Page 41 of Dangerously Deceptive

“I had no idea. We used to always talk about running away together,” I mumble more to myself than to anyone, but Kelsie replies.

“He knew only one of you could get free, and he wanted to make sure it was you. A bit like you are doing right now, with your baby.”

“How do I marry Jamieson, knowing all of this, and then go and live in a happy bubble for the next eight months with Kellan? It all just feels so messed up.” I slam my fists down on the bed in frustration and both Kelsie and Honey rub their hands up and down my arm, one at either side of me.

“Look, see this thing with Kellan as a holiday. A little break from reality. We all dream of some time away with a hot guy, it’s like a break. But you know there will be an end point, and when that time does come, rather than dreading coming back to live with the Reapers, you will have that little ray of hope. You get to start your new life with Jamieson, and you get to explore a relationship that’s been building since you were kids. But now it’s all out in the open and you can just be truthful with each other. Okay?” Kelsie says, and actually what she is saying really does make sense. It may not be a normal relationship, or the right way to do things, but it’s us.

As I take a deep breath I stand up and really look at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair is curled and pinned back with small wisps falling around my face, framing it just right. I see a bride. But not just any bride, a beautiful bride. One that is very ready to go get married.

When we walk out the door, Pepper is waiting, ready to hand us some flowers. The bridesmaids have smaller versions, but they are beautiful bouquets of white and purple flowers, with roses and lilies. It’s the most beautiful combination, and I’m so in awe over it, I barely register Pepper’s presence. Usually when she is near, so is my mother, which usually means trouble.

Kelsie seems to notice the confusion on my face as she leans in to whisper in my ear, “Remember, this is still a Reaper wedding, so some will be for show. Just focus on the bits you know Jamieson organised.”

I give her a small smile and she leads me out of the living area of the compound and down the back staircase, which is strange because the front stairs are the ones that lead to the bar. These lead towards the kitchen, but instead of heading that way, she leads us out the back door. That’s when I spot the first people I’ve seen today other than Pepper, who follow along behind them. My father is standing there in dark dress trousers, and a crisp white shirt, with his Reaper cut over the top, Patch and Bane are flanking him on either side and are dressed exactly the same.

I hate the way Patch and Bane look at me, their dirty gazes almost burn a hole in my beautiful dress. My father looks almost disinterested, but as he moves across I see my mother standing behind him, and the look she gives me is pure evil. As she takes in my dress, and overall look, her eyes darken, and her lips purse together and she clenches her fist. She looks furious, but I don’t know why. She doesn’t hold her tongue for long, quickly letting everyone know what her problem is.

“Why the fuck have you dressed her like that? This isn’t some fancy church wedding with all that lovey-dovey shit. She’s getting married because she’s knocked up. Not to mention the dirty slag is marrying a different guy to the one who got her pregnant. I can’t believe we’re celebrating what a fucking whore she is anyway. But, come on, Kelsie love. It’s just cruel to get her all dressed up like a virginal bride. It’s not gonna change the fact that she's a cunt,” Kandy hisses, and even though I know she is just trying to hurt me, I can’t stop her words from stinging.

Looking down, I straighten out my dress, as I try my best to push the tears from my eyes. Trust my mother to ruin the one moment where I felt at my most beautiful. I try to hold on to what Jamieson said, that he loves me no matter what. I just don’t know if I can deal with her today. Luckily, I don’t have to as Kelsie steps in.

“Kandy, this is Shayla’s day, you have had yours. So back off. Whatever the situation leading to it, this is her day and we are honouring that. You don’t have to like her dress, nobody does, only Whiskey. But I happen to think she looks stunning.” With each word, my mother’s face gets redder and redder until it is actually clashing with the monstrosity she is pulling off as a dress. Something Kelsie can’t help but comment on after Kandy replies that she clearly has no taste.

“Kandy, you are nearly forty, at the wedding of your daughter, and you are wearing a hot pink boob tube top that you have stretched, barely enough, so that it passes as a dress.”

If steam could come out of a person’s ears the way it does in cartoons, my mother would be like a boiled kettle right about now. She goes to move towards Kelsie, but my father gives a nod of his head and Bane grabs hold of her.

“There will be no fighting today. Kandy…Kelsie is right, your opinions are not needed right now, and your dress is ridiculous as the mother of the bride. If we had time I would demand you change. I’m almost ashamed to have you on my arm dressed like that at such an important event. Actually, I’ve decided, you won’t be in the wedding procession. I will walk Shayla down the aisle alone. Go now and find a seat with Pepper, Bane will accompany you. There will be no backlash from today either. If I find out you start on Kelsie, or anyone over this, you will be punished, Kandy. I am getting sick of your attitude, and I'm not dealing with it today. Do not come near me while you are dressed like a cheap whore. Go, now!” he yells, and the anger drains from her face along with all the colour. It’s like watching a balloon deflate in front of my eyes and I don’t quite know what to think.

