“And I’m not wearing a single shred of taffeta.” I peek down at my gown, soft pink material floating all the way to the floor. She chose a sweetheart neckline, so we’dallhave fantastic tits, and a corset bust, so I don’t even have to work hard to suck my belly in. The steel boning will do all the work for me.
All for the low, low price of not being able to breathe.
“I’m so freakin’ happy for you, babe.” I wrap my arm around hers and lead her toward the door, slowing our steps while Elena and Camila go first. “You deserve this.” I bring her around and stare into her beautiful baby blues. “You deserve happiness, Mel. And who knows…” I draw a shuddering breath… ish. Until my dress saysno more. “If you show me that it can be done, if you prove people are worth the fear of what could be lost, then maybe I’llnotset shit on fire. Then you can be the maid-of-honor at my wedding.”
“To Dean?” Her eyes alight. “Nick likes him, and I’m not sure anyone cares that hemaybe a criminal. He’s too charming to send away, ya know?”
“Oh, God.” Laughing, I peek into the hall to make sure Nick is nowhere nearby. As maid-of-honor, it’s my duty to ensure this marriage starts without bad luck. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” She squeaks. “That’s better thanhell no.”
“I mean, if I were going to try that shit out with anyone, I suppose he might be a decent candidate. Assuming we ignore the criminal stuff.”
She giggles.
“He’s too charming to send away.” I parrot her words and turn toward the door, leading her through as bells make way for an organ.
Nick’s nieces will walk first. Then his sisters. And then us, because although Melhasa dad, he long ago lost the right to attend her special day.
Which is ironic, really, sincemyfather absolutely deserves to be here, but isn’t.
We come to a stop at the end of a long hall, behind a set of double doors and a couple of dudes in suits who open them for Elena and Camila to pass through.
Stepping forward—we’re next!—I peek across at my best friend. “This might be the greatest honor ever given to me.” I pat her hand and search her beautiful, glistening eyes. “For you to ask me to walk with you made my heart so freakin’ happy. If I decide to get hitched someday, ya know, if the whole concept of marriage became less lame, maybe you could return the favor and walk with me?” I swallow my nerves. My tears. “We both know I’ll be looking for an exit, and you’re so good at talking me down from full blown panic attacks…”
“I’ll walk with you. It would be my honor and privilege.” She chokes out a snickering giggle, inhaling a shuddering breath and nodding as the doors open for us. Then her breath catches.
“Oh my gosh.” Fresh tears trickle onto her cheeks, because at the other end of the aisle, an insanely handsome Nicolas Ramos waits for his bride. “Doesn’t he just look amazing?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t invite a plus one to this shindig, but I’ll be damned if I don’t scour each pew, searching until I stop on a pair of milky brown eyes and a smile too wide, too freakin’ bright, you’d swear he’s known these people all his life. “He really looks amazing. He’s exactly right for me.”
Surprised, her wide eyes swing back to mine. “What?”
“For you!” Laughing, I lead her forward. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, I walk Melanie Hamilton toward her future as Mrs. Melanie Ramos. “I love you,” I whisper under my breath. “So, so much.”
“I love you, too.”
“Now go get him.” I unravel our arms and slap her ass. “He’s gonna Hulk smash this chapel if you don’t hurry.”
SIXTEEN
ANNA
“Your tits look amazing, Counselor. Wanted to tell you that from the second you stepped inside the church.”
“Goddddd.” Laughing, I lay my forehead on Dean’s chest and allow him to lead me around the dance floor.
He didn’t even know these people a week ago, but in such a small amount of time, he’s managed to acquire a suit that looks as though it was tailored specifically for him, and snagged a boutonniere to match the flowers I left somewhere in my past.
On the table, I think.
His hair is slicked back, and the bruising along one side of his face has only taken him from traditionally handsome and shoved him toward roguish and delicious. “How could I know you’d say something about my tits?”
“Because I pride myself on transparency and predictability. I’ve been myself from the moment we met, which allowed you a chance to understand exactly who I am at my core, rather thansome puffed up fake ass version all cos I wanted to impress you.”
I pull back just far enough to search his playful eyes. “You don’t care about impressing me?”
“Fuck yeah, I do. But I want you to like therealme, so forty years from now, when you’re bitching at me on my sixty-ninth birthday after I make a rude joke for the sixty-ninth time, I’ll know you jumped into this with your eyes wide open. I’ll know you chose me. What are you doing on Christmas day, anyway?”
