Page 54 of All the Promises We Break

Some would take offense to his words. I don’t. I think it’s just right. “I can live with that. Is she ready for me?”

“She is. Take care of her, Elijah.”

I nod as he lays one hand on my back as he walks away. Inhale and slowly exhale. The butterflies in my stomach are real. The latch opens with an easy press of my thumb. I keep my eyes down to the floor. I want my first look at her to be absolutely intentional.

Heel to toe. Heel to toe. My hands are rubbing slowly together as I walk. I can feel a heat radiating from just under my collar, but my hands are stone cold. “I’d recognize those steps anywhere. Stop right there.”

My pace comes to a halt. I can feel my heartbeat in my ears and neck. My ears focus on a few things. I can hear us echo in every corner of the room. I can hear the swoosh of the material of what I can only assume is her gown. I can hear a gentle sexiness to her voice.

“Is that you I can smell or the flowers? It’s heaven.”

She giggles. “It might be a little of both. Are you ready?”

“I’ve been since the first night I met you. Yes. I’m ready.”

“Okay, Elijah. Look up.”

She doesn’t use my full name very often. It’s used in very private situations between us. This definitely counts. As my eyes rise, a warm stream of sunlight leads down its own path directly to her. My God. Her.

Dylan’s chin is turned gently to her right shoulder. I’m so stunned I have to hold the back of the chair to my left. My right hand rises to cover my mouth and it stays there. I’ve never seen something so beautiful in my life.

When she told me she wanted to look like a princess, I didn’t know what to expect. Being a princess can be something different to everyone. Now I see what it means to her. She’s sheer perfection.

Her dress is layers and layers of see-through material. One layer fades to the next and to the next and so on until it touches her body again. The train leads away from her about two feet. My eyes drift up from the floor and follow a pattern of lace patches and sequins that make everything shine.

The line of her back. Oh my God. Her back. The ball-style gown has nearly a completely open back. It’s as low as the dress she wore that first weekend we spent alone in the Hamptons. There’s detailed work to the straps that leave a geometric pattern just above the top of the very low zipper.

Dylan’s right hand takes hold of her dress as she swings it around to face me. The skin of her back fades from view to reveal the soft line of her neck and a deep V highlighted by the delicate corset and shoestring straps on front of her dress. I can feel my knees begin to buckle.

I crouch down, never taking my eyes off of her. Her left hand that was gracefully on her hip now falls gently to her side. The necklace that David asked her to wear is shimmering in that little notch I love so much. The diamond and sapphire earrings dangling from her ears are the perfect accent.

Her usually wild mane is tamed at the base of her neck in giant pinned curls with a few wisps free to frame her face, and what would a princess be without a crown? Her tiara peeks in and out around the top of her head. I knew I’d have a strong reaction to seeing her, but I’m beyond overwhelmed. Before I realize it, tears are falling down my cheeks.

“Oh my God. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’ll start then your sister will kill me for ruining her artwork. Are you okay?”

She can bring a smile to my face in the darkest of times. Why would I doubt she could do it now? “You’re an angel, Viper. I…there are no words.”

Dylan dabs away the tears she’s tried so hard to keep away under her long dark lashes. “Are you going to stay over there, or will you come here?”

I press my thumb deep into my eyes one at a time to wipe away my tears. With a breath, I get back to my feet. I pull my sleeves back into place by the cuff links and resume my approach. Every detail of her gown is becoming a permanent imprint in my mind.

I make sure to tuck the tips of my shoes underneath the hem of her dress. The back of my hand slowly strokes her cheek until my fingers decide to dance across her collarbone. Dylan’s left hand reaches to cup my face with an unrivaled subtle passion, while the other slides over the wing of my lapel.

“Thank you for my watch. It’s stunning.”

“I found it while shopping with Hayley in Vermont. I wanted to give you something to remember this day.”

“You’re my something. Just look at you.”

“I feel the same way. I’d love to take this tuxedo off you right now,” she says.

“I’ll make sure that happens later. I meant it when I said there are no words. My heart is so full.”

“It’s strange. I thought I’d be super nervous, but I’m not,” she whispers. “Did you see my dad?”

“I did. How did it go?”

“He…he told me he was proud of me, happy for me. He gave me these earrings with the sapphire and diamond bracelet to match. They’re just from him, he said. He understands how staked in tradition your family is. He knows you all have rings with blue. He wanted me to have blue of my own.”

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