Pepper pulls her off in the direction of the living quarters, presumably to change, as two other well-dressed Reapers approach. One is Stone, Honey’s brother, the other is Viper. They’re both young Reapers and haven’t been around for very long. I realise given the matching buttonholes on their patches, they must be Jamieson’s groomsmen.

“We are here to walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids,” explains Stone, in his usual gruff voice. Viper gives me a small smile, but he doesn’t speak. I do catch the way he is checking out Honey, it’s the exact same look Stone is giving Kelsie. Although Honey looks like she is about to melt at Viper’s feet, whereas Kelsie looks like she’s about to chop Stone’s balls off. I’m guessing there’s a whole lot more to their story than I thought.

As they pair up, they start to stroll away, leaving me alone with Pres. I don’t really know what to say, and I don’t think he does either. It appears, for just one day, he’s putting his hatred of me to one side.

“Let’s get you down that aisle. Whiskey is a good man, Shay. Do not hurt him, do you understand?” he threatens, and inside I am laughing at the irony. Aren’t fathers supposed to threaten the groom, telling them not to hurt their daughters? Clearly my fucking pathetic excuse for a father never got the message.

He takes hold of my arm, leading me towards the back of the compound, which is weird because there’s nothing over there. It’s just empty grassland. Or it was. Now it has a marquee on it, and twinkly lights everywhere. There are chairs filled with people who all stand up as the music begins to play. The sound of Kodaline’s ‘The One’ rings out all around, and I realise there are even speakers in the trees.

It doesn't even bother me that my father is holding my arm, or that he is walking me down the aisle, like he’s earned that right, instead all I can concentrate on is the big oak tree at the end of the aisle. The one Jamieson and I engraved our names into when we first met, where we were standing when I was aged ten when he first told us we would get married. Now it’s covered in twinkly lights, and beautiful white and purple flowers. But it pales in comparison to the man standing beneath it.

Jamieson. Jay. Whiskey. My best friend.

He goes by all those names, and as we announce our vows to the world, he adds husband to the list too.

* * *

After the ceremony,things moved on very quickly to that of a stereotypical Reaper wedding. There was a barbeque, a dance floor, and a lot of booze. Things really go too far when the karaoke comes out. But, surprisingly, despite hating the majority of people in attendance, I was able to have a great time, just with Jamieson, Honey, and Kelsie. I even grinned and bore through the father-daughter dance that my father insisted upon.

When things started to get really crazy, and my feet were starting to hurt, Jamieson pulled me off to one side so we could have some time together. I don’t know why but my heart was racing, memories of the kiss we shared as we were announced husband and wife now flooded my memory. His touch was gentle, yet so full of passion. It was chaste yet I felt it in every cell in my body, and I wanted more. I wanted to lace my arms around his neck and pull him down for more, but I didn’t. So, as he takes me away to a bench, far away from prying eyes, I wonder if now is when I get my real kiss.

I must have asked the question aloud, because Jamieson chuckles before taking hold of my cheek in his hand. “Believe me when I say this, beautiful, saying no to you is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I want more than anything to take you back to our room and make love to you, to cement our marriage vows. But we can’t, Shay. We got married now because we had to. When you decide to be with me, I want you to choose it. If nothing happens between us right now, you can go back to Kellan, spend eight months with him, get him ready to raise our gummy bear. I want you to have that experience, to know what else is out there. Then, when you come back, I will win you over properly. I will show you what it’s really like to date someone. Then, and only when you are ready, will we call our marriage official. We had to do it, and if we were doing it, I sure as fuck wanted to give you your perfect day. It’s not the perfect start, but I don’t class our marriage to have started yet. We will know when it does,” Jamieson says, and fuck does my heart swoon just that little bit more.

“I feel like I’m cheating on you!” I cry as I lean into the hand cupping his cheek, and grab the other hand with mine, pulling us closer.

“It’s not cheating, Shay. We haven’t even gone on a date yet. Nothing has happened, and it won’t until you have finished with Kellan. I know you like him, in a different world I probably would have lost you to him,” he muses, his face contorting like he’s not happy to even say the words.

“I don’t even know if that’s true, Jay. Honestly, I haven’t really been given a chance with either of you. I know I like him a lot, and I feel things for him that I’ve never felt before. But, I like you too, and I feel like if we had been honest with each other from day one, Kellan might never have happened because I would have been with you since we were kids. But life hasn’t worked like that. We haven’t had a chance to do that. So, I have no idea how I feel, this whole thing is so messed up. I do like Kellan, and if you had asked me before I came back here, I would have picked Kellan in a heartbeat, but things have changed, things with us. You mean a lot to me, Jay, and I won’t ever hurt you,” I say, hoping he can see by the look in my eyes how much I mean that.

---