Chapter 40
Feeling so very stabby
Amelia
Half an hour after lunch, we’re in the dressing room drinking champagne and sparkling juice while wearing bras, panties, and short silk robes as the professionals take over our hair and makeup.
I sneak a few sexy selfies and send them off to Alex.
Alex
Damn. Baby.
Me
You like?
Alex
Hmmm. Can’t tell. Maybe you should come show me in person.
Me
You’re just going to have to wait.
Alex
Fuck.
“Do I even want to know what that naughty grin is all about?” Bean asks me.
“No. No, you do not.”
Especially not a few minutes later when Alex sends me a selfie of his own. His shirt hangs open, showcasing the line of dark hair disappearing into his tuxedo pants. It’s instantly my new brain screensaver.
Tiffany shows up near the end to take advantage of the hair and makeup ladies.
I can’t really blame her, considering what they do is basically magic.
Seeing the green dress she’s wearing makes me think back to when I had to call her a few months ago to explain why it was inappropriate for her to wear a white dress to her daughter’s wedding.
Part of me was worried she would still go ahead with her plan.
Thank god she didn’t, so I don’t have to find a closet to shove her in.
Not that I think most of us would mind much.
We all meet up outside to take pictures.
Bean and I do a few classic prom poses for fun.
Calvin and his friends try to look like mafia guys.
They really just look like douchebags, but whatever.
The entire wedding party comes together, and more photos are taken.
I watch as Alex and Bean laugh and smile until Tiffany is added for some ‘bride and her parents’ shots.
“Let’s do a few of just the two of us,” she insists, grabbing Alex’s arm.
He pulls away from her with a frown. “That’s not necessary.”
“Zander, it’s our daughter’s wedding,” she whines with an exaggerated pout that makes me roll my eyes.
Bean screws up her face. “That’s why we just did pictures of you both with me. We don’t need pictures of just the two of you. That’s fucking weird, Mom. You’re not a couple or anything.” I hide my grin behind my hand. Bean is getting the hang of standing up for herself.
When the photoshoot is over, Alex’s tie is messy. I make my way over to him. “Do you think you’ll ever stop fucking these things up?” I ask as I gently put it back to rights.
“Probably not. Especially if it means you won’t fix them for me anymore.”
I smile up at him, smoothing the silk into place. “It might just be one of my favorite parts of the day.”
He leans down close to my ear, sending a wave of desire through me. “Mine, too.”
“Try to leave it alone until after the ceremony, at least. I can’t fix it in the middle of the vows, you know.” My mouth turns up into a smirk that I can’t control. He’s always brought the sass out of me.
“I’ll try, but I have to sit next to Tiffany, so no promises.”
I chuckle and grimace. “Yeah, it’s going to look like Henry tied it by the end of the ceremony.”
“Um, where’s Stephanie?” Bean asks as we stand outside the doors we’re walking through in a few minutes.
“She went to the bathroom, but that was like ten minutes ago,” Rachel replies.
The bride looks worried, which is never a good thing.
“I’ll go check on her,” I say. I’ve been holding Henry’s hand to keep track of him while Haven does the same with Raelynn, and the two kids hold hands together on the other side. “Buddy, I need you to stay here with Raerae, okay?”
“Okay.” The only way he’s going anywhere is if his bestie goes first.
“Here, hold my hand, little man. Keep me company, yeah?” Bean smiles at him with her hand out and he grabs it with a smile.
I head for the nearest bathroom, and when I don’t find Stephanie there, I check the dressing room we used and even the one the guys got ready in, but she’s not in either of them.
Going around to the side door of the chapel, I poke my head in to ask Calvin when I don’t see him waiting outside.
But he’s not at the altar. Catching the officiant’s attention, I ask him if he’s seen the groom or the maid of honor recently.
“He was standing right outside this door, but then I looked again, and he was gone. I thought maybe he needed to use the restroom before things started,” he answers quietly.
What the fuck? I’m starting to get a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I still have my phone in my hand, so I text and call them both, but neither of them has answered by the time I get back to Bean.
I stop and stare for a second, seeing Alex holding Henry on his hip, letting my little brother tell him all about the talking dogs he loves so much.
He catches sight of me and walks over while Bean is distracted by Raelynn, who is probably also talking about those same dogs.
“I can’t find Stephanie. Or Calvin,” I whisper. “And they aren’t responding to my texts or calls.”
