My father comes to his feet. “Luisa! What are you doing?”
“I can’t do this. I’m so sorry, Daddy.” With everyone staring at me, I flee down the aisle.
The booming sound of the heavy wooden doors being thrown open lifts my eyes and brings me to a halt.
Blue stands there. He’s breathing hard, and so am I. We stare at each other like deer caught in the headlights.
And then he begins to walk toward me. “Luisa, don’t go through with this. You don’t love this guy. I know you don’t because it’s me you love. You belong with me. From the moment we met, you’ve known it in your heart, and so have I.”
I stand still as a statue, waiting for more. He looks worried—the confident man, suddenly vulnerable.
“I love you, Luisa. I know I didn’t say the words. I was a fool, but the love I feel is deep and true.”
His brothers come in the back door and stand just inside, and then Blue shocks me by dropping to one knee and pulling out a velvet ring box.
Suddenly, my heart is in my throat.
He pops it open, and I’m staring at a beautiful, simple round solitaire set in gold.
“Say you’ll be mine, baby. Say it’s me you want to marry.”
“It’s you, Blue. It’s always been you.” I hold out my hand, tears in my eyes, and he slips the ring on, then stands and scoops me up in his arms.
“You know what hell you put me through, Luisa?” he says, looking up at me.
I laugh, and he whirls me around.
We might as well have been alone in the cathedral, because we only had eyes for each other until his brothers start clapping from the doorway, and Blue sets me down.
He takes my hand, and we run out the door, and I don’t look back.
I don’t want to see the disappointment on my parents' faces or the looks from my girlfriends who, no doubt, believe I’m making a mistake.
I love Blue, and he loves me, and we’re going to have a life together.
That’s all I care about right now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Luisa—
A month later, Blue and I marry in the Basilica.
His club is all there, but my father refuses to come, so Rio walks me down the aisle.
Blue looks so happy, standing there waiting for me, and I only have eyes for him. My sister and mother came, and so did my friends. But most of my father’s family stay away.
That’s okay.
I want people here with me who are happy for me today.
In a way, it really doesn’t matter if people approve or not.
Blue told me that was their problem, and he’s right.
We’ve done nothing wrong but find happiness in each other. Just because I chose someone people didn’t expect doesn’t mean they get to disapprove or make judgements on my life choices.
Right now, I’m as disappointed in my father as he is with me.
