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I just smile.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you going to tell Gaby?”
I shake my head. “I’ll talk to her when she gets back from her honeymoon.”
“Are you going to speak to Dad?”
“Not today.” I close my eyes for a moment and think of Damon.There’s always tonight. My lips curve up, and I open my eyes. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all good. I’m going home now, and I’m going to help Gaby become the most beautiful bride in the world. Nothing’s going to spoil her day.”
“Belle,” Alex says, “you know you can always talk to me, right?” His tone is firm.
It’s a nice thing to say, but it’s too late, and too much time has gone by. I don’t want to talk about it, not to him, anyway.
“It’s okay, I’ll be fine. You have a great day, okay? I’m so sorry for coming over.”
“Not at all,” he says. “You’re my sister. I’d do anything for you.” He lifts a hand to touch my face in an uncharacteristic display of affection.
“I know,” I say softly. “Thank you.”
“You take care of yourself. You know where I am if you need me.”
I kiss his cheek. “You’re very sweet.”
He scowls. “Don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my reputation.”
I smile. “I’ll see you later. I’ll let myself out.”
I go outside and call for an Uber, then stand on the pavement and lift my face to the sunshine while I wait.
I think about Damon, and the way he kissed me, his tongue teasing mine. That’s what I need to concentrate on. Not the past. Not all the old emotions, the hurt and the pain.
I haven’t forgotten that he told me he wasn’t offering a relationship. We might sleep together tonight, and then I might never see him again. But at this moment, I don’t care. I want to go to bed with him. I want to make some memories that are positive and uplifting. And if it is only one night, so what? He’s already taught me so much about myself and my sexual journey, I can’t help but think that one whole night with him is going to blow my mind.
Who knows what the future will bring? I have the six seduction tips under my belt now. I’ll just have to do my best to use them!
Chapter Eighteen
Damon
The wedding begins at three p.m. on the dot.
I have to admit that organizer Pam knows her stuff. The garden looks amazing, with everywhere bedecked in even more pink and white balloons and ribbons than the evening before. The hundred or so guests are all seated and ready with time to spare. The couple from the UK, Cillian and Tori, play a duet as Gaby walks down the aisle between the chairs with her father, the deep notes of Tori’s cello striking a wonderful contrast to the high notes of Cillian’s violin.
Gaby’s wearing an elegant, plain satin wedding dress with lace sleeves stitched with pearls. The dress also has a long line of pearls down the middle of her back, and more pearls adorn her veil.
Belle walks behind Gaby with the other bridesmaids, and I catch my breath at the first sight of her. Bridesmaids’ dresses can be flouncy and unflattering, but although the dresses of the two younger girls are like princesses’ gowns, Belle and Aroha are wearing off-the-shoulder dresses in a slightly darker dusky pink than the balloons. It has what I think is called a mermaid tail, with a split to the thigh, and they’re both wearing matching pink high-heeled sandals. Their hair is pinned up at the side and coils over one shoulder.
Her gaze slides across as she passes me, and our eyes meet for a moment. I wink at her, and she gives me a lovely smile before she walks by.
I find myself oddly touched by the ceremony, maybe because it marks the progression of yet another of us from youth into true adulthood. We’re all heading toward thirty. We’re homeowners, some of us have girlfriends, and soon most of us will get married and have families.
Will I?
