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This is really happening. I’m going to marry him in a couple hours, and it’s going to be the worst thing imaginable. Weeks, maybe months of pain and suffering, but in exchange I’ll get my entire life back.
A real future.
“Excuse me?” I flinch and look over. One of Erick’s goons is waiting patiently. “If you want to follow me to your room?”
I nod and hurry after him, a total mess of jangling, bundled nerves.
Chapter 11
Allegra
Ipace around the beautiful suite, asking myself what the hell I’m thinking, before I manage to take a shower and clean myself up. Even if I’m marrying a psychopath asshole like Gian, even if I’m only doing this as a means to an end, at least I can look decent for my wedding.
Not that it matters. I don’t really understand why he’s going through with this borderline suicidal mistake, but it’s clearly important to him. He’s willing to risk a lot. This is going to blow up in his face when his brother inevitably loses his shit, but Gian doesn’t seem to care, and I really can’t figure it out. He says it’s all because he wants to help me, or he wants to be with me, or whatever it is, but he had his chance ten years ago. And I can’t imagine he’s trying to make up for his mistake. It’s one thing to ghost a girl you slept with for a week—and it’s another to ruin your life for her. Dude doesn’t seem to understand proportion.
Not that it makes me like him.
I’m trying to decide if this is all some elaborate trick my family cooked up to make me look like an idiot. Maybe my father’s testing me, trying to see if I’m still loyal. Although I don’t know what that would prove, since I’m still sort of doing what he wants me to do, only in the most annoying way possible.
No, there’s something else going on with Gian, and I just can’t figure what the hell it is.
Two hours drip past. Every second is nails-on-chalkboard horrible. I consider calling Sophia but can’t bring myself to do it. She’ll try to talk me down, and I might let her. If I reach out to the real world, I’ll start to see sense, and I really don’t want to start thinking straight. I’ll ruin my one chance. Sense will destroy everything.
When the knock comes, I’m not ready for it. Mentally, I’m really, really not ready, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find a pretty blonde girl standing in the hall, beaming at me. “Hey, I’m Hellie. You must be Allegra. Wow, you’re gorgeous.”
“Uh, thank you?”
“I’m Erick’s wife. I guess technically a co-owner of the hotel? Although that’s really just by marriage. I run the art side of the business.” I have no clue what she’s talking about as she offers me her arm. “Shall we?”
“Right. The wedding.” I clear my throat and don’t move. “It’s all ready?”
“Yep, sure is.”
“Priest? And paperwork and stuff? It’ll all be legal?”
“Totally legal. We do this sort of thing all the time.” Her smile doesn’t slip, but she lowers her arm. “We can stay here, if you want. You don’t have to go down. We can sit and talk. I promise you’re safe.”
For some reason, her offer releases some tension, and I shake my head. Just knowing I have an out helps, even if I don’t know this girl at all. “No, no, I want to. I mean, let’s go. I’m ready.”
She smiles as if this is totally normal and I follow her into the hall. The door shuts with a click behind me. My hands tremble and I rub them together.
“You’re nervous,” Hellie comments as we get on the elevator. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be. I don’t know why you and Gian are getting married the way you are, but this is a super small ceremony. Just you, me, Gian, the priest, and Erick. Nobody to impress.”
“That’s a relief, I guess.”
“Just keep on breathing and you’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that.” I lean my head back, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m getting married in flats.”
She laughs. “Comfort over style is the way to go for these things.”
“I’ve never even been to Vegas before. We landed two hours ago. And now I’m walking down the aisle.”
“Yeah, I mean, that’s not the worst I’ve heard. I know a couple that landed and got married outside the terminal before getting on a plane and going right back home.”
“Really?” A nervous laugh bubbles up from my guts and I shake my head. “Can’t picture it.”
“It’s true. Airport chic, baby. Luggage everywhere, kids running around and screaming, random strangers coughing and sneezing and watching. Imagine kissing your husband in front of all that? But they did it and they’re still happily together as far as I know.”
