Page 51 of His Wicked Revenge

I nod, and she steps back, holding the curtain so I can walk through. When I come out, Chloe is on the pedestal wearing her wedding dress.

It’s simple yet graceful. It’s made of satin with thin straps on her shoulders. The fabric swoops a bit at the neckline. It hugs her body, but there is enough room for her belly to grow and remain comfortable.

“Myles is going to faint when he sees you,” I joke, gaining her attention.

“God, I hope he doesn't. But if he doesn’t cry, we will have some issues.” She smoothes her hands down her dress, gazing at herself in the mirror before focusing on me. “Holy shit, Camille! You look amazing!”

“You think?” I look down at the dress. “The leg slit isn’t too much?”

“God, no! You should see Sylvia’s dress.” Her eyes go wide, her face scrunching up. “But it’s the one she wanted, so…” Chloe trails off for a moment, admiring the dress, and then finally says, “It’s perfect. Leo might be the one fainting at the wedding.”

I shake my head, biting my lip at the thought of Leo seeing me in this dress. He has seen me in that navy dress for the double date, but nothing this… sophisticated.

“Let’s hope no one faints.” I laugh, then turn to Ava. “I’ll take this one.”

Ava nods and gestures for me to return to the fitting room to remove the dress. I do so without her help and then hand it to her once I step out fully dressed in my clothes.

When she rings it up, I fight my eyes not to widen at the price. I don’t make extravagant purchases like this; my mattress is the only exception, especially since I will only wear this dress for one night.

I might be able to return it if I am extra careful and don’t spill anything on it the night of the wedding.

Swiping my card sends a shiver down my spine, but I shake it off. Chloe appears from the back, a broad smile on her face. “I’m glad my dress fits. Even with this belly.”

“What happens if she grows more by October?”

“There seems to be enough fabric to accommodate that, but if it doesn’t fit,” she pauses, thinking about what she’ll do. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ll probably find a cheap last-minute dress that fits. After all, the wedding isn’t about what I’ll be wearing. It’s about Myles and I celebrating our love.”

“Have you always had feelings for Myles?” The question slips out of me before I realize I asked it.

“I found him attractive when Leo brought him home for the first holiday. Then Leo took me aside while Myles got to know our parents and told me about the situation.” Her eyes grow sad at the memory. “His childhood was awful. His parents sucked and didn’t care for him. They never wanted a kid and cared more about drugs than their child. I felt so much anger for him. For the little boy he used to be. For the little boy that deserved a far better life.”

“That’s awful,” I almost whisper. I didn’t know that Myles's past was that terrible. Leo never mentioned it when he talked to me about his family.

“Yeah.” She sighs, and as we head towards the boutique door, she opens it, and with a half smile, she says, “But he had us.”

All the stories I’ve heard from Leo about his family made them sound incredible. Like a family that every child wishes they could grow up with.

Thinking back to my past, I wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a household like Chloe and Leo’s. Where the parents showed you love.

Would I have turned out the way that I am? Would I have been able to feel things like love?

“When did you know you loved him?” I ask while we begin our walk to the car.

“Well, the year after we met, I had a crush on him. I was a senior in high school, and he was the cool college kid.” She stares forward as we walk, a smile playing on her lips.

“It never grew more than a silly crush until I had Carter. Since his father, Jeremy, was a piece of shit, seeing how Myles treated my son opened my eyes. When he and Leo did come around when they weren’t busy with school, Myles was always so caring and attentive towards Carter. It made me happy but then sad at the same time because that’s how Myles deserved to be treated growing up.”

“Seeing his love for my child made that crush blossom even more. We never acted on it, though. There was always that tension between us. Flirting when Leo wasn’t around, I didn’t miss the glances he threw me when he didn’t think I was looking. It was after my mother died and Leo got sent to prison that we acted on the feelings. We were grieving and angry. We helped each other simmer down those emotions and ultimately found love.”

“You don’t ever really talk about your mother.” Leo always spoke of his mother, and it’s weird not to hear Chloe gush about her.

A car beeps in the distance, catching my attention. The headlights on Chloe’s vehicle flash as she unlocks the car. She doesn’t respond until we are nestled into our seats.

“It’s been years, but it still hurts to talk about her. My mother’s death still feels… fresh in my mind.” Chloe’s eyes well with tears. “She was the most amazing woman I’ve ever known and was taken too soon. She deserved to live a long and healthy life.”

“That she did.” I take her hand in mine, offering a light squeeze.

She flashes me an endearing smile, then sighs. “Okay, enough talk about sad times. Let me text Myles and see what the boys are up to. Maybe we can meet them for lunch.”