I rip off the paper and flip open the flat box. Tara curls her lip. “It looks just like the one you already wear, except with a white ribbon.”
I touch the necklace with the little diamond heart. “It has a special meaning.”
“It looks like a freakin’ expensive collar if you ask me.” I flick my eyes up at her and try to hide my smile.
“I said it has special meaning.”
“Seriously, Ellie. I don’t want to know what freaky shit you and Kayne are into. He’s so possessive, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made you wear a collar.” I nearly lose it. If she only knew!
“I’m ready to start celebrating.” Tara slinks off the bed.
God, me too. I fall back onto the pillow and stare up at the ceiling, balancing the box on my stomach. The last twelve months have not been easy. Kayne and I adjusting as roommates was the least of our problems. Not only did my body need to heal, but so did my mind. When Jett told me Kayne was more loyal than a dog, he meant it. He never left my side. He came to every physical therapy session and therapist appointment. He sat beside me as I recounted every horrific minute with Michael, held me as I cried every tear, and comforted me after every single nightmare. Sex was a challenge. Not because I didn’t want it, but because intimacy was difficult. I was disconnected from my emotions and had somehow lost my sense of security. There was a time I thought I was never going to get out from under the depression and fear. It had taken a while before things started to get easier, before I started to feel more like myself. After about six months, my therapist suggested I find something positive to concentrate on. That’s when Kayne and I decided to set a date. May sixteenth, to be exact. Some may think wedding planning is stressful, and I guess that’s true in some cases. Not in ours. If anything, it was therapeutic. It gave us something to look forward to, it helped fortify our very new and fragile relationship, and sparked hope. So here I lay, in a penthouse suite on Maui, about to become someone’s wife.
I’ve never looked more forward to a sunset in my life.
“Ellie!” Tara yells. “Get up!”
“I’m up!” I yell back.
After a morning massage, a nice long hot shower, and several mimosas courtesy of Tara, I’m ready to start the beautification process. Hair, nails, makeup, dress—in that order, apparently.
By midafternoon, my hotel room—and future honeymoon suite—is buzzing with people. My mother and sister, of course, the hair stylist and manicurist and Mark. Yes, Mark. Like he would be left out of all the girlie fun. Plus, he wanted a manicure. How could I say no?
“You know, it’s because of me that Kayne and Ellie met.” He grins at the older woman with long, jet-black hair filing his nails. She just nods and smiles. I roll my eyes. He’s been telling everyone that. Like he hooked us up or something. In reality, he was just responsible for letting two strangers’ paths meet, but we won’t burst his bubble and tell him that.
There’s a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Tara announces, hopping off her stool, hair half curled.
“Oh, hi.” She sounds almost disappointed as Jett walks in. My mother and I glance knowingly at each other.
“Hey, sweet thing.” Jett walks over and kisses me hello just as the stylist finishes pinning a white orchid into my hair. “Very nice.” He looks at the masterpiece she’s been working on for the last hour. After about a million trials, I decided to wear it down in loosely textured curls accented with the flower.
“Jealous you didn’t do it?” I jest.
“Maybe.” He laughs, his aqua eyes sparkling back at me in the mirror. “You finally got that haircut.”
“Just a trim,” I joke. “What are you doing here?”
“I come bearing gifts.” He holds up a small wrapped box and a large card.
I look at him confused. “Juice already dropped off my wedding present from Kayne.”
“He got you two.” Jett takes my hand and helps me up. “And he asked that you open it in private.”
I glare at Jett. I don’t like the sound of this.
“Just need to borrow her for a sec,” he announces as he pulls me into the bedroom.
“If you think I’m going to let you clamp any part of me, you have another thing coming.” I cross my arms. “It’s my wedding day, and I’m not going to walk around like a cat in freakin’ heat!”
Jett looks at me like he’s out to bust a gut. His golden hair is styled back, and he’s wearing a white T-shirt and dress pants. “I don’t know what’s in the box,” his lips twitch fitfully, “but I’m pretty sure it isn’t a clit clamp. He wants you to open the card first.”
“Okay.” I take them from him. “If it’s nothing kinky then why the privacy?”
“I never said it wasn’t anything kinky, he just didn’t tell me what it was.”
I roll my eyes as I slide my finger under the flap. My eyes water immediately. The card has one simple picture on the front. A little boy holding a cupcake. I flip it open to a long, handwritten note inside.
