ChapterFifteen
Amelia
One month later
“Oh honey.” Mom's eyes start to fill with tears the second I step out from behind the partition.
I hadn’t told her that I ended up picking her wedding dress to wear. So many things changed after Felipe and I bared our hearts to each other. I’m getting the wedding that I always dreamed of with the prince that promised me the fairytale ending.
My whole life, I’ve wanted to wear my mom's wedding dress when I got married. That all went out the window when I let rumors work their way inside of my heart and head. This dress represented so much to me as a little girl. It was true love. In my eyes, this dress was a bit magical, and I didn’t want to disrespect what it represented, which is the love that my parents have. Now I know without a doubt that Felipe and I will honor it and everything it represents in my eyes.
“Surprise.” I do a small spin to let the bottom flare out, and then I see tears slip down her cheeks. “Don’t cry.” I rush over to her and wrap her in a hug.
“There’s nothing wrong with a few happy tears,” she says through sniffles. “You look breathtaking.” She releases me from our hug and starts to dote all over me by making sure my necklace is just right and my veil is in the perfect position.
“I owe you an apology,” I say, and I’m sure she knew this was coming.
“You don’t owe me anything, honey. It was just a nice reminder to you that I always know what I’m doing.” She smirks.
“How did you know?” I ask. I’m sure she saw the tabloids and women gossip all the time at events. There’s no way she hadn’t heard some things about him over the years.
“You father and I knew for some time.”
“Dad too?” That one surprises me. I thought Mom probably nudged my father into this marriage, but I should have known better. They do everything together and don’t keep secrets.
“Of course. When you have a beautiful daughter, you pay attention to who is paying attention to her, and Felipe is always watching you. So I started watching him. The man is good with business. He even impressed your father with some of the deals he’s made over the years.”
I know she’s talking about the nightclubs, bars, and hotels. People ran with him being some playboy because the story was far juicier than Felipe just being an entrepreneur. If you really tried to dig into Felipe, you’d notice there were never any pictures of him with another woman. He was never out on dates. Even when they did catch a shot of him coming and going from some club, there were never any of him partying it up inside.
“It’s crazy that he saw me before I ever saw him. I was sure he didn’t even know I existed.” I shake my head because now knowing Felipe, that thought is crazy. That man knows every move I make.
“I think he stayed away to a degree because you were too young, and he likely knew it would bother your father and me, so he did it the proper way. Felipe knows that traditions mean a lot to you, and to us.”
“They really do.” I run my hand down the front of my wedding dress.
“Even as a young boy, he put you first. It’s why I know he’ll be a good husband to you.”
“What about Cillian? Do you have any prospects for him?” I worry about my brother. More so lately.
Over the last month he’s been even more withdrawn, and I wonder if it’s because of the wedding. Typically he should have been married before me, but Cillian has never been one for romance. Even before the accident that left him scarred.
“You let me worry about that.” She gives me a knowing smirk that tells me she’s already up to something. A knock sounds at the door. “And that’s my husband,” Mom says a second before the door opens, and it’s indeed my father.
“Wow.” Dad smiles. “You look so much like your mother.”
“Thank you.” He walks over and gives me a kiss on each cheek.
“We should hurry. The groom is about to come to collect you.” Dad takes my arm while Mom takes the other to lead me out of the bridal suite.
Felipe had warned me last night not to be late or he would come looking for me and my dad wouldn’t get to walk me down the aisle. He said he’d carry me himself if I took too long. He’s been ready for this wedding to happen for weeks now.
He was the one that insisted that we couldn’t spend the night together before the wedding. Which is silly because he was sneaking into my bed every night as it was.
The second the doors swing open and I see Felipe standing at the end of the aisle, everything else melts away. Time somehow speeds up, and it’s only the two of us as we hold hands and say our vows. His mouth is already on mine before they can tell him to kiss the bride, and I laugh as he wraps me up in his arms.