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“Ms. Mitchell, have you thought of a design you’d like?” Lydia questions. She’s standing in front of me, looking expectantly at me.
I shake my head. “Ma’am,” I say politely, “I’ve never been one to dream of my wedding. I don’t even know what would suit me.”
Jade, however, waves me away. “I have a few ideas. Teagan, you sit down while Lydia and I find you the perfect dress.”
I shrug, glad that I don’t have to worry about looking through loads and loads of dresses. I take a seat, noting that both Caolán and Ros are stationed outside of the store, watching as people pass them by.
Twenty minutes and two glasses of champagne later, Jade and Lydia have dresses ready for me.
“Okay, if you’d follow me,” Lydia says as she leads me toward the back of the store. “We have five dresses for you to choose from. I understand that you’re not into the traditional look, so we have picked dresses that aren’t like that.”
I’m intrigued. “Thank you,” I say softly, grateful that she’s taken what I feel into consideration. I guess I should thank Jade for putting all of this into action.
She leads me toward the changing room. She pulls back the curtain, and my eyes widen when I take in the beautiful dresses. All of them black. I turn to look at Jade, who’s seated on the seats around the mini stage.
“You wanted black, Teagan. I think you’ll look beautiful. Go, try them on. Be comfortable.”
I hate that the woman seems to know me better than I know myself. The thought of wearing white to get married in seems…. unseemly. Especially after everything that has happened. White is for pure, and I’m far from it. I’m tainted all the way to the core. There’s no part of me that’s pure. Not anymore. I lost that a long time ago.
I step into the room, and immediately my gaze goes to the lace gown. It’s so beautiful, I’m afraid to touch it.
“Ah,” Lydia says from behind me. “The moment Mrs. Gallo said you’d like a black gown, I thought this would be perfect for you. It will complement your features.”
I lift it into my hands, unable to believe just how beautiful it is.
“Shall we get you into it, Ms. Mitchell?”
I nod. “Yes, please,” I breathe, hardly daring to blink in case this is all a dream.
I strip down from the summer dress that I’m wearing and hear the sharp intake of breath from Lydia. I grit my teeth, knowing that she’s seen the marks on the backs of my thighs. The burns that were left there by my father.
“Ready?” I ask, looking through the mirror, seeing that her gaze is firmly on my legs. I hope she won’t ask questions. There’s only so much I can take, and my past isn’t one of them.
She seems to pause for a moment and thankfully composes herself. “Yes, sorry, miles away,” she says, but I see the tears in her eyes.
She helps me into the dress, and I keep my gaze firmly on the ground, not wanting to see my reflection until it’s in place and I’m ready. The dress fits me like a glove. It clings to my body. The lace is so soft and beautiful, and the tiny diamonds that are scattered around it shine under the lighting. God, it’s even more gorgeous close up.
When I glance at Lydia, I see the tears she had have fallen.
“Please don’t,” I whisper. “Don’t cry.”
She shakes her head and moves in closer to me. “You, my dear,” she says so low that I can barely hear her words, “have been through so very much. I can tell by the look in your eyes. Now you have to marry a man who is just as dangerous as whoever put those marks on you.”
I don’t know what to say. She’s right. Elio is without a doubt dangerous. The coldness behind his eyes tells me that he could even be worse than my father. Worse than Crunk.
“Be safe, my dear. Do not let him break you.”
I know that if Jade overheard her say these words, she’d be in trouble. “I’m already broken,” I reply.
She shakes her head as she takes a step backward, her eyes wide and the tears falling even harder. God, I hate that I’ve upset her.
“You are beautiful,” she whispers after she’s composed herself. The tears have gone and she’s standing taller. “Are you ready?”
I nod. “Yes,” I breathe. I’m ready to see what I look like. The dress feels amazing on. I just hope it looks good.
I keep my gaze on my feet as I move out of the changing room and toward the mini stage. I stand up and take a deep breath. Everything around me fades away as I look into the mirror. My breath leaves my lungs as I stare at the woman looking back at me. God, I look so beautiful. It’s hard to believe it’s me I’m glancing at. The mermaid wedding dress has a plunging V-neck that showcases my modest C-cup. The lace starts from the top and flows all the way to the bottom. It has beautiful pale pink diamonds scattered around, and I realize they match my engagement ring.
Jade steps onto the stage with me. “You are without a doubt the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, Teagan. This is you.” She turns to Lydia. “Do we have a veil?”
