43. Veronica
CHAPTER 43
Veronica
“Why am I so nervous?” Chloe asks, pacing back and forth in her wedding dress.
The other girls are finishing getting ready, too wrapped up in themselves to hear the bride’s concern. On the other hand, I have been ready and sitting in this chair for the past hour, trying to calm down my own nerves.
“Because you are tying yourself to another person.” The words slip out. Chloe stops her pacing to glare at me. I don’t take it personally, but I regret what I said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s an important day.”
She nods, continuing her roaming. Her hand curves over the baby bump as she gently rubs it. “I didn’t think I’d be this nervous. My heart is racing like a horse!”
I laugh, standing from my chair to stop her movements. “Chloe. Everything will be okay. You are marrying the love of your life. Besides giving birth to Carter and baby Mila, this is going to be one of the happiest days of your life.”
“You’re right.” Chloe smiles, sneaking a glance at the other girls who are doing their makeup. Uncertainty flashes in her eyes before she turns back to me. “I know this was a big ask of you to be at the wedding, but I want to thank you. You being here means a lot to me, and who knows! Maybe one day I can be at your wedding! Seeing as you’ll probably marry my brother.”
“You think I’ll marry Leo?” I ask, sounding puzzled.
“Well, with how close you two have gotten, I can see it happening.” Her smile drops. “Unless you don’t want to get married if that life isn’t for you.”
“I never wanted to,” I admit, but I’m still not sure if I want to.
Things have been going well with Leo over the past few weeks, except for that night after our date. I’m still not sure what happened, but when he came back to his place, he seemed… off.
A couple of days later, he was distant but then returned to his usual self. He said he got a phone call from Myles that night because he was nervous. What could Myles have said that would have had Leo acting that way?
My body tenses when I think of the only thing that could have happened. What if Myles is having second thoughts? He wouldn’t leave Chloe standing at the altar, right? No. There is no way. Myles loves Chloe too much. Plus, Leo would have done something to Myles if he planned to leave Chloe stranded.
“Oh! I almost forgot.” I shake off the feeling of worry and step away from Chloe. Digging into the little handbag, I pull out a photo. I smile at the woman, who is smiling back up at me. I never got to meet her, and I wish I could have since she was so important to Leo. “Your brother asked me to give this to you. It’s small enough to fit in your bouquet.”
Chloe plucks the photo from my hand, getting teary-eyed as she looks at her mother. “Dammit, Camille! Why couldn’t you give this to me before my makeup was done?”
She fans her face to stop herself from crying. “I forgot.”
“I’m happy you remembered.” She takes the picture to her bouquet, tucking the photo of her mom in the center. “I wish she could have been here. She would have been so happy.”
I come to stand beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. What I say next surprises me as someone who doesn’t believe in God and Heaven.
“I’m sure she is smiling down on you from Heaven. And she is here with you today.” I pat my chest right over my heart. “Don’t forget that.”
She nods, flattening her lips together to prevent herself from crying. The sound of a door opening ends the sentimental conversation. When we turn around, her father stands there with a wide smile. They had done a first look after she was completely ready. She and Myles, though, have yet to see each other. She wanted him to see her for the first time, walking down the aisle.
“Ready?” he asks.
We watch Chloe's face brighten, and with a quick nod, she heads for her father.
If Chloe’s heart felt like a horse, mine is like a stampede. Dozens of animals run around in my chest, threatening to break through my skin. I swallow hard as I wait for bridesmaids to walk down the aisle.
Someone’s hand slips into mine. The warmth of their skin seeps into my skin. When I look to my right, Leo is smiling at me.
“You look stunning.”
“Do I look nervous?”
“I wouldn’t be able to tell if you were,” he reassures me. “The ceremony isn’t long. You’ll be fine.”
My eyes scan his face, and then I face forward and nod. “Keep my eyes on you.”
“Yup,” he says, squeezing my hand.
The music starts, and each bridesmaid walks down the aisle with a groomsman at their side. I look straight ahead, not wanting to make eye contact with any of the guests. A fake smile is plastered on my face, and I feel calmer once we reach the altar.
Leo lets go of me, the warmth of his touch disappearing. It makes my body run cold. But when I take my spot, I keep my eyes on him and immediately flood with that heat.
