Jaylen grabs the box from my hand and sits back down beside Rory.
"Please place this ring on Alicia's finger and repeat after me," the officiant says. "With this ring, I thee wed."
Alicia begrudgingly lifts her left hand, holding it out to me, and I move mine beneath hers, holding it in place before she can snatch it away as I slowly slide the ring halfway onto her finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed," I say, repeating the words, and then I slide the ring further until it's in place.
"Now, Alicia, please place this ring on Dominic's finger and—"
"Yeah, I get it," she snaps, interrupting him as she grabs a hold of my left hand and roughly shoves the ring onto my finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."
She drops my hand immediately, and I scoff at her behaviour, which causes her blazing eyes to lift to mine.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Her eyes narrow, as if she's almost daring me to try and place my lips against hers, and knowing that it would enrage her, I'm tempted to, but then I remember what Jaylen said before about her mother and sister not being here for her, and how she's probably struggling with this event today just as much as I am, so I don't push my luck.
Instead, I grab her hand tightly and lift it as I lean down and place a kiss against the back of her hand.
Chapter Twelve
Alicia
As soon as the ceremony was over and pictures had been taken, I went back to the bridal suite to get my phone and text Eliana to check on her, and make sure she was okay considering she's currently sat in a hotel room by herself.
She told me she was fine and was packing to get ready for her flight this evening, but the thought of her leaving had devastation coursing through my body.
I did plan to sit in the bridal suite and hide away, but my father came to get me after everyone had eaten and told me to come down to the reception to enjoy the rest of the evening with everyone. So that's why I'm now seated at one of the tables off to the side of the room with my third glass of champagne in my hand, watching people on the dance floor as music pumps around the room.
Gulping down the remainder of the alcohol in my glass, I put my phone back in the small clutch bag I bought here with me, and move away from the table towards the tower of champagne glasses, plucking another one from the top layer.
I turn around, planning to go back to my table and continue my sulking, but almost bump into the platinum blond-haired malestanding behind me in a crisp suit, and a large grin on his face, which forces small indents in both of his cheeks.
"Care for a dance?" he asks.
I raise my brows in surprise, glancing around the grand hall at the people milling around, wondering if this is some sort of prank.
"Me?"
Jaylen nods, offering me his hand.
"Why?"
"Rory promised Sophia she'd drink for her tonight because Sophia can't, so she's already out for the night. I took her to our room, and then on my way back here, spotted you by yourself, and that's no way to spend your wedding night. So, I'm offering you a dance, considering my arsehole of a cousin hasn't," he says, rolling his eyes at me.
My lips tilt up, and my eyes dart across the room to where said arsehole is currently sitting with a scowl on his face as he stares my way while his sister sits beside him, trying to gain his attention.
"Okay, sure." Placing the glass on the edge of the table, I take his hand and follow him to the dance floor.
He guides my left hand to his shoulder before respectfully placing his right hand above my hip, as our other hands clasp together beside us, and we move around the dance floor in time with the slow music pumping through the room.
"You look beautiful, by the way," he says, smiling down at me.
"Thank you," I whisper, surprised by how nice he's being towards me.
My eyes run over his face, and I feel an ache in my chest as I remember the story Louise spoke of earlier regarding the man standing before me.
"You're not what I was expecting," I tell him, causing him to chuckle before he spins me around.
