Looking behind me, I’m hit with a wave of warmth in my chest as Sapphire puts two thumbs in the air, wishing me well just as the wedding celebrant instructs everyone to stand, and my heart does the tugging thing again, as if it’s pulling me toward Sapphire. My heart now has a compass, my true north only pointing to her.
God, what is happening to me?
I pull at the cuffs of my suit jacket and inhale a deep breath before turning to Nathan and saying, “Here we go.” I grip Nathan’s forearm. “We love you, brother.”
His grin grows wide, flicking his attention to Max, Cole, then back to me.
“Oh, stop or you’ll make me cry. Look at my beautiful babies.” Our mom appears out of nowhere, having helped the caregivers wheel my dad into the room in his fancy wheelchair, which now assists him.
Synchronized, the four of us watch Arianna, who is seven months pregnant, stroll down the aisle, looking like the happiest woman in the world, her hand on my dad’s arm as he slowly steers himself toward us with his other hand using the electronic joystick controller.
And my heart pulls in a different direction, the way it does every time I visit my dad. The daily reminder that he’s fading away one day at a time. The strong man who raised me is now a figment of my imagination. His body is a vessel for the diseases he has just waiting to steal him from us.
A lump forms in my throat, and I swallow it down.
Life can be so cruel at times, with that familiar feeling of dread taking over me, until I glance over to where Sapphire is sitting.
There she is… soft curves I want to explore, a kaleidoscope of colors, and someone who brightens my day without even trying. Her radiance pushes back the darkness once more and I instantly feel better.
I now believe she’s magic.
She shines brightly, like luminous stars across a midnight sky. While she might survive without me in her life, I now can’t imagine what life would be like without her in mine.
I just need to figure out a way to keep her.
That might mean I have to tell her how I feel.
How do you tell someone that you’ve only kissed the neck of that you’ve dreamed about them every night, and find yourself imagining what a house full of kids with them would look like?
I’m such an idiot.
It’s all so overwhelming.
I hate myself for acting like I hated her or for making her feel too much, but really, it’s the other way around.
Max might be all in with Paige, but it seems like I might be heading that way myself. And if Sapphire can handle anything thrown her way, can she handle my too-muchness?
24
SAPPHIRE
I might need to consider hiring Eli’s mother as an events organizer because she knocked Arianna and Nathan’s wedding out of the park and beyond. It’s not just the fanciest wedding I’ve ever been to; it’s the biggest.
Their family ranch, which I never knew existed until we drove up the most extended driveway I’ve ever seen, has custom-built wooden treehouses nestled amongst the trees, with acres that stretch as far as the eye can see. Eli’s mom manages the ranch as a business, renting it out for elegant weddings. Within the grounds, there’s also a large family home where Eli’s mom, Michelle, lives alone, and it reminds me of something out ofYellowstone. Tucked away in a hidden valley, it resembles something I’ve only seen in a photograph on a postcard. It’s beautiful.
There were only a few guests at the ceremony because it was for close friends and family only. If I had known this, I wouldn’t have invited myself. Not that anyone seemed to mind; in fact, Eli’s family and friends welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home.
The reception was a complete shock to me, with over two or maybe three hundred guests. Since Nathan is the most famous attorney in the state, and with Max, Eli, and Cole being as handsome as they are and mostly taking on high-profile cases, they have become a household name and extremely popular. Not only that, but the Harts seem to know everyone who is worth knowing.
There are a few familiar faces to me, too. People I’ve hosted events for or people who have attended.
I’ve had the best time, the day has flown by, but like always, I’m the only one who sticks out like a neon glow stick in the dark. If I had a dollar for every time someone commented on my hair today, I could buy my father an imaginary second chicken farm, complete with a house he’d refuse to live in.
Eli and I move leisurely together on the dancefloor, in sync with the slow-tempo music from the string orchestra. It took a bit of convincing to get Eli to dance, but since I got him here three songs ago, we haven’t left. Every time I have tried to strike up a conversation with Eli, someone has interjected with backslaps, handshakes, introductions, and small talk. Now that’s settled down, I’m hoping to get some one-to-one time with him. There hasn’t been much of that today. Not that I mind, I can hold my own and talk to anyone about anything, but this alone time is what I’ve been looking forward to all day.
Eli’s defenses drop after he’s had a few drinks. He’s uncharacteristically cuddly, and I love how tightly he’s holding me against him. The soothing motion of his hand, sweeping up and down my back, is hypnotic.
“Your speech was perfect today, Eli.” I raise my voice to be heard over the music.