Page 79 of Royally Wed
“You have to. It’s bad luck if you don’t.”
They’d reached the gate. Two pages stepped forward to corral the corgis before the doors opened. Amelia could see her father standing outside in his military uniform, with its collection of medalssparkling in the sunshine.
And the coach, of course. It stood there like somethingstraight out of a fairy tale, ready to whisk her away to a happily-ever-after ending.
She took a deep breath.
You have to. It’s bad luck if you don’t.
“Promise me,” Eleanor said. “I’m serious. Promise me you’ll do it.”
Eleanor had always been the superstitious one. She followed her horoscope more faithfullythan she followed the weather. Maybe she was onto something this time, though. Amelia didn’t want to tempt fate. Her impending marriage had enough things working against it without adding a heaping dose of bad luck to the mix.
Amelia closed her fingers around the lace square. “I promise.”
JAMES WAS RIGHT,ASHERthought.The wedding is still on.
He’d held out hope on the ride to the Abbey.It had been difficult to convince himself that there wouldn’t be a royal wedding when every street between the palace and the church was lined with cheering crowds and decorated with blue, red, and white bunting. But he’d somehow managed to grab onto the tiniest shred of faith.
Then he walked into the nave at Westminster Abbey and his faith took a serious hit.
There were television cameras everywhere.A red carpet had been laid out that started at the street and went right up to the altar. The choir was dressed in immaculate white robes, and every member of the orchestra was already inplace, warming up. All of England was prepared for a royally huge production.
But the thing that got to Asher most of all was the hush that fell over him when he walked into the nave. Despite all the chaos,Westminster Abbey was still a church. A place of worship. Holy ground. For all its pomp and circumstance, the royal wedding was a serious occasion.
He stood beneath the Abbey’s massive gray arches and looked up. He’d never felt so small. Kings and queens had been crowned here. They’d been christened and buried in the very spot where he stood. Who was he to think he could change the course ofdestiny? Amelia and Holden would be exchanging vows here today, whether Asher was ready to accept it or not.
“Asher.”
He turned around. His ex stood in a shadow between two stone pillars, wringing her hands. “Serena?”
“I need to talk to you,” she said.
He shook his head. “Now isn’t a good time.”
As he turned to walk away, she blurted, “I made a mistake. I want you back.”
Asher slowed toa stop. She couldn’t be serious. He was battling enough emotions today without adding this to the mix. “You don’t mean that. Let’s just go to our seats and prepare for the ceremony.”
“I’m sorry, Asher. So, so sorry.” She shook her head and pressed her fingertips against her lips the way she used to do when she was trying not to cry.
He’d seen that gesture dozens of times—when her catdied, whenshe’d botched her Philharmonic audition, when she’d broken her wrist and had been unable to play her viola for the entire spring concert season. She’d even done it when Asher had found out about her and Jeremy. Now she was doing it again, and the circumstances were exactly the opposite.
I want you back.
Asher would be lying if he said he’d never fantasized about this moment. He had. Especiallyin the early days, right after she’d gone. He’d missed her. He’d missed Jeremy. He’d wanted everything to go back to the way it had been before.
But that wasn’t possible. And even if it were, Asher wouldn’t go back. Not anymore.
He still hadn’t conquered his stage fright, but he’d realized something in England. Something he’d forgotten along the way to becoming Asher Reed, Cellist.
There wasmore to life than music.
“Don’t be sorry. You were right, Serena,” he said quietly.
“No.” She shook her head. “I was wrong. Jeremy isn’t the man for me. You are. I know that now.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Asher stiffened. He felt nothing. Not even the tiniest spark of revenge. If anything, he pitied Jeremy. He pitied them both.
“I’m not.” He peeled Serena’s arms off of himand took a backward step. “I meant you were right about the music. I was too wrapped up in it. It was everything to me. You were right to leave.”
It was probably even for the best that she’d chosen to leave him for Jeremy. If it had been anyone else, he might nothave ended up here. He’d lost everything again this morning. But he was still standing. Still breathing. And for one bright, shimmeringmoment, he’d felt alive. More alive than he had in decades.
“Go back to Jeremy, Serena.”Or don’t. He gave her a grim smile. “It’s almost showtime.”
