Me and my body are so confused.
“I can take my shares—” my father starts.
“You can’t,” Ezra hisses in his face.
A gleeful smile spreads across my father’s face. “Then I’ll take my daughter back.”
The smile turns evil. “Try.”
With that, he lets go of my father, wraps his arm around my shoulder where it already feels natural, and leads me away.
“Where are you going?” my mother asks.
I turn to her with a sad smile. “Away from here, Mom. Far, far away.”
Some people get nice parents. Some people get my parents. Some people might ask why I’m complaining when I had all the luxuries and things I wanted growing up. But they’d be wrong. The only thing I wanted they couldn’t give me. Parents being real parents, keeping the needs of their children above other things. I just wanted someone to love me.
“Maeve.” Mom’s voice breaks strangely at the end. But it’s not enough to make me stop. It used to be enough—a small change of cadence when I thought she might have felt something. But I’ve learned it’s not the truth. I don’t think my parents are capable of loving anyone but themselves and money, and for the first time in my life, I’m okay with that.
We’re slowly walking toward our suites with Noah and Bea hot on our heels.
“I’ll take care of the press. Make sure no bad pictures are spreading.”
“They’ll sell them anyway,” I say sadly, knowing how vicious those guys with cameras can be.
“Not when I talk to them.” He winks at me, and I smile back. “Plus, you look fabulous. Everyone would be happy to even peek at you.”
I lift a brow, glancing down at myself and then back at him. He chuckles when he notices my face.
“Where are you going now? To the honeymoon?” Bea asks, barely able to control her laughter.
“What if they’re going to their honeymoon. Are you jealous, little mouse?” Noah chimes in. Arrogance dripping from his voice.
I want to open my mouth and tell him to keep it shut, but Bea beats me to it.
“I wasn’t asking you, big knucklehead.”
Trying to cover my laughter, I let out an accidental snort, making Ezra chuckle. A quick glance at him tells me that he’s trying very hard not to laugh but failing. His teeth are sunk into his lower lip. Little crinkles are around his eyes. He almost looks like the Ezra from the island.
“Oh, you think you’ re so smart, huh.”
“Smarter than you obviously if you think it’s normal to call people names when they don’t even know each other.”
Noah’s chuckle is dark. “You’d say so, wouldn’t you.”
My head whips toward him. His gaze is on Bea while she’s staring ahead. Did I miss something? There’s too much unspoken between the two. My sister’s back is too rigid even for her. Noah’s eyes are too intense. I don’t know him very well, but he’s appeared to be an easy-going person from the start. The fun brother out of the two. And now I’m seeing a completely different one. Do both King brothers have a Hyde side? That would explain a lot.
I shoot a quick glance at my own Mr. Hyde, whose assholishness appears very much nonexistent right now. Quite the opposite—he’s my knight in shining armor.
“If I wanted your opinion, guess what?” My sister’s voice is very bitchy if I may say so myself. She used to reserve it for special occasions for very special people. How Noah has already gotten on that list is beyond my understanding. “I’d ask you.”
“Like I would give you the time of day to respond to it,” Noah snorts. Sarcasm loud in his tone.
“Noah,” Ezra calls out. “What the fuck?”
“That’s okay,” Bea says, shaking off his insult like geese do the water. “Some people’s worlds are so small, they try to bring themselves up by putting other people down.”
Noah lets out a low growl mixed with a mumble. It’s hilarious and a bit concerning if I’m honest. What the hell did I miss?
“O-kay,” Ezra starts after glancing between the two before focusing on Noah. “Are you coming with us?”
“Where?”
“To New York.”
“What about your honeymoon?” He jerks his head in my direction .
Bea clears her throat, folding her arms over her chest, and gives Noah a pointed look which he chooses to ignore.
Ezra shakes his head, chuckling. “We’re heading to New York.”
“Are you ordering the jet?”
“Flying commercial,” Ezra replies with a wince.
“Then I’m staying for a day or two. I have things to do here.”
“Like the waitress who pushed her boobs in your face when you complimented her shoes?” Bea deadpans, surprising me once again. I don’t recognize my sister at all. But quite honestly, I’m loving this new, bold version.
Ezra makes a weird sound, something between a laugh and cry, but instantly tries masking it by coughing into his fist.
“I feel like I’m sensing a pattern of jealousy here,” Noah murmurs, leaning closer to Bea who makes a face full of disgust.
“I’m sure this is how you lift yourself up at night.”
Noah’s nostrils flare, making him look so much like Ezra at the moment.
“Alright!” I jump in between the two, preventing our wedding from ending with a murder. “We need to get ready to go. Noah, can I keep your card until I can figure out my financial situation?”
“No, you can’t fucking keep his card,” Ezra hissing into my ear. “The only card you’ll be using is mine.”
“Yeah?” I ask, turning my face to him and finding him too close to me. “So you can have all the power over me?”
His eyes turn stormy. “I already told you that you’ll get your financial freedom when we get married. I tend to keep my promises.”
“Freedom even from you?”
“Even from me.” He leans just a hair closer, but it’s enough for him to be all in my space. Big and imposing. Taking all the air out. “But if someone ever had power over you, it’d be me.”
I blink the horny fog away from my eyes. “I thought you didn’t care.”
“I never said that,” he says quietly, for only me to hear.