Page 96 of Wedlocked

“I’m intrigued,” she said, lips curling as she reached for the tissue paper filling the top.

I stayed quiet while she pulled it all out and set it aside before reaching into the bottom. When her hand appeared again, it was full of white lace.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous,” she whispered as though she were in the presence of something too beautiful for anything louder. Discarding the bag, she unfolded the garment and held it up. It was a white lace babydoll cami. The spaghetti straps were white satin, the triangle cups for the breasts were white lace, and in the center was a white satin ribbon so she could tie it together.

The sheer sides of the cami below the breast were open and would reveal some of her navel. There was also a white lace thong to go with it.

“So, um, I hope you don’t think this is creepy.”

“Creepy?” she exclaimed. “This is beautiful!”

“But I’m kinda like your brother… giving you lingerie for your wedding night.”

She hugged me again, tighter this time. Pulling back, she said, “Did you make this?”

I nodded. “Usually, I just sketch and sometimes design stuff for myself. But when you guys said you were getting married, I just got this idea and sketched it out. I decided to make it, just to see if I could.”

“Oh, Bodhi, this is beautiful. It’s perfect.”

“I chose the tie front top so you could adjust it to your size. I didn’t want to call and ask for your measurements. Kruger probably would have toilet-papered the house, and then Em would’ve had a fit…”

Jess laughed. “I definitely see why you wanted me to open this alone.”

I wrinkled my nose. “So you aren’t offended?”

“Oh, I could never be offended that you made something so beautiful for me. Besides this dress, I’ve never owned anything so stunning.”

“You don’t have to wear it.”

She gasped, clutching the fabric to her chest. “I will! To be honest, I didn’t have anything for my wedding night. Just another thing I didn’t really have time to plan.”

This time, I hugged her because I was too chicken to look at her when I said it. “You deserve nice things, Jess. Just because your family let you down doesn’t mean you don’t deserve all the traditions and love.”

She sniffled.

“And it doesn’t matter how much something costs. Or if it was secondhand. I can say that because I’m rich.”

She snorted in my ear.

“I’m living proof that money doesn’t buy happiness. It doesn’t create meaning.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for saying that. It’s hard to say to everyone else because I don’t want to sound ungrateful. And Ben… he’d get mad and try and buy more, but…”

“Buying more won’t fix it,” I confirmed. “I know.”

“Traditions are what we make them,” she said. “And so is family.”

“Final girl!” Kruger’s loud yell announced him just before he walked through the open bedroom door.

Jess shrieked and stuffed the lingerie behind her back, then realized she was in her gown and tried to cover herself.

I launched myself at Kruger, slapping both hands over his eyes.

“Why the hell is there another man in our room?” Kruger hollered, trying to dodge my hands. “And what’s with the eye mask?”

He gasped. “Final girl, you better not be naked with some other man!”

He tackled me to the floor, and we went rolling.

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