Page 76 of House of Desire

The officiant pulls my attention back as he starts the part of the service we have all been waiting for.

“Alec, do you take Charlie to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love in sickness and in health. To cherish always?”

I can’t see his smile, but I can hear it in his “I do.”

“Charlie, will you take Alec to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love in sickness and in health? To cherish always?”

Her smile is beautiful and brings a tear to my eye.

“Hell. Yes.”

“With the power vested in me, I now declare you husband and wife. Alec, you may kiss the bride.”

He grabs Charlie’s face and pulls her in, kissing her to the wolf whistles of all the guests. As they part, they look out onto the faces of those they love and see love shining back on them.

“May I introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Alec King.”

Raising their hands up, Charlie gives a whoop of happiness before taking her flowers back from Courtney and making her way up the aisle. I offer my elbow to the sable-haired spitfire and as we make our own way up the aisle, I catch Anastasia’s eye and give her a wink.

Pictures take forever. After all the wedding party shots are done, every guest is allowed to take a picture with the bride and groom, if they’d like. It’s a nice touch and I make a mental note of how relaxed the entire thing is with such a small group.

When Brittany and I got married, she wanted to have everyone she had ever known in attendance. I think we had over two hundred guests between family and the entirety of our graduating class. All I remember from that night was not even getting to sit down to eat or having more than a single bite of cake. All I wanted to do was to celebrate with her.

Spend time with her.

But instead it was like a second prom.

As the pictures finish, Alec and Charlie go off to the dressing room for a moment, having mentioned they would be changing before the reception. They had mentioned this to the guests as well, telling them they were welcome to change if they’d like to be comfortable. Charlie has always been incredibly caring about other people as long as I’ve known her and on this day, that’s supposed to be all about her, I love seeing she’s being true to herself.

The reception is set up in a pavilion on the resort’s property. Instead of separate tables, there are two long ones pushed together so we can all dine together as a family. It reminds me so much of House of Deceit and the meals all of us contestants would share every night, I get teary with nostalgia.

Courtney and I wait for Alec and Charlie at a distance from the party. Waiters serve the guests, seated at the table or mingling around the dance floor. The set up is simple, but romantic.

Flowers and candles are placed around while strings of overhead lights give the entire place a glow. Anastasia walks toward her chair, smiling and laughing at something Charlie’s father says to her as she passes.

“Not that my opinion matters, but I like her. And Lore said she bakes like an angel. She’s already agreed to let me help some at her bakery when I visit,” Courtney says, standing next to me.

I watch Anya ask Court’s husband if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him and when he indicates it’s free, she takes it, drawing the friendly man into conversation.

“Your opinion matters,” I say, looking down at the short woman.

“Not as much as Charlie’s.”

“I don’t think anyone’s matters to me as much as Charlie’s.” I think about that before correcting my statement. “Except Anastasia’s.”

“Can I give you an unsolicited piece of advice?” she says, grabbing my arm and turning me toward her.

“You act like I have any say in the matter.”

She snorts with laughter. “That woman over there? She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s in love with you. And I know you’re in love with her. If you realize it or not, or are willing to admit it to yourself yet, I don’t know, but that doesn’t change the truth of the matter. Whatever you need to do so you can be with her? Do it. Don’t hold back and try to protect yourself. Give her everything you have.”

“And what if she doesn’t want everything I have?” I ask the dark night. If I make eye contact with her, it’ll make it too real. Too honest.

“Then that’s her loss, but she does.”

Before I can say anything else, like dispute the fact I’m in love with Anya, Charlie and Alec appear.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Courtney says, laughing.

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