Chapter 33

Bethany

"Get everyone up front please." The wedding coordinator wasn't exactly the type of person Bethany was excited to work with, but Kent's sister, Allison, had been adamant about hiring the chick. They weren't doing a rehearsal dinner because the world was starving for authenticity , so the ceremony should be done from scratch.

Damon, Bethany and the rest of their wedding party were walked through the details of what would happen at ten that next morning, the day of the wedding. It was fast and furious, but that was usually the way they did things. Why change now?

"You all right?" Damon turned and ran his hands down Beth's shoulders.

"I'm ready." She smiled up at him and moved in to kiss him.

"No kissing! Save that for tonight. It's bad luck." The wedding coordinator pulled Bethany back.

Damon growled before pursing his lips.

It was going to be a long day of dealing with her. Bethany couldn't even remember the lady's name, but maybe it was for the best. Damon's Aunt Allison walked into the church and glanced around.

"Where are the flowers? Have the bows been fluffed? Is your dress here?" She turned and pinned Bethany with a death stare before walking into the sanctuary. "Why isn't the unity candle centered on the table? Good grief."

Damon rolled his eyes and turned to walk out the other side of the church. He paused and glanced back. "Just a few more hours and you're mine."

"I've been yours since the moment I first saw you." Beth wrapped her arms around herself and tilted her head to the side. "It was just a hard road getting you to see that."

He walked across the foyer and pulled Beth into his arms, leaning down and brushing his nose by hers. "I wrote vows for you today. You just do the ones the preacher gives you and I'll say mine. I had a few things I needed you to know."

"What?" She stiffened as he kissed her, softly at first, and then with a bit more hunger. It was a good thing everyone was rushing around trying to get things ready. For an engagement that happened seven months before, everything seemed last freaking minute.

Bethany melted against him and opened her mouth, welcoming him inside of her, where he belonged. She ran her fingers up the side of his smooth face and tucked herself against him, prolonging the kiss.

He finally broke it, his eyes glossy, lips a little red. "God, I love you. Tonight I'm going to worship every inch of you. Let's just get through the formalities."

She smiled. "Let's enjoy them. We're only going to get to do this once in our lifetimes. Let's savor the moment."

"How about you do that, and I savor you?" He nipped at her lips. "Don't overdo yourself for the ceremony. You, first thing in the morning, is enough to stop my heart. I'd hate to keel over up there at the front of the church."

"You're not allowed to die until we're old and can look back on a full life together." She leaned in for another kiss as a lump formed in her throat.

"Thank you, baby. For giving me this." He reached up and pressed his palm to her chest above her heart.

"My breast?" She snorted, and he laughed as his eyes filled with tears.

"Your heart. It's healed mine." He leaned down and kissed her again, jerking back as the wedding coordinator's shrill voice filled the foyer.

"No kissing! It's bad luck!"

Damon smiled at Bethany. "We make our own luck. See you tonight."

"I love you," she called after him.

"Not as much, but that's all right. You can make it up to me in other ways." He shook his ass before walking out of the church.

Bethany laughed and glanced over at Damon's Aunt Allison and the coordinator. "What? He loves sex." She shrugged and turned, enjoying the gasps behind her. How in the world Kent had an eccentric sister like Allison when he was so low-key and laid back was beyond Bethany. It was only a day they had to get through with the whole family and then her and Damon would be on a beach, just the two of them.

"There you are." Erica walked out into the hall from one of the little Sunday school rooms. "The make-up lady will be here at four, but the stylist needs us to come down to her salon. It's just five minutes down the road. You ready?"

"Yes." Bethany stuck her head into the bride's dressing room they fixed up to find her mom and Aunt Patty laughing about something. They already looked like a million bucks.

"You guys ready to get our hair done?" Bethany lifted her eyebrow as her mom bent over, laughing harder.

"We're good. We've already got ourselves ready. We're just laughing about some of the times we had when we were your age." Patty lifted her hand and wiped a few tears from her face. "Life has been good."

"And it's only going to get better." Bethany's mom stood up and walked toward her. "You and Erica go. We'll stay here and make sure Allison and her pet don't change all of the colors or throw out the flowers before you get back."

Patty laughed loudly in the background.

Bethany smirked. "Right? I swear I don't know what gets into her."

"Control, baby doll." Patty got up and walked toward the door, moving up beside Bethany's mom. "It's all about control. Some people need it to feel important, but the rest of us know that we're already queen of the world, in some part of the world."

"Hell yeah to that." Bethany's mom lifted her hand, surprising her a little.

Patty hit it, and Bethany moved back. "Okay, you two weirdos. Erica and I are going to get our hair done. The make-up chick is supposed to be here in a couple of hours, so make sure you help her find her way back here if you see her."

"Will do. Have fun, baby." Bethany's mom moved up and pulled her into a warm hug. "I love you. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom." Bethany glanced back at Erica. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She lifted her hand and dangled a set of keys. "Damon's going to be looking for these, but we should totally use that to our advantage."

Beth snorted and put her hand out. "Are these to his Mercedes?"

