Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lily
? “Lonely Day” - System of A Down ?
I can hear people walking down the hall, laughing and talking.
I sit in the chair while some lady does my makeup, and another woman does my hair.
My eye shadow has hints of purple, making my green eyes pop.
My hair is being curled before it gets wrapped half up, half down.
The room is silent as I watch them get me dressed for this fake wedding.
Even after my stylists leave, I continue to sit at the vanity, staring at myself in the mirror.
I turn my head when I hear two knocks at the door. “Come in.” My eyes bulge when I see Jace squeeze his body through the door, quickly locking it behind him. “What are you doing here?!”
He walks up to me, grabbing my face, and plants a deep kiss on my lips, his tongue swirling with mine. My hand reaches out, grabbing onto his suit jacket to pull him in deeper.
“I was invited,” he says when he pulls away.
“Who else is here?” I look around as if someone is
going to jump out of the corner. Oh god, if Celeste is here, she is going to burn this church down.
“Just me, Noah, and Axel. Rowan is at home with Celeste.” His mouth crashes to my exposed neck, finishing his sentence by sucking on my skin.
I try to push him off, but my arms have been replaced with noodles.
The sensation of his soft lips on my skin dissolves me in into my seat.
“Jace, stop. I’m going to be a Davenport in less than two hours.
” My hands go from trying to push him off, to bringing him closer.
My mouth parts when his hand roams up to my thigh, bunching up my wedding dress.
A part of me doesn’t care if walk down the aisle with hickeys across my neck.
His hand grips my upper thigh tightly before he removes himself from me. “No, you’re not. Want to know why, baby?”
“Why?” I moan.
“Because you’re already a McAthy.” He backs away from me, his crystal eyes shining and his lips flushed a bright pink.
“Who is McAthy? What are you talking about?”
He pulls out a piece of paper, folded nicely inside his suit, and puts it on the desk in front of me. I pick up the paper to read:
This license permits the couple to be married anywhere in the New York State
only.
My heart starts beating faster the more I read. I stop, turning to Jace. He is not smiling, not laughing, just staring at me with tender eyes.
Spouse A: Jace McAthy
Spouse B: Lily Ballis
I turn the paper over to see our signatures and the license is stamped, dated, and officiated. This license was dated almost two weeks ago. I turn back to Jace to see his throat bob and his chest heave.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t let this wedding become official for you. I had to be the first.” He gives me a small smile, his fists clenching at his sides.
I jump out of my seat, wrapping my arms around his neck. “And possibly the last,” I cry.
“Táim i ngrá leat.”
More tears stream down my face as I chuckle into his suit. “I don’t know what that means but thank you.”
He kisses me on top of my head. “I better go. I have a wedding to fuck up.” He takes the paper out of my hands, winking at me, and leaves me alone in the room.
Jace
I walk back into the church, finding Axel and Noah sitting next to each other. Mateo sits at the step of the stairs, talking on the phone. Most of the people here are his business partners, and they probably don’t care one bit about this wedding.
I squeeze by a couple of people before sitting next to Noah.
“I’m surprised she didn’t rip your head off,” Noah
says.
“Me too, honestly.” I was nervous out of my mind that she was going to be pissed that I married her without her knowledge.
If everything works in our favor, Mateo will get a call later tonight informing him that his marriage license with Lily has been denied due to her already being married.
Rowan was able to find a marriage officiant willing to work with us and send our license to the City Clerk two weeks ago.
Rowan, Noah, and I worked our arses off to find out what is happening with all these women.
The night of the yacht party, Rowan was able to identify all the Italian mafia members sitting in the cabin with Mateo.
It didn’t make sense why Mateo was doing business with them until we remembered what John had told us the night at the motel.
When we finally put two and two together, I picked up Lily from the bridal shop, ready to make both of us disappear, but then she turned to me with her big green eyes and calmed me down. My strong, beautiful wife, ready to put herself in danger for others.
My. Wife.
Once Mateo realizes that this false wedding is already falsified, we will be on his heels, ready to take him down.
I stare at Mateo and he stares back at me.
His head turns when the music starts playing and he stands from the stairs, putting his phone in his suit pocket.
Everyone in the audience rises when the doors open, showing Lily standing in the archway.
When I met her in the room, she was wearing a white wedding dress.
But now, she stands there in a long, all- black dress.
The front is cut deep, showing off her ivory chest, and her arms are covered in black lace.
Her eyes roam around, looking at the hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at her, stopping when she meets mine.
She grins and looks down at the floor before taking her first step down the aisle.
We all sit down when Lily makes it to the stairs.
I can see Mateo’s jaw clench, but he extends his hand to help her up.
My ears buzz as the priest starts talking. By the time I come back to reality, they’ve finished their vows. Clenching my jaw so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if my molars broke in half, the last words of the ceremony leave the priest’s mouth, claiming them as husband and wife.
Mateo grabs Lily, dipping her down and kissing her.
On autopilot, I stand, ready to put him six feet underground.
My body jerks to the side as Noah grabs my arm and pulls me back down.
I turn to look at Noah and Axel. Noah’s eyes are strained on the front, clapping, and Axel laughs and shakes his head at me.
When I turn my head to face the front, Mateo is shooting daggers at me with his eyes. I give him a big smile and slowly clap.