Page 118 of Burn for You

“With the insults already? I heard things have changed for you since the last time I was here.” I look over to Isla and the guilty look on her face tells me everything I need to know.

“We’re going to head out, we’ll leave you guys to it,” Isla’s mom Emily says, pulling her daughter into an embrace before her and Graham head out. Emily giving me a kiss on the cheek before she closes the door. “See you out there.”

“Any tears yet?” I ask, it’s my turn to hug the bride.

She laughs. “None,yet.”

“That’s got to be some kind of record, no?” I look over to Miles.

He just shrugs and Isla swats me on the arm. “Shut up.”

I smile back at her. Half of her hair is twisted back into a half up half down do, the chocolate brown waves hanging down her back. “You look like a bride.” My eyes start to water.

She spins around, facing away from me. “Nope. If you start, I’ll start, and I amnotskilled enough to fix the makeup my tears will ruin.”

I just wrap my arms around her from behind. “I’m so proud of you, sunshine.”

“Love you,” she says, leaning back into me.

“Love you too.”

Miles shakes his head. “God, I forgot how sappy you two are.”

I pick up a makeup brush that was discarded on the table andsend it flying his way. He ducks, dodging the brush and smiling as he comes up to us, pressing a kiss to both of our cheeks. “I’ve missed the both of you.”

I wrap an arm around his middle. “Look who’s sappy now.”

He chuckles. “I better go before Marina arrives.”

My eyes snap to Isla’s in surprise. She rolls her eyes. “Did you think I was going to invite my brother to a wedding where his ex was attending andnottell him?” She asks. I don’t have a response, cause yeah, I kinda did. “I wasn’t going to have his drama upstage my big day.”

“I’d never let it,” he frowns. “I’m here to see my baby sister get hitched, that’s where my focus will be.” Isla rises up onto her tiptoes and plants a kiss on his cheek.

I smile. “Should we get this dress on then?”

Isla lookslike an angel as she walks down the aisle. The lace of her dress cascades after her, and the gigantic veil adds to her ethereal look.

They decided to do the wedding here at Hotel Dolce, because that’s where all of this started. Caio had people here for over a week, transforming the lawn into a dreamy wedding venue.

Luca walks steadily beside her, but from where I’m standing on the side of the dais, I can see the shine in his eyes as he looks at his nephew waiting at the end of the aisle. My eyes begin to sting at the sight of it. Everything is so perfect.

A warm hand intertwines with mine, and I look to my side to see Marisol smiling warmly at me. She gives my hand an encouraging squeeze, and I squeeze back.

I’ve gotten to know Rafael’s sister more and more over the last couple of weeks. She’s still staying at Rafael’s house, so he and I have been going between his place and mine, not spending many nights apart now. That means that Marisol and I have quicklygrown close as she and Rafael try to piece their relationship back together.

My obsession for him grows every night that I spend wrapped up in his arms. I’ve been getting more and more attached, and I’ve been trying to let myself be okay with that, let myself melt into the feeling instead of pushing it away.

My eyes flick across the aisle to see Leo, Rafael, Heath, and Miles all looking teary-eyed as they look at Isla. Then I switch my gaze to Marina on the other side of me, her eyes are locked on Isla as she comes to stand next to Caio, but I can feel the hint of tension coming from her. I can see it in the set of her shoulders. She entered the suite less than a minute after Miles left. I don’t know if something happened in the hallway, but she’s tense, nonetheless.

My gaze focuses back on my best friend, where Luca is giving her away. I’m not sure if Graham is offended that he isn’t the one walking her down the aisle, but as I look at Isla's parents in the front row, all I can see is joy, and pride glistening in their eyes. Vanessa stands behind the pair. Along with being the town's favorite patisserie she’s also an officiant, apparently.

A tear slips down my face as Isla recites her vows, looking up at the man who found her, and helped her find herself.

My eyes can’t help but drift across to Rafael standing on the other side of our best friends. His eyes meet mine, and the way he looks at me wakes up the butterflies in my tummy. I used to think his eyes were cold, their darkness like the black of night. But now I think they’re warm, or maybe now I just find comfort in the darkness.

Cheers erupts throughout the room as Caio and Isla share their first kiss as husband and wife. Isla looks over to me, her smile beaming as tears roll down my cheeks.

Love youshe mouths. I blow her a kiss before Caio grabs her hand and tugs her back down the aisle.

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