“The ceremony shall begin at eleven in the garden room,” I keep going, finding it hard to stop just so I can keep her here for a bit longer. I know she’s about to flee at any moment.
“I’m sure I’ll make it there,” She replies dryly, “And if not, someone can drag me.”
I clear my throat, scrubbing a hand across my mouth to hide my grin, “Kitten, I’ve no problem throwing you over my shoulder to get you to the altar. You’re mine, no matter which way I have to make it happen.”
“Pig,” She snaps, getting up from the table abruptly.
“Goodnight Olivia,” I call after her.
Her response is flipping her middle finger over her shoulder, and I can’t help the chuckle it brings.
And when I head to bed that night, I’m delighted to see she’s upgraded from simply turning down my bed.
My pillows are thrown across the floor, the sheets a balled-up mess tossed into the corner with some sort of liquid on them that looks like shower soap from my ensuite, and my mattress is somewhat half on and half off the bed base.
Olivia’s tantrums seem to be chaotic, like she trieshard to be destructive but the most she can do is a little bit of mess that’ll take no time to clean.
It doesn’t even register on my scale of annoyance, not when I can smell that sweet scent of her still lingering in my space.
I straighten out my bedroom and then cross the hall. I’d gone in the night before while she was sleeping, just to see, just to watch as she dreamed but I won’t have such luck tonight.
The door doesn’t budge when I push on it this time, and since there isn’t a lock on this door, I wonder if she barricaded it like she said she did the night before.
Such a shame.
But it doesn’t matter now. I could go the next seven hours without seeing her. After tomorrow, as soon as that ring is on her finger she won’t be in a separate room. She’ll be in my bed. Under my sheets.
There will be no hiding from me.
Chapter Ten
To say I’m sick with nerves is an understatement, my stomach hasn’t stopped churning all morning and the thought of ingesting anything right now makes me feel ten times worse.
“You’re looking a little green,” Willow cringes.
I press my hand to my stomach, “I’ll be fine.”
The artist presses the powder puff to my cheeks, setting the makeup she’s placed on my skin. She’s done an incredible job, keeping it light but I have this subtle glam look going on, which I’m not mad about. My hair has been pinned back and the small flower shaped accessories I picked up at the boutique have been intricately woven into my black strands.
The only jewelry I have on is a bracelet Willow lent to me for the day, my something borrowed, she said. After she’d given it to me, she pulled out a lacy little lingerie set, wagging her brows, “Something blue and something new,” she shoved it into my chest and toldme to put it on.
Since the dress is backless and strappy, I can’t wear the bra, but I appease her and put on the lacy panties.
Now my feet are being slipped into the strappy white heels we had picked to match the dress, and Willow is reaching for the gown hung up by the bedroom door.
The house for the past few days has been quiet, barely a whisper but now I can hear commotion, voices and laughter, footsteps and furniture being moved. I know there are hundreds of people downstairs waiting.
I haven’t seen Malakai today, I had gone for breakfast early this morning, even though I couldn’t stomach anything, but he was nowhere to be found. I’m not sure if that made me happy or even more nervous.
“Let’s get this on you,” Willow whispers, helping to ease the dress over my head, avoiding my makeup so we don’t mark it and once it’s over my head, I shimmy a little, letting it fall in a swish of material down my body, soft like a cloud as it goes.
Despite my lack of excitement for this wedding, this dress really is stunning.
The buttons are secured at the back, the dress fitting like a glove.
Willow lets out a whistle, “Damn girl.”
She looks stunning herself, in a cobalt blue dress that makes her skin pop, it hugs all her curves. She’s gone light with her own makeup, using gold and browns to compliment her blue eyes and the dress and her red hair is curled, framing her face perfectly.
