Page 28 of Moonlight & Matrimony
Luca
“Are you sure about this?” Cade asks, eyeing me warily. “What do you even know about her?” I’ve been on edge all day, and I’m sure it has something to do with the impending marriage, and the carefully crafted web of lies that’s about to get exponentially more complicated as soon as we say ‘I do’.
“I know she’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. I know she picks at her nails when she’s nervous, and bites her lip when she’s concentrating on her paintings. I know she has threedifferent smiles: one when she’s pretending, one reserved for her daughter, and one that only comes out when she lets her guard down — it can light up an entire room and bring a man to his knees. I know she deserves far better than the shit she’s been dealt. But more than that, I know she needs protecting, and I’m not about to sit back and watch her piece-of-shit ex hurt her repeatedly without stepping up.” My tone comes off defensive, but I’m not the least bit apologetic. I don’t like my intentions being questioned.
Cade studies my face for a moment, then nods, letting the conversation die. I get the feeling I just passed some kind of test. “What do you think of these?” I hold up a simple premade bouquet as we browse the local flower shop. Admittedly, I don’t know the first thing about flowers, but I was on the verge of losing my mind if I didn’t find something to do with my time. The ceremony starts in an hour and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I swore off marriage a long time ago, but this is different, I remind myself. It doesn’t mean anything.
“They’re okay,” Cade replies, pointing to the white roses I’m holding. “But they look like something you’d buy for a funeral.”
An older lady approaches from behind the register. “Hi there. Can I help you boys with something?”
“Yes, actually. I’m getting married today and I need a bouquet for my bride. It’s kind of last minute.” While I explain a bit about what we’re looking for, Cade pulls out his phone.
“Oh my, how exciting. Can you tell me about the ceremony? Is it formal, or perhaps more casual?”
I look to Cade for assistance, but he’s busy tapping away on his phone. I glance at the open text message thread and I’m not surprised when I see my sister’s name on the screen.
“I —”
Before I can finish, Cade holds out his phone with a close-up photo of what must be Ivy’s wedding gown. I only catch a quickglimpse, but it’s enough to know I’m in big trouble when she walks down the aisle.
“That’s stunning. You’ll definitely need something a little more whimsical.” She proceeds to flit about the shop, grabbing various stems to match each color on the dress. I watch in amazement as she meticulously crafts a beautiful bouquet on the fly, before wrapping the stems in ribbon and leading us back to the register. I hand over my credit card and, with a quick thank you, we head out the door.
“The sooner I can get out of this tie, the better,” I say, adjusting the knot as we walk back to my truck, bouquet in hand.
“So why don’t you tell me why you’re really doing this,” Cade says, throwing me so off kilter, I nearly step into oncoming traffic. If it weren’t for his arm being thrown into my chest, I’d likely be plastered to the asphalt, but Cade continues as if nothing happened. “And don’t tell me it was love at first sight because I know that’s bullshit.”
With a sigh of defeat, I recount the details surrounding our engagement, and the plan to keep Ivy and Rylin safe from her piece of shit ex. Cade listens attentively, not showing any sign of judgment or disappointment.
“Look, I know this is insane —”
“You’re damn right it is. I’ll admit, when Paige told me she thought this was all some elaborate scheme, I was skeptical, but my wife is perceptive as fuck and I’ve never doubted her before. Why did you lie to us?”
“Oak Ridge is a small town. Rumors spread quickly here. I didn’t want anything coming out that could cause problems for the court case.”
“That’s fair, but as a brother, I need you to understand that what's said between us stays locked in a vault. You have a thing or two to learn if you’re going to be a part of the elite 8.”
“The elite 8?” I ask curiously.
“It’s what Paige named the group chat. It just kind of stuck.”
I shake my head and chuckle. “Does Nana know?”
“Of course she does. She was the first one to call bullshit, but she loves Ivy. and she assumed your intentions were pure.”
“Fuck. Ok. I’m sorry, man. I guess we have some explaining to do after the wedding, but for now, let's just get over there so we can get out of these suits as soon as possible.”
The ceremony is quick and I zone out somewhere around ‘lawfully wedded wife’. At some point we exchange simple gold bands and say ‘I do’, but I’m too busy salivating over my bride in her wedding dress to register anything else. She has her dark brown hair pinned up in a complicated knot at the back; a few wavy pieces frame her face, exposing her slender neck right down to the swell of her generous breasts. She’s wearing contacts for the first time since I met her, and I kind of miss the glasses, but her hazel eyes are warm and inviting. I could get lost in them for hours if it weren’t for the distracting hue of her deep red lipstick. I can’t stop my mind from wandering to thoughts of those plump lips wrapped around my dick. Down, boy.
Eventually, we make our way to the diner, where I stand on the sidewalk ogling my wife.Fucking hell. I have a wife.
“Earth to Luca,” Miles snickers. “You’re drooling, brother.”
“Ok, time for pictures!” Paige commands. “Luca, Ivy, Rylin — you’re with me and Cade. Everybody else can head inside and grab a table.” I grumble under my breath, but I promised my sister I’d let her have her fun. She insisted on an elaborate photo shoot so we would have something to show in court should theyquestion the validity of our marriage, and I had to concede to her point.
Rylin tugs on Paige’s dress and, with a hand on her belly, my sister carefully crouches down so she can whisper in her ear. Paige smiles and looks up at us with a wink. “I’m sure your mommy wouldn’t mind if you went inside with Nana to grab a milkshake, sweetie, but let me get some pictures of you first, ok? I don’t want you to get all messy.”
“Okay, Auntie Paige,” Ry says as she rushes down the sidewalk, and, to my surprise, throws herself into my arms.
