Page 38 of Dangerous Encore
7
Violet
Iwake up exhausted but,mercifully, not hungover. Thank goodness for California's strict laws about separating nudity andalcohol.
My head is still filled with images of naked men writhing to80srock.
I never want to see a naked managain.
Well, besidesEthan.
He's lying in bed next to me, his eyes pressed together, his bare chest rising and falling with hisbreath.
Thisisit.
Ourweddingday.
Forever.
My fingers go to his bare skin. I trace the lines of his chest-piece tattoo. The broken heart. The lock. The wings. That skeleton key with my name written on theshaft.
Violet.
It's there, on his body,forever.
And his name is tattooed onmyribs.
That'sforever.
More forever than a legal ceremony that ends at ourdeaths.
But that doesn't stop my stomach from doingsomersaults.
It'sokay.
They're goodsomersaults.
They'reI'm about to jump off the high divesomersaults.
I want to get to the part where I rip off Ethan's suit, but I also want the vows, the kiss, the first dance,thecake…
I wanteverything.
* * *
An hour later,I'm having breakfast with Mom and Piper. They spend forever talking about… about something. I'm too nervous to really listen. Or to eat anything besides a plain bagel, no toppings. Even green tea has too muchtaste.
We get to Kelsey's around lunchtime. I force myself to have another snack, but all I can manage is a handful of almonds. This is reallyhappening.
Kelsey is fixing Mom'smakeup.
ThenPiper's.
Thenmine.
Then Piper is helping me into my dress. She laces the back with tender care. She checks that she knows how to hook and unhook thebustle.
She squeals over how beautifulIlook.
