Austin swallowed audibly before nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”
I smiled like a proud mama at Vera’s terrifying threat until Nico cut in.
“If you hurt her, we’ll never hear the end about how she was right about marriage all along,” he deadpanned.
“You love me,” I said with exaggerated sweetness.
“Who would have thought,” Nova said, curling up to Parker’s side, “all three of us—married.”
“Does this mean no more wild nights out?” Vera asked.
“God, I hope so,” Nova said.
“Nah. I’ve got plenty more party left in me.”
“Which is wilder?” Parker asked. “A night out with a rock star or a night out with Rae?”
In unison, everyone said, “Rae.”
“You’re welcome,” I responded with a bow.
“Speaking of a night out, did you ever hear from Oren?” Nova asked.
Parker’s brows furrowed. “No. Not yet. Brogan and Ash are looking for him.”
“They’ll find him,” I added. Nova had let us know that she may need to leave early. Apparently, Parker got a phone call from the rest of the band that their fun-loving drummer, Oren, had gone missing last night after an argument. “And if you need to leave, we understand. No worries.”
“No way,” Parker objected. “There’s no way I’m making Nova leave her best friend’s wedding because Oren is being a baby.”
“Besides, shouldn’t we be getting this show on the road?” Nico asked, looking at his watch?
Parker looked at his before glaring at Nico. “Nah. I think we could wait a couple more hours before we get to the actual I dos.”
“Uhhh…” Austin looked between the two. “We kind of have a schedule to follow.”
“Yeah, but we could push it until at least five, right?” Parker asked.
“No, Parker,” Nico said. “It’s set for before five.”
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” I asked.
Vera rolled her eyes. “We made a bet on if you’d actually have a wedding or not, and these two idiots picked the same day, so we made them pick a time. Obviously, Parker said the evening, and Nico said at least by three.”
“This is bullshit,” I declared.
“Yeah,” Austin agreed. “I at least want in on the next bet.”
“What?” I screeched.
“I mean…”
I narrowed my eyes. “Fine, I want in on it too so I can kick my husband’s ass.”
“On that beautiful note, it’s time to start the wedding,” my dad deadpanned, joining the group.
“You look beautiful,” my mom said, pulling me in for a hug.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Only you could get a designer wedding dress tailor-made in less than two weeks.”
“What can I say? I have connections. All I had to do was promise a few pictures, and they were basically fighting over me.”
“I’m proud of you, Raelynn. You’re an amazing woman.”
Fire burned the back of my throat, and I struggled to swallow it down. I didn’t want to ruin my makeup. “Thanks, Mom. I learned from the best.”
“Ida, can I walk you to your seat?” Austin asked.
“Of course.”
“I’ll see you out there?” he asked me over his shoulder before walking away.
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
My cheeks hurt as I watched him crest the hill and disappear where the makeshift altar stood. The girls fussed over my dress and hair before lining up to make their way down the aisle. All that was left was my dad and me.
I linked my arm with his, and we waited for our cue to go.
“The paper came out today,” he said.
I was wondering if anyone would mention it or if they’d try to ignore it on my wedding day. Not that it mattered. I’d rolled over in Austin’s small bed and saw my phone waiting on the bedside with a million notifications. Despite Austin distracting me before I could pick up my phone, I still saw the article.
Raelynn Vos Speaks Up About Domestic Violence.
* * *
Raelynn Vos, New York socialite, and daughter to senator candidate, Kenneth Vos, bares all in an exclusive interview where she shares her emotional truth about her experience with ex-boyfriend Bodie Forrester. Mr. Forrester stands trial for breaking into Ms. Vos’s apartment last month and assaulting her during a dispute over their separation. Ms. Vos explained that she had originally wanted to sweep the incident under the rug to hide the shame she felt for finding herself in that situation but later changed her mind because there was nothing for her to be ashamed of. She didn’t choose to be assaulted—no one did. She wanted to be an advocate for other men and women who struggled to find their voice under the shame society puts on them.
* * *
Senate candidate, Kenneth Vos, is vowing to pursue the highest punishment possible for Mr. Forrester’s trial. He has always been an advocate for women’s rights, volunteering and donating to local women’s shelters as well as creating his own charity. Pressuring the law to make stricter decisions only stands to enhance his platform.
“You know you didn’t have to do that for me,” he said before we started walking.