The dress is simple—ivory silk, clean lines, a train that trails behind me when I walk. No crystals, no excessive beading, nothing that screams “look at me.” After years of curating the perfect image online, I wanted something real.
Julian hasn’t seen it yet. We did the whole traditional thing—separate getting-ready spaces, no peeking. He’d laughed when I suggested it, pointing out that he’d survived 257 years without needing luck.
“Humor me,” I squeezed his hand, voice soft but insistent. “I want to see your face when I walk down that aisle.”
“You’ll see it,” he’d promised with a smirk. “Two hundred and fifty-seven years of practice, and I still can’t hide a thing from you.”
Now, standing in this room with the afternoon light through the windows, I feel it settle over me.
I’m marrying a vampire.
Not fake-dating. Not pretending. Marrying him.
Seven months ago, I was a mess. Heartbroken over Preston, desperate enough to hire a stranger to play my boyfriend at mysister’s wedding. I thought I knew what love looked like—safe, predictable, controllable.
I was wrong.
Love isn’t safe. It’s being in the Bahamas while your boyfriend sends his murderous progeny to an eternal ocean grave, and choosing to stay. It’s learning that the man you love has a heartbeat that isn’t the same as yours, yet you feel a strange comfort in that alien rhythm that reminds you he isn’t human but still is somehow yours.
“Hey.” Sage’s voice is soft. “You okay?”
I blink. My eyes are wet.
“Yeah.” I laugh, dabbing away the tears under my lashes. “Just having a moment.”
“You’re allowed moments. It’s your wedding day.” She hands me a tissue. “But have them quickly, because we’re on a timeline and your waterproof mascara has limits.”
“Spoken like a true professional.”
“Um, I am like a true professional.” She checks her tablet. “Fifteen minutes until processional. Your mom is seated. Your sister is in position. And Julian is—” She pauses, smiling. “Julian is trying to convince his brother that he doesn’t need last-minute advice.”
“Which brother?”
“Nicholas. The intense one who keeps staring at me.”
I file that away. Nicholas has been eyeing Sage since they first met—lingering glances at the engagement party, hovering near her table at the rehearsal dinner, every event where they’ve been in the same room. When I asked Julian about it, he just sighed and told me it’s complicated. Vampire complicated.
“Ignore him,” I roll my eyes. “He’s harmless.”
“He told me he’s been waiting 130 years for me.”
I wince. “He led with that?”
“After the engagement party, yes.”
“Points for self-awareness?”
“Hey, at least you guys finally let me in on the whole ‘you’re right, Sage, he is a vampire’ thing, because that would have sounded way creepier than it already does.” She shakes her head.
“Me, too,” I chuckle. “At least he didn’t follow up with ‘I’ve watched you sleep nineteen times, but only from a respectful distance’.” I think about it for a second. “You know what? That was sort of Julian’s thing, and it was actually romantic.”
Sage arches an eyebrow. “All my bestie needs is a stalker-type guy to get her to be locked down.”
“Don’t forget, brooding. He’sprettyamazing at it.”
“I’m so glad you found your own real-life Edward to tie the knot with. As for me, I’m good with living the single life,” Sage squeezes my hand. “Today is about you and Julian.”
She’s right. I take a breath.
