Page 69 of The One Night Match
And with that, Colten and I walk right out the way we came, leaving Dennis with a broken wrist and their apartment trashed to remind them of how easily we can destroy their lives if they didn’t tell us the truth.
It’s days like today that I like being the boss.
THIRTY-SIX
RILEY
“Get fucked.”
Lexi’s voice comes from behind, startling me from my thoughts.
I’ve taken most of the day to get ready, trying my best to distract myself from the anxious thoughts running through my mind, but it’s hard.
All week I’ve been assuring Cruz that I’ll be perfectly safe, that nothing will happen to me tonight, that no one would dare to betray him in front of the entire family, but now I’m not sure if I was trying to convince him of that, or myself.
“Lexi,” her mother snaps. “Language.”
“Sorry, Mom.” She closes the distance between us and meets my eye in the mirror.
She’s dressed in a sleek black cocktail dress that dips low in the front and the back, as well as having a slit up the thigh that climbs so high I’m confident she’ll accidentally flash someone tonight.
Her dark hair falls around her shoulders in big curls, and her makeup is done to perfection.
When she suggested we have professionals come to the house and do our hair and makeup, I thought she was insane, but thenI remembered that I can’t do eyeliner under pressure, and every time I try to stick false lashes on, I usually end up with them glued anywhere but my lashes. So I relented, and I’m glad I did.
I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror. My blue eyes are lined with smoky black, making them look bigger than they really are, and my lips are painted deep red to match my sky-high heels.
They weren’t my first choice, but Lexi assured me the brand was comfortable, and she snuck us both a pair of backup shoes to Ben earlier, which gave me no cause for argument.
My dress is also black, but where hers is sleek, mine is flared, giving the illusion of a tiny waist I don’t have. The satin skirt falls to the ground, but not without a slightly less risqué slit up my thigh.
It’s a beautiful dress, and I feel beautiful in it, but I’m still feeling uncertain about the thin spaghetti straps and plunging neckline.
“My brother is going to die when he sees you,” Lexi gushes. “I’m not even sure he’s going to let you walk out the front door with all that skin on show.”
My eyes widen as a wave of anxiety slams into me. It’s been fairly controlled recently, even with the accident, but tonight it feels just as out of control as it did before I learned to channel it. “Oh my god, Lexi! You said it was okay! I don’t have a backup!”
“No, Riles, it’s beautiful! Perfect! I promise! I’m sorry, I was just teasing you about how smitten Cruz is.”
Mary shakes her head at her daughter’s antics, but her smile is so bright it makes my heart clench with sadness. I don’t think my own mother ever looked at me with such pride, and while it seems I’ve lucked out in the mother-in-law department, it doesn’t make my own parents’ disinterest in my life hurt any less.
Cruz called them to let them know I’d been hurt in an accident but that I was okay, and they didn’t even bother returning his call or checking in on me. It seems as if the second they married me off, they wiped their hands of me and couldn’t care less about anything that’s happening in my life.
I shake off the thought, trying desperately to remain in the positive headspace I’ve been working on all week.
“You look beautiful, Riley. My son is very lucky to have you as his wife.” She grasps both my hands and squeezes them.
“Thank you, Mary,” I murmur, not trusting my voice not to break beneath the pressure of the emotions slamming into me.
Lexi slips her arm around mine and guides me toward the bedroom door. “Let’s go give your husband a heart attack.”
I giggle despite trying to swallow it. I’m envious of how easily Lexi fits into every situation, how positive she is despite what we went through last week. But I’m also grateful as hell that I can lean on her perkiness when I’m feeling anything but.
We take the stairs carefully, seeing as we’re both in heels and they’re slippery at the best of times, and find Cruz and Colten standing at the bottom.
My husband’s eyes just about pop out of his head like a cartoon character, giving me time to appreciate how good he looks in a tux. The black and white is a stark contrast against his tattooed skin.
“Fuck, Kitten,” he says softly, tugging me off the bottom step and into his arms. “How the fuck did I get so lucky to have the most beautiful wife in the world?”