Myles is standing next to Leo and is smiling ear to ear. So much for my worried thought of him having second thoughts. I hear awes from the pews, and when I turn my head, I watch as Carter walks down with a small girl.
I can’t remember the relationship between her and Leo, but I think it was a cousin's daughter. She tosses flower petals onto the ground, wearing a huge smile. Carter guides her with a hand to her back. Chloe told me that her son was so excited to do this because it allowed him to practice being an older brother.
When the two kids get to where we are standing, another song begins playing, the one that Chloe is walking down the aisle to. I know this because she played it for me to get my opinion. Every guest stands and faces the back of the church.
She and her father step into view. She looks gorgeous in her dress and with the makeup she had done. I smile at her image and want to cry when I look at Myles.
Tears stream down his face, his hand covering his mouth to smother any sounds that might escape. He looks at her with so much love that if it were a light, it would fill the entire church.
Looking over Myles’s shoulder, I see Leo watching his baby sister walk to the love of her life. His eyes shine with tears.
He must sense my stare because he removes his eyes from Chloe and looks at me. We hold eye contact as the music plays out. He flashes me a soft smile, and at that moment, I think I’d be okay with marrying him.
My smile becomes broader with each moment that passes, and now, I don’t feel nervous anymore. I feel—what’s the word? Content?
Throughout the ceremony, my eyes danced between the bride and the groom to Leo. I could sense his eyes on me even when mine weren’t on him.
As he told me earlier, the ceremony was short and sweet. Soon, we were walking back down the aisle to take photos. Again, I only know this because Chloe talked me through the entire day.
Ceremony. Photos. Reception.
She even detailed what would be happening at the reception at certain times.
“You left a scar on Sylvia’s face,” Leo whispers when we head outside to the back garden.
I glance over my shoulder, searching for her. When our eyes meet, she immediately drops hers. There is a scar on her forehead where her face took the most impact. I smirk, loving that she is scared of me. Despite everything, I still enjoy instilling fear into people.
I shrug nonchalantly. “She deserved it.”
He rolls his neck, and I hear the crack of a bone. “You’re going to behave tonight like you promised?”
I stop in my tracks. He is a few steps ahead of me but stops and turns around. “I told you I would.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you doubting me?” My hands settle on my hips as I stare him down.
“Words are words, Vee,” he tells me what he has always told me.
“I understand that.” I drop my arms to my side and walk toward him. “I’m proving I’ll keep my promise tonight with actions .”
He stares at me for a moment. The way he always does when he tries to detect a lie. When he is satisfied, he sighs. “Okay.”
Pictures felt like they lasted forever, and my cheeks hurt from smiling. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled that much in my life. I’m exhausted and in need of a glass of wine, and when we get to the reception hall, which has an open bar, that is precisely what I do.
I make a beeline for the bar, sensing Leo following me. There isn’t much of a line, as everyone else already has drinks in their hands. What else were they supposed to do for an hour while we got attacked by a camera?
With the glass in my hand, I take a lengthy sip. Shutting my eyes, I savor the taste as it rolls down my throat.
“Not a fan of getting your picture taken?” Leo laughs, grabbing his glass of whiskey from the bartender.
“Nope. That last hour was hell. I can’t wait to eat good food and get drunk.” I tip my glass back again, emptying the contents, and then turn back around for a refill.
“Don’t get drunk yet. We still have the wedding rituals ahead. First dance, father-daughter dance, cake cutting. All the fun stuff,” he says it stalely.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a mother-son dance?”
“Yeah, but he opted out because Myles doesn’t speak to his family. Chloe felt bad and told him she’d skip out of her dance with our dad, but Myles insisted she still do it.” He takes another sip. “My mother always told him that when the day came, she would have danced with him.”
The sentence tugs at my heartstrings. “You don’t talk about her much. You used to always love talking about her.”
Twisting his lips, he nods slowly. “Talking about her hurts too much.”
I don’t bother saying anything else because tonight is supposed to be about happiness. I won’t bring the mood down by talking about his mother when he clearly doesn’t want to talk about her.
“Let’s go find our seats,” he suggests, holding out his hand to lead me to our table.