Page 61 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Sel makes her way over to where I am sitting at the vanity and takes a seat next to me. She grips my shaking hands tightly in hers. “I don’t have to tell you that my brother has legitimate feelings for you. I think you already know that. So…these nerves may be for more than one reason. You don’t have to admit it out loud to me if you don’t want to, but I think, somewhere deep down, you may reciprocate those feelings. As his sister, I would be overjoyed to have you as his wife, to have you become my sister-in-law…but I’ve seen how you and Liam are together. Getting married to my brother doesn’t have to change that. All will go back to the way it was before this mess.” Her eyes raise to meet mine. Her features giving her away. Even she isn’t convinced by her own statement.

A lone tear escapes the corner of my eye before I can dab at it. “Liam doesn’t want me anymore. He made his choice. He ended what we had for the second time, thinking he knows what’s best for me. I don’t think he’ll ever give me the chance to be his again. And I know it’s because he loves me. That man loves me more than anything. He’s doing this because he wants to give me a better shot at life, but he’s wrong. My life was and is nothing without him. You’re right when you said I have some sort of feelings for your brother. But it’s not the same way I love Liam. It’s a connection I can’t describe, and I’ve tried to resist it. One of the fears I have is that if I marry your brother, something inside of me will break a little bit more. The part of me that put up a barrier so he couldn’t ever get too close.”

Sel lifts the corner of her lips into a small smile. “He’s not a bad guy, my brother. His heart is really big. And between you and I—I’ve never seen him this way. You’ve enchanted him, Maddy,” she says in a sigh. “I wish he never included you in this. You and Liam have a connection you could never deny. And ultimately, I think what you share is a soul connection. Two souls like yours will always find their way back. Diego might just be what you needed in this part of your life. And since you can’t change the past, what if you actually embraced this?”

Another knock sounds at the door. “It’s Killian. I was sent to walk you down the aisle,” he says in a clipped tone from behind the door.

“Good luck. No matter how real or fake this wedding is, don’t be afraid to just let yourself feel. No one butyouneeds to know what tonight means to you,” Sel says in a hushed tone while giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. Killian opens the door and she pulls him in for a quick kiss before disappearing upstairs with her cousin Antonio.

Killian’s eyes scan me from top to bottom as I place my veil over my face. “Fuck, Madison. You look absolutely beautiful. I’m so sorry this is how the plan is unraveling,” he admits in a whisper.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault, Kil. Tell me you have sorted out something with Diego. Tell me we are ending that asshole’s life tonight.” I search his eyes when he remains quiet.

“There’s a plan, but if one thing goes astray, we are abandoning it and waiting a while. There are too many precious lives onboard. Yours, Selena’s, my child’s. Promise me that if shit hits the fan, you’ll duck down and find a way off this yacht. Look for Conor, look for Kieran or Colin. Just get to the water. Do you hear me?”

A spike of fear paralyzes me for a second.

What are they planning?

Killian rests his palms on my shoulders and kisses my head. Where it once felt romantic, it now feels friendly and comforting. “Liam will always love you, Madison. This wedding, no matter how real or fake, could never change those feelings. You two will be together again. I know it. And he fucking knows it too.”

He offers me his arm as the sound of a violin grows louder. “Ready?”

“No,” I snort and roll my eyes, linking my arm around his.

It’sa miracle we make it up those stairs to the main deck. I am shaking like a leaf. Killian rubs his thumb along my forearm, trying to calm me. I barely register his touch, my body buzzes everywhere with anxiety. The quartet is playing a beautiful rendition ofColdplay’sA Sky Full of Stars.

All eyes are on me…one pair, specifically giving me another bout of anxiety. Geraldo’s seedy black eyes lock onto me. His smug face takes in each move I make towards his nephew. I’m incredibly thankful for this veil at the moment. He can’t see the absolute fear coursing through me.

Kieran and Colin are speaking in quick hushed tones before Selena slaps them with her clutch. They both chuckle before becoming stoic. My eyes continue to scan the crowd, until they meet Diego’s gorgeous blues.

He looks handsome in his navy blue tuxedo. His hands are relaxed andcrossed in front of him as he watches me take baby steps down the arranged aisle. As if he’s enjoying his own private joke, his lips twitch, prompting me to figure out what it is he’s laughing at.

Suddenly, my anxiety goes out the window. I am already more than halfway to the flower archway they set up. The sun is setting within that archway, making it feel like I am in some parallel universe. Diego’s eyes never stray from mine as I make my approach. The intensity they hold has my heart skipping a beat and my face flushing.

Killian and I make our approach, where he turns to me to lift my veil, placing a kiss on my cheek. “You’ve got this, love. And by the way—Kieran, Conor and Colin aren’t the only ones here,” he whispers.

Um. What does that mean?

Diego clasps my hand in his as Killian takes his seat next to a teary-eyed Selena. I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat. Diego raises my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss there. “You look incredible.”

“Thank you,” I managed to get out, over my tongue stuck on the roof of my mouth.

The officiant begins talking but I can barely make out what he’s saying to the crowd. There is mostly silence and a few chuckles in response to what he said. I’m still thinking about what Killian had said, when Diego gives my hand a firm squeeze. I look up at him and then over to the officiant.

The older man hands me a black titanium wedding band, and Diego a stunning diamond eternity band. “Mr. De La Cruz, please place the ring on Madison’s finger and repeat after me: I, Diego, take you Madison, to be my beloved wife. I vow to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side through all the times of sorrow and joy, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this until I take my last breath.” He repeats each word, laying emphasis on the word love. As he slides the ring onto my finger, he blows out a silent breath. That’s when I discover the moisture in his eyes.

The officiant turns towards me. “Please place the ring on Mr. De La Cruz’z finger and repeat after me. “ I, Madison, take you, Diego, to be my beloved husband. I vow to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side through all the times of sorrow and joy, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this until I take my last breath.” Stumbling, I repeat the words to a deliriously happy Diego. He can’t even hide those perfect teeth of his. To any onlooker, it looks smug, but I see right past that façade. He’s genuinely happy right now. Who knew theBone Breakerwould be such a softie for weddings.

“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. De La Cruz. You may now kiss your bride, Sir.”

Diego leans in, his nose and forehead touching mine. “Ask me,” he demands. His minty breath and signature beachy scent overloads my senses and awakens something inside of me.

“Such an ass.” I cluck my tongue. “Will you kiss me,dear husband?” I ask in a whisper. A hint of flirtation laces my words and it shocks me.What does this mean for us…later? Is there going to be a later?

He folds me into his arms and dips me as his lips come crashing down onto mine, stealing the air right out of my lungs. As if he needed it in order to survive. On a gasp at the electricity bouncing between our lips, his tongue slides in. It dances with mine as Geraldo’s men hoot and holler. Some whistle. I think I hear Colin say, “Agh, for fucks sake.” Fireworks explode above us, drowning out the rest of the crowd. Diego sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, grazing his teeth over it, before righting me and pulling away to stare at me. “I am nowhere near done with you, Mrs. De La Cruz. But I’d prefer not to give our guests a show.” He winks.

Diego’s hand snakes around my waist, holding me close to him as we make our way down the aisle. “My wife and I will be right back,we need a minute—ortwenty. Please enjoy cocktail hour,” he laughs to the crowd lightheartedly. When we reach the kitchen area, he scoops me up into his arms, and carries me downstairs to his room.

---