“Honestly, Oliver. Stay. If you want to torture yourself with this, then do it. I’m not stopping you.” He looks around, then drops his voice. “Just do not fuck this up for Darius. There’s a lot riding on it.” He smacks his mouth closed and looks at his feet.
“What do you mean by that? What’s riding on it?”
Jamie shakes his head and I don’t get the chance to push for an answer because a well-dressed man walks through the door, an older woman at his side, and we both step out of the aisle to let them pass. There’s something about him that makes my hackles rise, my eyes following him down the aisle. When they reach the front, he kisses the woman’s cheek and helps her to her seat. Then he takes the two steps up onto the platform, leaning in to speak to the officiant.
“Is that him?” I ask.
Jamie nods.
“Is he good to Darius?” Because when this is all over, no matter how hurt I am, how mad I am at Darius, I only want him to be happy.
“I don’t know.” He looks at the man at the front and then back at me. “I’m not going to lie to you and say Caiden and I agree with this – but it’s Darius’s life, not ours. Promise me you’ll keep your mouth shut and let this wedding happen.”
I’m thrown by his words – you’d think Darius’s closest friends would be happy for him. There is a severe lack of happiness on any of the faces of the people I know are here for Darius.
“Fine,” I agree, because I’m not here to ruin things for Darius.
Jamie gives me a side eye, before returning to his seat next to Darcey. She looks over her shoulder and the look she gives me is soft and sad. I hate it. I turn away from her, hoping she can’t tell how devastated I am right now. I take the seat on the edge, giving myself the option to leave as quickly as possible.
My eyes move around the room, taking in all the decorations and noting that none of it reflects the Darius I know and love. Everything is orange and there are fucking roses everywhere. Not a sunflower in sight. Nothing that says the man that’s about to stand on that platform is sunshine personified. That he’s caring and affectionate and the best fucking friend I ever had.
My eyes burn and I breathe in heavily, releasing the breath on awhooshand willing myself not to let tears fall. I’m so tired of crying. Of being sad and broken. That day we went to my father’s funeral I was looking for closure. Maybethat’swhy I’m here now. Closure.
Then I can move on.
Chapter 26
Darius
“Darius.” My father’s voice pulls me out of my daze and I turn away from the mirror and watch as he takes a step forward. He’s dressed in a suit similar to mine. “Thank you for doing this for us.”
I shake my head. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear it.” I drop my voice. “I don’t want to see you go to jail, but I won’t forgive you for what you did. Even if Floyd had never found out, what you did was wrong. I looked up to you. I thought you were a good guy, but in reality, you’re no better than the man blackmailing us.”
My father flinches, but he nods his head and I like to believe it's remorse I see on his face. But it could just be regret for getting caught. I wish I could bring myself to hate him, so that I could walk away from him and not care about the consequences, but that’s not who I am. Busying myself with buttoning up the jacket on my suit, I ignore him as he stands awkwardly watching me.
“Do you want me to walk you down the aisle?” he asks.
I laugh. “Maybe if I was marrying someone I loved, then yeah. Then I’d want to do it all. But this? This is a facade, an act.” I look down at the tie I’m wearing. “I fucking hate the colour orange. Did you know that? This isn’t my wedding, Dad. This is your stay of execution. Let’s not pretend it’s anything more.” He has the decency to look ashamed, but when Caiden enters the room, he schools his features into the stoic businessman I know so well. The one who would risk other people’s jobs for his own benefit. The one who often put his business before his family but who now needs his son to put him first.
Caiden doesn’t smile when he sees me. My friend looks sad and I hate that I’m the reason. He and Jamie are happy and in a good place and I’m so jealous of it I’ve been keeping my distance from them. It hurts too much knowing I could have had the same.
“Ready? All the guests are seated.”
My father takes a step back, waving over his shoulder. “I’ll go take my seat.” He disappears from the room, and then it’s just me and Caiden and a bouquet of ugly roses that I refuse to carry.
“Not really.”
“It’s not too late to back out.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Darius, I seriouslywantto tempt you,” Caiden says, a hand on each of my shoulders. “How can I talk you out of this?”
I shake my head. “You can’t, babe. Let’s just get it over with.”
“Okay.” He blows out a breath. “But I have to tell you something.” I raise an eyebrow. “Oliver is here.”
My heart soars but sinks just as swiftly. “What? How did he even know about it?” Caiden’s cheeks pinken and he looks down at his feet. “You told him?”
