Page 20 of The Puck Decoy

“I hate you both,” I grumble, throwing open the door and accepting another hug from my mom. “And I never let him beat me at hockey.”

“It’s okay, Sweetie, we hate you too, now hurry up and go, so me and your dad can do hot yoga together,” she replies with a playful wink, and I groan.

“Gross, now I really do hate you,” I say in disgust, darting between them before they start making out like teenagers under the bleachers. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” I add with a vague wave, as I rush out of the door and head for my car.

“Give Josh our love,” my dad calls out after me with a gleeful tone.

“That is if you're not too busy giving him allyour love,” my mom adds, with a giggle that turns into a squeal as my dad pulls her against him.

I give them both the middle finger like the mature adult child of theirs I am, and then dive into my car before I am forced to assault my ears with the sounds of their moans. I already have enough childhood trauma of that, I certainly don’t need anymore. Yet still I can’t help but smile as I leave their driveway and start on the road back to Fairfield.

What must it be like to be married to the love of your life?

I guess today I will find out, even if he doesn’t love me back.

When I get home, I head straight for a shower to freshen up, and then even though the wedding is still hours away, I slowly start to get ready to try and calm my nerves. I do my makeup, tidy up my hair, and then slip on the dress that made the final cut. When I look in the mirror I expect to feel something. That thing that people talk about when they see themselves ready to get married for the first time, but I don’t feel anything. All I see is a girl in a pretty dress, wondering if she is about to make the biggest mistake of her life.

Which is how my best friend finds me.

Maddie knocks and then pushes open the door, but then halts on the threshold as she stares at me. “Oh my god, Hallie, you look amazing.” She rushes towards me and joins my starein the mirror as we both take in my reflection. “I mean you look beautiful every single day, but wow, you’re an angel.”

The dress is simple and elegant, tucking in at the waist and then flowing down to the floor. There is a slight floral detail on the bodice, but it’s mostly plain yet compliments my figure well.

“Do you think it’s okay?” I ask, knowing it doesn’t really matter because one day I will have the perfect dress that does give me the perfect feeling, it just won’t be with the perfect guy.

“Are you kidding? I think you look gorgeous, but if you want a second opinion, there is a hockey player at the door asking for you,” she states casually, and I almost vomit over the butterflies that flood my stomach.

Josh is here? What the hell is he doing here already?

I don’t bother voicing my questions out loud and instead just push past her and head downstairs, not caring if he sees me in the dress. Hell, he saw me in like twenty others in pictures yesterday, and it’s not like bad luck can affect a fake wedding right? Yet when I reach the bottom of the stairs I don’t find my husband to be like I expect. No, instead I find the last person I ever thought I’d see here.

Daemon Forbes.

He is standing in the open door frame with his eyes on the floor, shifting slowly from side to side, like just being out of his bubble unnerves him. He isn’t dressed in his usual attire of a black hoodie and dark jeans, and is instead looking both handsome and smart in a dark colored tux with his usual messy hair slicked back a little. There is a large garment bag in his hands that he holds up straight, and when he hears me approach, he lifts his chin so his stare can meet mine.

Neither of us say anything right away, and I am reminded about the couple of encounters we’ve had, and the words Josh said about him.

Daemon Forbes is one of the best people I have ever met, you just need to get to know him.

So with that in mind, and knowing that he is close to Josh and knows the truth about today, I step towards him. “Hi Daemon,” I say simply, not really sure what else to say, and a small smile pulls on the corner of his mouth.

“Hi Hallie.” His gaze sweeps up and down my entire body with a small frown, before he holds out the bag in his hand. “Josh asked if I could drop this off for you.”

I notice he is holding the hook at the top of the bag on one finger, meaning when I grab it from him, our hands don’t touch at all. “What is it?”

“Open it and find out.” His response isn’t meant to be funny, but still a small laugh falls from my lips as I hang the bag on the top of the front door beside us and gently slide down the zip.

When I look inside I gasp at the sparkly green tulle that greets me and before I can even take it all in, Daemon steps a little closer and says, “He wanted today to be perfect for you, and he said that meant having the perfect dress.”

At his words I look at him, and I know the moment he sees the unshed tears in my eyes because his own take on a whole new look. Like he’s assessing some new information he just discovered, and I can’t even find the strength in me to hide it. I let him see it, I let him see the real love I have for his friend. Not the fake kind, or the showy kind, and all I can do is pray that he won’t tell him. He steps forward, almost as if he is about to try and comfort me but then stops himself.

“You won’t tell him will you?” I ask, the tears no doubt ruining my makeup as I turn back to the dress.

“You don’t know me very well, but if there's one thing I’m good at it’s keeping secrets, trust me.” The tone of his voice has a dark edge to it now, and for some reason I feel he’s the one who needs comfort more than I do.

I turn towards him, taking a step to bring us closer together, before I lean up and gently press my lips to his cheek. “Thank you, Daemon.”

His entire body freezes when I kiss him, like he’s not sure what to do with that level of affection, and a blush stains his cheeks, but I pretend I don’t notice as I move back to unhook the dress from the door.

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