Page 107 of Vow

It still shocked her.

Seeing Andino after all this time—dressed in his tux, and with his mother on his arm—was like a punch to her chest. It ached, and took her breath away at the same time. She didn’t have time to think on it for long.

Andino and Kim only stayed at the entryway for just long enough to scan the crowd of people standing in the pews before they were moving again. His mother stared straight ahead with a soft smile while Andino’s face was a blank slate.

Nothing was there.

No happiness.

Nothing.

It certainly wasn’t the face of a man who was happy to be getting married. Why did he look like that?

Andino’s gaze shifted their way briefly, and landed on Lucian first. The man standing in front of Haven moved slightly. Just enough to make her visible to Andino. She swore the life that had been missing in his gaze was quick to make itself known when he saw her. His lips edged higher at the corners.

A ghost of a smile.

That smile was enough to kill her right there on the spot.

It didn’t last long, though. Andino and his mother were moving again. Haven had to stand on her tiptoes to watch him walk Kim to her seat before he dropped a kiss on her cheek, too. The moment Andino made it to the altar, the people started to sit again. Haven was pulled back into the pew by Lucian with a chuckle.

“We don’t want anyone seeing you here just yet,” Lucian said. “That wouldn’t be good for us when we’re waiting for another show to start.”

“What?”

“Just wait for it.”

Everyone was sitting when a hush fell over the pews. The doors at the back of the church had been closed again, likely so the rest of the procession could shortly begin.

“Three bridesmaids should be coming through any time now,” Lucian said dryly.

No one came.

The doors stayed closed.

Whispers started to move through the pews, but up at the altar, Andino stayed stoic and waiting. His gaze was nailed to the doors, but for a brief moment, they passed to glance her way, too.

It distracted Haven, but that daze was quickly broken when the back doors where thrown open. The man she recognized as Darren Calabrese—the same one who had dropped that fucking invitation off to her a month ago—stormed down the aisle. In the front pews on what Haven considered to be the bride’s side, a man stood up.

“Kev Calabrese,” Lucian informed. “Darren’s brother—Ginevra’s, too. You know, the bride. Remember his face, he’s not as important as he wants to think he is, but he’s important enough to cause us problems. Never trust him.”

Haven sucked in a fast breath. “Why would I have to worry—”

Lucian glanced her way. “You know exactly why.”

Haven went back to staring at Andino. He was staring back at her again.

She supposed she did know.

This wedding was never meant to happen.

He’d only ever wanted her.

“What?” she heard Kev roar from the front of the church.

“Showtime,” Lucian said, smiling in that sly way of his again. “Do try to blend into the crowd once things pick up, Haven. Andino will find you once he can, I am sure. If not, find his mother or father. They expected this as well.”

Expected what, exactly?