AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hush. As if we’d miss it,” she chides with a sniffle.
“Break it up. We can all cry after she says I do.” Doug intrudes upon our lovefest as we give each other a supportive squeeze before letting go.
Despite the distance, our friendship has blossomed. I think it’s because you can’t bottle things inside when you’re so far away from one another. You have to talk, otherwise you don’t connect. Ever. I probably talk to her more now than I did when I lived in Burbank and worked for her.
“What’s the holdup?” Patricia demands, bursting into the room followed by Róisín and Neev. “The wedding planner is—” When they see me, all three grab one another’s hands and Patricia stands there, speechless.
Having come to know her better than ever, I know how rare that is.
Patricia has her opinions and the family listens. Or else. God, I love her.
“Isabelle,” Patricia whispers brokenly as she takes a step closer. Her hand wisps over my hair, not touching, stopping a scant inch before she does. “You’re stunning. I couldn’t be prouder to call you my daughter.”
I reach for her hand while I gaze at my reflection again. “Thank you, Patricia.”
The woman who stares back at me is barely recognizable as the same one who hid in bathrooms and panicked about visiting New York at boarding gates.
I’m wearing a white satin gown, tight in the bodice, allowing my breasts to spill forward in a way I’d never have done before, which has the added benefit of accenting my small waist. I turn slightly to admire the long train in the back.
My hair is up, and I decided to go without a veil so I could wear my mother’s diamond tiara, which I found in my father’s safe.
After the NYPD declared the case closed, saying Father died of natural causes—I don’t care how the Five Points made that happen when he’d been stored in a freezer overnight—I inherited all his worldly goods. The first thing I did was put the townhouse up for sale. That townhouse was the basis of my worst memories and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.
But, after watching the realtor screw up two offers, I decided to get my license and sell it myself because I needed it off my hands.
Not only did I get more than the asking price, I also realized I had a gift for sales. That was almost a year ago and I’m going strong. I just got my real estate license to sell in L.A. too, and I’m getting ready to start flipping houses with the “3 Designing Blondes,” Eve, Antoinette, and Julianna’s interior decorating company.
“Um, I don’t want to be a buzzkill…,” Neev announces, looking up from her phone and wiggling it at me. “…but Cade is freaking out. Not sure, but I think my brother might come and get you if we don’t go now.”
“You ready?” Charlie asks.
I take a breath and surprise myself with how calm I feel. But then, this is the right move for me. This isit. What I’ve been waiting for since I met him. We’ve been racing toward this from the start—I figure we’ll always do everything hella fast.
I smile. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, traffic is a bitch, and it hasn’t been easy—what, with all the Five Points being inside and a lot of Disciples—but I think it’s gonna be fine.” Kitty plasters on a smile as she reaches down to help Dolly carry my huge train out the door.
Doug grabs the makeup case, which is so big it has wheels, and Eve carries the champagne.
“It’s two blocks away. How bad can traffic be?” Charlie screams over all the horns blaring as soon as we exit the hotel.
A long black limo waits for us, and we climb in. Dolly touches me up as Eve and Antoinette talk on their phones and for a second, I let myself have this moment. Because every single person in this vehicle is someone I love. It’s been a crazy week, with parties and Disciples flying in. Blade and Axel had to spend hours talking to Aidan Jr. Not sure about what, but I didn’t ask. They came, though, and for that I’m grateful.
“So, who is the hottie with the blond hair and the laidback surfer vibe? Please tell me he’s single?” Róisín leans forward so she can look at me as Dolly fixes my lipstick.
“Rip?” I mumble, trying not to move my lips.
“Sweetheart, trust me, you do not want to hook up with a Disciple. They are nothing but heartache,” Doug schools her.
Róisín smiles like a satisfied cat and leans back in her seat. “Maybe he just hasn’t met his match.” She arches a brow when we gape at her. “What? All right, geez, I’ll stay away.”
The limo pulls up and a guy who’s part of the Five Points opens the door—I swear they all buy their designer suits from the same tailor.
My stomach flips with excitement when Patricia pats my hand and exits, Róisín, Neev, and Kitty behind her.
“Holy shit. I’m getting married,” I whisper with a grin, bouncing in my seat.
“Eve, finish the champagne,” Dolly orders over her shoulder.
