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He’s mine. All mine.
And he chose me.
We chose each other.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Briana: One year later
Looking into the floor-length mirror in front of me, I have no idea who’s staring back at me. My long brown hair is curled and styled, half of it pinned up, the rest flowing down my shoulders. A mixture of grays, black and blues round out my eyes. I don’t know a damn thing about hair or makeup. Sadie helped me pick this look from a bridal magazine.
I had no idea where to begin after Julian proposed. He was so adorable, dressed in a suit and down on one knee with the perfect ring in hand. Not the big diamond anyone would expect from the son of a billionaire. Well, he’s still not rich. And we still don’t need his father’s money. But his proposal was perfect. He took me to dinner at the steakhouse where we had our first date. And when the dessert came, Julian took my hand and asked me to marry him.
I hold up my hand, the bright sapphire on my ring finger shining under the florescent lights above. Julian said it reminded him of my eyes. It’s perfect, like Julian.
“Babe, seriously, you look amazing,” Sadie says, coming up behind me, dressed in the strapless navy bridesmaid gown she picked out. “Julian is gonna die when he sees you.”
“Let’s hope not. I kinda need him breathing.”
Sadie chuckles. “You look so good. I still can’t believe you let me plan your wedding.” Sadie sniffs back her tears. “I’m so happy for you. Everything is going to be amazing. The patio looks incredible and so does the aisle. Wait until you see it. The event planners stepped up their game for this one.”
If not for my best friend, I would have been lost. I’d never even attended a wedding before today. As usual, she saved the day. She helped make my wedding perfect.
“Thank you.” I turn around to hug her, careful not to mess up either of our makeup. Sadie already warned me about that a few times. “You’re the best friend a girl could ever have. And thanks for letting us use your house to get married.”
“Of course. I told you to visit me in The Hamptons, and you never came. But I’m glad you’re here now.”
When I called Sadie and told her I was engaged, she had insisted we marry at her beach house in Southampton. Julian’s dad owns a house a few blocks away. My eyes practically fell out of my skull as we drove through The Hamptons. I knew Sadie and Julian were rich, but seeing these houses—no, mega-mansions—was a total eye-opener. I could fit a hundred of my foster homes on a single property here.
“Don’t be nervous,” Shannon says with a flute of champagne in hand. “It’s not every day you get to marry the love of your life. You’ll remember this day forever.”
“I’m not nervous. Julian is the love of my life.”
“Don’t trip,” Bex says with laughter in her voice. “That will make you even more nervous.”
“Thanks for that. Now, I’m thinking about falling on my face. Awesome.”
Bex tilts her head back and laughs. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out. That’s my biggest fear. I hate wearing heels. They kill my feet.”
“I’m more worried about my boobs popping out of this dress. It’s like they have a mind of their own.” I point at the low-cut top and shake my head. “I think they measured the bust wrong. Either that or my boobs are growing again. Like what the hell is going on?”
Sam appears at my side, toying with the thin strap of her dress. “If you were a wizard, you could fix that no problem.”
“Oh, not another Harry Potter reference,” Bex says.
“All I’m saying is if Briana were a wizard, she could perform a Reducio charm and make them a little smaller.”
Bex shakes her head and laughs.
Sadie moves to my right and lifts a fallen curl, pinning it back into place. “You can do this, babe. Don’t worry about falling or doing anything stupid or charms or whatever they were talking about. I’ll be at your side, holding you up.”
“Thanks for standing in for my dad.”
She pats my arm with a warm smile. “It’s my honor. Thank you for allowing me to do this for you.”
It pains me that my dad isn’t here to celebrate one of the most important days of my life. I miss him so damn much, my mom, too. She would have loved this dress, with all of its layers of tulle, lace, and so many skirts I can’t keep track of them. Sadie helped me choose the perfect gown. I told her it cost too much and that we couldn’t afford Vera Wang. Julian wanted me to have this dress. After Sadie told him how much I loved it, he found a way to make it happen.
The wedding planner steps into the room. “Ladies, are you ready? We’re about to start.”
