Carlo nods, taps the man behind him on the shoulder and together they head toward Hector.
My father stands next to me. “Gentlemen, my son needs a moment to prepare for his bride. Give him some space. This will be one Halloween we’re never going to forget.”
Laughter and cheers ripple through the crowd as he guides me through it, through the masks and shadows, and into Hector Chavez’s office. The room is empty—surprisingly so.
“You understand why this has to happen?” he asks, eyes sharp.
“I do.”
“You understand why you weren’t brought in on the conversation?”
“I do not.”
Dad’s jaw tightens. “You’ve been obsessing over some woman you met last year. And I know you. Once you set your heart on something, no one can change your course. When Hector approached me with this idea, I knew—in the depths of my soul—that it was the right move for our family.”
“You couldn’t have explained it to me?”
He shakes his head slowly. “Sophia is beautiful. She’ll make a fine bride.”
I let the words settle, unspoken weight pressing in from all sides. “Yes,” I say, low. “She will.”
And I mean it.
Chapter Ten
Sophia
Maria is doing up the countless tiny buttons on the back of my wedding dress. Each one feels impossibly delicate, like threading pearls through a needle. It’s not a style I would have picked for myself—far too elaborate, frilly in a way that makes me feel like a porcelain doll. Clearly, my father must have chosen it. The fabric shimmers under the soft light of my bedside lamp, and I can’t help but notice how stiff it feels around my shoulders, the way it pins me upright.
“This is not how I thought this day was going to go,” I mutter, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. My hair is pinned up, perfect and tight, and I can see the tension in my neck and jaw reflected back at me.
“Me either,” Maria says, her fingers working fast, agile, fumbling a little as she struggles with a particularly stubborn button. “I thought we’d sneak out at midnight, hit some of the local clubs. Never in a million years did I think you’d be getting married to someone you hardly know.”
I trace the edges of the lace on my dress with a fingertip. “He seems nice, doesn’t he?” I ask tentatively, trying to convince myself more than her.
“His reputation precedes him,” Maria says, finally fastening the last button with a snap, “but he is infatuated with you. Maybehe’ll make a good husband?” She shrugs, her voice a little teasing but not unkind.
I shift on the edge of the bed, feeling the fabric bunch uncomfortably at my hips. “What am I going to do?”
Maria sits beside me, close enough that her elbow brushes mine. “We’ll figure it out.” She tilts her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “I could accidentally shoot him tonight if things do get serious.”
I laugh, surprised at how much relief bubbles up in the sound. I glance at her, locking eyes. “You’d do that for me?”
“Well,” she says, winking, “I’ve only ever shot at targets. But I’d try. Just… don’t stand too close to him in case I miss.”
I shake my head, grinning despite the tension knotting in my chest. Somehow, with Maria here, it feels like maybe I won’t have to face this alone.
She tilts her head, eyes narrowing playfully as she studies me. “I have an idea. What if we did your makeup like the night you first met him? Your father won’t like it, but it is Halloween after all.”
“Defiant until the end. I like it.” I stand and walk over to my dresser, the heels of my shoes clicking softly on the wooden floor. “Want me to do yours as well?”
“Yes, but make me look cute… to Gabriel.” Her voice carries that familiar teasing lilt, but I catch the tiniest flicker of nerves beneath it.
“You’re beautiful, honey, inside and out.” I pull her into a hug..
Maria steps back and I glance at her dress hanging in my closet, the soft pale pink folds promising elegance and just a hint of mischief. “Go get dressed. I’ll do my makeup first, then you.”
Maria nods and does as she’s told, by the time she’s finished I have a white layer of makeup over my face.
