36. Paige
Besides the fact that Aspen’s hand is wrapped in a gauze bandage, and Laney spent the better part of an hour in the groomsmen’s room, applying makeup to Maxon’s bruised jaw, this morning has gone off without a hitch.
Laney has been successful in keeping Cheddar locked away in her room, and neither of us have said anything to anyone about the furry stowaway. Even though I had to sneak into the kitchen this morning while the other girls were getting their hair done for the wedding and make the dang cat an egg for breakfast.
“Does he really need one?” I had asked Laney as we hid outside of Katie’s room, whispering.
“If he doesn’t eat in the morning he’ll spend all day meowing and making these weird screeching noises like he thinks he’s dying.” She explained which was enough for me to sneak into the kitchen where chefs were already making breakfast for the house and beg them to give me a plain scrambled egg.
I was in the kitchen, getting said egg, when Theo appeared, looking for me and informing me about the large bruise that’s appeared along Maxon’s jawline.
“Do I even want to know what happened?” I ask as we start back upstairs, egg in hand and he shrugs.
“I have a feeling he’ll fill you in.” He says, then glances at the plate. “What’s the egg for?”
“Oh, it’s a silly old bridal tradition, don’t worry about it.” I lie quickly. “I’ll have one of the girls come down to put some makeup on his face.”
Theo laughs. “Oh, Aspen’s not going to let him live that down.”
I roll my eyes and start down the hallway towards Katie and Laney’s rooms where I slipped through the door and quickly fed Cheddar before going back into Katie’s suite where it’s a tizzy of girls dancing and singing to Taylor Swift’s “Lover” album on repeat.
“There you are!” Katie grabs me and pulls me towards a chair they have set up for the hairdresser, who’s waiting patiently while the girls prance around her. “I was just about to come looking for you.”
“What’s up?” I ask, my eyes darting over her, her hair is done into an elegant looking bun, with a few of her blonde curls that hang loose, framing her face.
“It’s your turn.” She motions towards the chair.
I eye it for a second. “Katie, that’s really sweet of you but I wasn’t planning on having my hair done. I’ve got so much to do to make sure everything goes according to-”
“Just stop talking Paige, you’re going to sit down, have your hair and makeup done with the rest of us and enjoy it. You’ve thought of everything, it’s all going to turn out wonderful no matter what.” She places her hands on her hips and gives a nod to Sadie who disappears into the bathroom for a moment, then steps back out with one of the lavender bridesmaid dresses. “We agreed not to have you in the wedding party because you were the planner and you were going to be busy, but you’re also a part of this family and have to look the part too.”
I look between her and the dress. “Katie, we talked about this. I’m not a bridesmaid… I shouldn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I changed my mind and I am telling you now, as the bride, so you have to do what I say, to sit down and get your hair and makeup done with us!” She casts a look at me that dares me to defy her. “We are going to be sisters, right? This is what sisters do.”
I fight the stinging that starts in the back of my eyes, and before I know it I’m flinging myself at Katie, wrapping her into a hug. I hate and love the feelings that are coursing through me. Partially because I do feel like I need to be working, that work is the only thing that keeps me sane anymore, but also because I realize that even though I’ve always said they were family, I’m only just starting to feel like I belong here with them all.
Katie hugs me back for a moment, before pulling away and wiping at her face. “Oh, it’s going to be a long day if we’re already crying.” She laughs, wiping at her face. Around us, the rest of the room laughs at her joke and I hadn’t even noticed that we were being watched by everyone else in the room.
After hair and makeup, I step out of the room to make sure the photographer is ready along with some other minor details I’d convinced Katie I needed to double check before the ceremony. Katie and Aspen opted for a private first look (which I absolutely loved for them) so I had to make sure that there wasn’t anyone near the barn when Katie starts in that direction, dress skirt hiked high so as not to drag on the ground. Katie looks absolutely amazing in the simple A-line dress she picked, with pleating along the bodice and little cap sleeves, and a mid-length veil that trails down her back.
I help her hide away in the barn before Aspen shows up and then I quickly scurry away so that they can have their moment, and end up running directly into a wall of muscle waiting outside the barn. Reeling from impact accompanied by the unstable dirt beneath my heels, I fall, throwing my hands out haphazardly trying to catch my balance.
“Whoa there slick.” Firm hands catch me by my waist, steadying me and straightening me before I crash into the questionable looking dirt at our feet and suddenly I’m locked in Maxon Grant’s arms. “You okay?”
I focus on him, studying him for a moment, trying to find the bruise that Laney had covered up with makeup, but he looks absolutely perfect.
Dang it, he always looks perfect.
His hands stay on my waist as I stare up at him, and my heart starts to beat in a funny rhythm while we stand there, neither of us saying anything even though it seems like years of unspoken conversation are being aired out. Years of hurt and heartbreak, and although I know there’s a lot more that we need to fix and talk about, I can’t help but know this is the first step in the right direction.
“Max, I need-” I start but stop when one of his hands leaves my side and instead cups my cheek, his thumb trailing down my lips gently as a smile plays at his own.
“There is something I need to do. Right now. And it can’t wait.” He says, his voice quiet yet fierce, like whatever this need is, his very life depends on it.
I knit my brow together. “What is it?”
“This.” He says, his hand slipping from my cheek and instead palming the back of my neck, tipping my head up and towards him as he closes the distance and just when I think our lips are going to meet, he hesitates a breath’s width away from me, teasing me. “You are absolutely stunning.” He says and I can feel the smile on his lips as they brush ever so slightly against mine, driving the primal part of me that’s so desperate to kiss him wild.
“You don’t look too shabby yourself, although, I would like to know what happened that got you that bruise.” I say just as his thumb runs along my jaw gently, and then down the length of my upturned neck, sending chills down my spine despite it already being a warm morning.
But these were the kind of chills that left my body buzzing and feeling alive. It was the type of feeling I could get used to.
His smile only widens though and I breathe in our shared air, taking as much of his warm scent in as I can, silently begging for him to close the remaining distance between us and when he does, I can practically see sparks flying. How is it I can kiss this man so much, but it always feels like the first time? That when his lips land on mine it sends wave after wave of tingles straight to my brain, making me think fuzzy and lose complete track of everything. Nothing else matters as long as Maxon Grant is kissing me. It’s only when someone clears their throat that I jump, startled, and take a quick step away from Maxon. I sheepishly glance towards the sound, only to find Mrs. Bennett standing a few feet from us, her dark navy dress hiked high like Katie had done with her wedding gown.
“Sorry to interrupt.” She says, however the grin on her face and spark in her eyes tells me she’s far more amused than she is sorry. “But we have an issue.” She points towards the sky.
The sky and a very ominous dark looking cloud that’s blowing in from the west.