Southern Storm (Southern 3)

“I do love her.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “But I have certain needs, and those things you don’t bring into your house.”

I shake my head. “You’re disgusting,” I say. “If I hear the whispers, don’t you think Mom does, too?”

“Your mother knows her place,” he says. “She is the one I’m married to. What I do on my private time in the privacy of my space is mine.”

“Get out.” I shake my head and walk to the desk, grabbing the phone number of the judge who is going to marry us. I walk to the door now.

“You think you’re better than me. You’ll be just like me,” he says almost proud of himself. “It runs in the family.”

“Then I must be adopted,” I say, “because there is no way I would do that to someone I love.”

“Ask your future wife about what is expected of her. I’m sure her mother has taught her well,” he says, and my stomach lurches.

“You think I don’t know you are sleeping with her mother.” I shake my head. “You think you’re so slick, but you’re not. I was sixteen, and I was supposed to be at Jacob’s house that weekend, but I didn’t feel well, and I came home early.”

“I didn’t know,” he says, and I shake my head.

“Don’t pretend you care now,” I say, walking out of the room. “I’m having the locks changed.”

He starts yelling, but I ignore him as I get into the truck. I have one more stop before picking up Ethan and Jacob.

We walk into my house, and I have to stop in my tracks because it has been transformed. Tea lights are hung in the trees everywhere. The willow tree in the back is almost lit up, and candles make a path to where a white canopy is set up.

“You have ten minutes,” Kallie says, and I nod, going to the bathroom to change. When I walk out, I’m wearing the suit that I bought that day, and Charlotte is there with a flower, pinning it to my jacket.

“You look so handsome,” she says, kissing my cheek. “I’ll see you out there,” she says, and Jacob comes now.

“Are you ready?” he asks, and I just smile.

My whole chest fills up when I answer him. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my whole life.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Savannah

“It’s time.” I hear Cristine, Jacob’s mom, say as she comes in and looks at me with a smile. “You look …” She puts her hands on her chest. “So beautiful.” She smiles and walks out of the room, leaving me with Kallie and Olivia.

My hands shake when I put my hand on my stomach and look back into the mirror. As I look at my reflection, I didn’t expect to even be married in a wedding dress with such short notice. But it happened. When I walked into the room four hours ago, I had a white top and white jeans in my hands. I knew that it wasn’t what I wanted to be married in, but it was sprung on me at the last minute.

I was in a daze, my mind in a fog as I played this moment over and over in my head. I was marrying my fairy-tale prince, but he just didn’t know it. The white lace dress fits me as if it was made for me. The cap sleeves sit on my shoulders, going down into a modest V. I run my hands to my hips where it fits tight all the way to the bottom, getting loose toward the knees. I turn to look at the open back and small lace train. “Do you think this is okay?” I ask the two girls who came in and made me feel like Cinderella.

“This dress.” Olivia walks next to me, dressed to the nines in a light pink chiffon dress. “Was made for you.” She smiles, and I turn to look at her.

“I don’t have a lot of friends,” I say, and tears sting my eyes. Kallie comes over and hands me a linen handkerchief. I grab it, looking at her lilac dress that is tight all the way down and has a sweetheart neckline. Her hair is tied up in the back. “I mean, I don’t have any friends really except for Beau.” I smile, bringing the handkerchief to my eyes. “He’s my best friend.”

“And in about five minutes, you’ll be standing with him,” Olivia says. She is the one who got me the dress without even batting an eye. She got on the phone, and in ten minutes, she checked off wedding dress from the list. Kallie came in and had my makeup and hair booked. She wanted me to wear my hair up, but I love when Beau pushes the hair away from my face. I love when he picks up my hair at the ends and twirls it through his fingers. Basically, I will do whatever I need to make him happy and to get him to touch me.