“Go to sleep, Harper. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. We don’t want to disappoint Dante.”
I’ve already disappointed his parents. I doubt they will ever like me, but I suppose if they accept me and don’t cause harm to Zeke, myself, or my loved ones, I can live with that. I don’t want to be here, but it’s not like I have much of a choice. When the Riccis give an order, you obey.
Saturday morning, I’m shuffled upstairs with Nikki.
Zeke is secured to my hip, although he squirms and wants to be set down.
I ignore his little protests and tickle him, trying to change his mood.
It doesn’t help. He makes me think of how perhaps a little Luca may have once behaved, not getting his way and fussing the entire time.
“Do you want me to hold him?” Nikki holds out her hands, offering to take Zeke from me.
Zeke’s eyes widen, and he willingly throws himself at her while I’m struggling to hold on to him.
Whether I want it or not, Zeke has already made up his mind. Nikki will hold him.
“Thanks.” I hand him over, and then he plays the same wiggle and squirm game with her.
Eventually, she sets his feet down onto the floor.
The door to the suite is closed, so Zeke isn’t going anywhere without either one of us noticing first.
I grab the wedding dress, remove my clothes and slip into the gown.
It feels strange, putting the dress on now that Luca and I are already married.
I suppose I never do anything typical. I had Zeke long before I got married.
“Let me get the zipper.” Nikki walks over, and I reach for my long hair, pulling it up and twirling it into a bun, holding it up with my hands.
She slides the zipper up the dress, smiling as I spin around slowly to face her. I drop my hair, letting the waves cascade down my back.
“It looks amazing on you. The pictures are going to come out so great today! I can’t wait for us to share them with everyone.”
I knew the wedding photographs were less about the actual pictures and more about proving our marriage. I’m just not sure who we’re proving it to, the mafia family or someone else?
“I’ll have Paige come in and help with your hair.” Nikki heads for the door. “She does a great job with updos. Unless you’d prefer to keep it down for pictures?” Her hand rests on the doorknob, and Zeke is right at her heels, ready to tear out of the room the moment she opens the door.
Nikki lifts Zeke into her arms, taking him with her out into the hallway.
Quietly, I follow, watching as she wanders through the maze of rooms on the third floor and knocks on a closed bedroom door.
A moment later, Paige pokes her head out, rubbing at her eyes.
“Did I wake you?”
“It’s fine.” Paige waves her hand dismissively. She pulls the robe tighter around herself. “What do you need?”
Thirty-five minutes later, my hair and makeup are completed, and I’m getting my Cinderella-esque moment when Luca comes to the door of the room where I’ve been dressing, carrying a pair of dainty heels.
“You look good.” I can’t take my gaze off Luca, except to mentally undress him.
Standing there, he’s holding the silver heels by the straps. “I brought you shoes.” He doesn’t even acknowledge my compliment or make any mention of how I’m shaping up with the wedding gown.
However, his throat bobs when he swallows, and his jaw tightens like he’s grinding his teeth together for sport.
“You didn’t have to.” I take the heels from his hands and move to sit at the edge of the mattress.
