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Epilogue
Selene plucks the glass of champagne from my hand. “You can’t get drunk before your wedding.”
I laugh. “I’m not getting drunk. I’ve had one glass.”
She smiles and goes back to putting on my eyeliner. “Well, you’re making it hard for me to do your makeup.”
I hold still, looking down while she smudges the eyeliner with her finger. I haven’t put on my dress yet, but my hair is done, falling in loose waves around my shoulders. I didn’t want anything too formal but the hairstylist was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so beautiful.
Selene puts a coat of mascara on my eyelashes, then stops, inspecting her handiwork. She brushes something from beneath my eyes. “There. You look…” She trails off, and her expression changes. Her brow creases; her eyes fill with tears.
“Stop it,” I say, smacking her on the arm. “You have to quit crying or I’m going to mess up my makeup.”
She puts her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry, Kylie, I just can’t help it. You look so beautiful, and you’re marrying my brother, and that means…”
I pull her in for a hug. “We’ve always been sisters, babe,” I say quietly into her ear.
“I love you.”
I bite my lip so I won’t cry. “I love you, too.”
Selene takes a deep breath. “Okay, sorry. I’ll stop. Let’s get you dressed.”
She helps me into my gown. It’s strapless and sleek, with just enough beading on the bodice to give it a little sparkle. I move my hair aside so Selene can zip it up the back.
Ellen, the wedding coordinator, pokes her head in through the door. “Almost ready?”
“Yeah,” I say.
Selene smiles at me again. She looks fabulous in a silver off-the-shoulder floor-length gown. Her dark hair is pinned up, with a few loose tendrils hanging down.
“Great, we’re just waiting on the groom,” Ellen says and closes the door.
I look at Selene in alarm. “Waiting on the groom? He’s not here?”
“Don’t panic,” Selene says with a laugh. “He probably just left his tie at home or something.”
I was already nervous, but a renewed tingle of fear runs through me. There’s no way Braxton wouldn’t show. I saw him yesterday for the rehearsal, and he didn’t even seem nervous.
“He should have been here an hour ago,” I say.
“I’ll text him,” Selene says and picks up her phone.
I chew on my lower lip and look away.
“Ky,” Selene says. “You can’t be worried he isn’t coming. He’s more excited about this than anyone—maybe even you.”
She’s absolutely right. I tried to talk Braxton into waiting until next New Year’s Eve to get married—because how romantic would that be?—but he wouldn’t even consider it. He wanted the earliest date possible. If it wasn’t for my dad, he probably would have taken me to a courthouse as soon as we got back from London. But we both knew my dad wanted to be a part of this. So we planned an April wedding, throwing it together on short notice. It wasn’t too hard. Neither of us have much family; it’s mostly just the three of us and my dad. We invited some friends, but it’s going to be small and intimate.
“I know,” I say. “But what if something happened to him?”
“He’s a guy,” Selene says. “He probably figured he could leave ten minutes before the wedding started and now he’s stuck in traffic.”
Ellen opens the door again. “Kylie, can you come out and take a few pictures with your dad? He’s out here waiting for you.”
I take a deep breath, trying to relax, and grab my bouquet. Selene and I come out of the small room we were using to get ready. We were lucky enough to book a classy little boutique hotel in downtown Seattle. The guests are already seated one of the smaller banquet rooms where we’re having both the ceremony and a cocktail reception.
I see my dad waiting in the hallway. He turns his chair around and his face breaks into a wide smile.