His eyes darken. Did you check their rooms?”
“Not yet. I’ll grab Bean’s keycard. It’s in the dressing room. I’m not even sure which room Stephanie’s staying in, but maybe the front desk will tell me.”
He nods. “They know who you are and should do anything you ask.”
I raise a questioning eyebrow, but don’t wait for him to explain before taking off again. I leave my shoes on the dressing room floor while retrieving Bean’s room key. If I’ve learned anything lately, it’s to ditch them before I make a mad dash anywhere.
At the front desk first, I tell them that I need a key to Stephanie’s room. My name was already listed on the booking, so I could help get everything planned, but whatever Alex did triggered god-mode because they hand it right over.
Stephanie’s room is a bit messy, but it’s all towels and garbage. None of her personal items seem to be anywhere.
“Fuck,” I mutter aloud as I slam the door behind me and make my way upstairs. Bean’s room isn’t empty, but as far as I can tell, only her stuff is still in it. I don’t see anything of Calvin’s, and I know his shit was all over when I was up here earlier.
Stopping by the dressing room one last time, I notice that none of Stephanie’s stuff is in there, either. I slip my shoes back on and drop Bean’s key in her bag before heading back out of the room. When I come around the corner, Bean’s looking frantic.
“Oh, thank god, I was worried you were missing, too. Did you find her? What is going on?”
I drag her away from everyone. “Bean,” I say forcefully, making eye contact with her so she knows this is important. “She’s gone. Like gone gone. I have no idea where she is, and her stuff isn’t in her room.”
“That… That’s weird.” Bean shakes her head, confused. “Where would she go, Minnie?”
“I don’t know. But Bean, I can’t find Calvin, either.” I deliver the news as gently as I can.
She stares at me for a minute. “Did you check my room?”
“Yes. His stuff isn’t there. Neither of them will answer my calls or texts.”
Her forehead crinkles as she tries to make sense of my words.
“My sister and my fiancé are both missing? Like at the same time? Just as my wedding is supposed to start? I don’t…
What?” Her eyes go wide. “Minnie, oh my god, Minnie… They left together? Fuck, they left together! I have to go tell everyone that my fiancé ran off with my sister? My maid of honor?”
She takes a couple of ragged breaths and I squeeze her hands.
“No, sweetie. That’s not what we’re telling people.
And you don’t have to do anything. I’m going to go out there and tell them all that something came up, there won’t be a wedding right now, and send them off to the reception.
They can enjoy the party, and we’ll do whatever you need to.
Want to sit in a room, drink, and cry? We’ll do it.
Want to change into something else and go dance the night away?
We’ll do it. Want to drive over the dress with the bus? We’ll do it.”
Her arms go around me. “I’m not going to cry. Well, I probably will. But fuck them. Go tell everyone we’re going to party, and then please come help me out of this dress.”
When she lets me go, I take her face in my hands. “You got it.”
Alex comes up behind her, still holding Henry. “Why sad, Beanie-Weanie?” Henry asks.
“Because some people are not awesome. So instead of a wedding, we’re having a party. Will you dance with me tonight, buddy?”
“Yeah! I love dance parties!”
“Me, too. But you have to promise to keep your clothes on.”
“Oh, man.” Henry pouts, and Bean laughs even as she blinks back tears.
“Love you, kiddo.” Alex wraps his arm around her and kisses the top of her head.
“I know, Dad. I love you, too.” She leans into him and closes her eyes, trying to keep the tears that are welling up from falling.
I make my way to the doors, not stopping when the rest of the wedding party asks me what’s going on. Opening the doors wide, I walk down the aisle and up the single stair at the front before turning around to face the people gathered and waiting for a wedding.
“Thank you for waiting so patiently. Something unexpected has come up, and there won’t be a wedding here today. However, we still have a huge party planned, with dinner, dancing, and an open bar. And we’ve rented the entire place until Wednesday morning, so go forth and enjoy.”
The room erupts in voices as everyone turns to each other and tries to figure out what the fuck is going on. Good luck.
Tiffany steps out into the aisle and storms toward the back of the room and out the door in front of me. “Lizzie! You’re calling off the wedding? What are you thinking?”
“What am I thinking? I’m thinking both my fiancé and my sister are missing and based on that fact and the fact that all their shit is also missing, it looks like they ran off together, so yeah, I’m calling off the wedding.”