"Yep. I know it's his baby , but the thing rides like sex on wheels. He's going to be here for the next four hours. Let's take it?" She smiled nefariously.

“It has shoe polish all over it.” Beth rolled her eyes. “You sure we wanna-”

“Drive Damon’s car? Are you kidding me…” Erica laughed.

"Alright. You’re right." Beth pulled out her phone and texted him, asking if they could. He responded back right away that anything that was his was hers. She handed the phone to Erica and wagged her eyebrows as Erica glanced up with surprise on her face.

"You're a magic woman. A regular witch from the days of old." She smiled and handed the phone back. "I never in a million years expected someone to tame Damon Bryant."

"I'm not quite sure tame is the right word. He's still his own man and does whatever the hell he wants. It's part of his charm."

"And you're good with that?" She smiled and walked around to the other side of the car.

Beth nodded. "It's one of the many things I love about him."

***

"You know, this is honestly unfair," Bethany grumbled as she turned her head to look at Sophia who sat beside her in the bride's room later that afternoon. Hair and make-up were done, and her toes and fingernails looked like a million bucks. She felt like a princess, a grumpy one at present.

"I agree, but let's do the best we can. Here, let me see what you have." Sophia snatched the paper in front of Bethany and gave her a look. They were becoming fast friends. Too bad the woman was working in Saudi for the next year. "You don't even have anything down. It's just a bunch of doodles."

"How am I supposed to write my vows? I just keep hearing the words from the traditional vows in my mind playing over and over again. It's useless."

"What are we getting upset about?" Erica walked into the room and sat down across from Bethany at the table.

"Damon just sprung on me a few hours ago that he's written his vows, but it's okay... I can just use the old, crusty, traditional ones." Bethany huffed. "I'm being dramatic."

"Very." Sophia laughed and stood up. "We're going to leave you alone and we'll close the door behind us. Just text me or Erica if you need anything. Get your vows done. Just think about how you really feel about Damon. Concentrate on him, not the task."

"You're right." Bethany took the paper back and waited until the two of them were out of the room. She sat back and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander through their last year together. From the first day of meeting him at the office to that evening at home for their first family dinner. Desire raced through her as she envisioned him pressing her to the brick wall of the house on the outside patio, and Matt interrupting them.

Sex in his bed, on a plane, in his office, in the pool.

She whimpered and set her pen down as her skin felt prickly. "Stop it. Think of the other stuff. The fights and road blocks and people who tried to tear us apart." She let out a short breath and let her head hang, her chin touching her chest.

They'd been through so much.

And every turn in the road was another moment of validation that things shouldn't have worked out, but they did. Every obstacle only made them stronger. His obsession that she would cheat and lie like his mother did with his father.

Her worry that his money made him different and no man as wealthy and accomplished as him would ever really want a poor girl like her.

She pressed her fingers to her eyes and tried not to let her make-up run.

"Shit." Getting up, she walked to the mirror and snatched a Kleenex from a box of them, being careful to wipe up the tears, but not the two hundred dollars of make-up.

Ridiculous.

A soft knock resounded at the door behind her, and she half-hoped that it was Damon.

"Come in." She turned as her mother slipped into the room.

"Don't tell Erica and Sophia that I bothered you. They're standing guard, but they aren't very good at it." Her mother laughed and closed the door behind her before walking across the room. "You look incredible. Like a princess from a storybook."

"Thanks, Mom." Beth moved toward her mom, letting the older woman pull her into a long hug. It was a place she'd gone many times in her life. It was home when no other place was. "I love you."

"Me too. Nothing sad or I'll cry and mess up my ten dollar make-up. Shit's expensive." Her mom moved back, and they shared a laugh. "I got a call from your dad while you were getting your hair done."

"He's not coming, right?" Bethany stiffened. The day was about her and Damon and their future. Not about her past.

"No, he's not. We had a good talk. He apologized for coming to the graduation. He feels like shit for wanting to see you and potentially messing up your special day." Her mom reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"He messed up lots of days before that one, Mom." Bethany pulled from her mom's touch and walked back to the mirror to straighten her dress and check out her hair.

"That's true, but you've messed up before too. And so have I." Her mom moved up beside her. "He didn't want to leave us, baby."

"It was a choice, and he made it."

"And how does that make you feel?" Her mom's voice was soft but firm. "Thinking that your dad didn't want you and left to punish you for not being enough?"

Bethany's heart ached in her chest. Her mother had slammed the hammer into the most sensitive nail that poked out of her. "I am enough."

"Oh, I know you are, Beth. But tell me how it makes you feel to think the other thought. The one I just offered you." She wrapped her arms around Beth from behind and pressed her cheek to Beth's head. The embrace was warm, and yet Beth was struggling with keeping herself together.

"Dead inside." She lifted the Kleenex back to her face.

"And what if I tell you that you meant everything to him? That you were the reason he rushed home after his shitty job? That he started selling drugs so that he could buy us a bigger house and give you anything you asked for? It was a stupid decision on his part, but what if I told you that everything he did was for you? For me?" Her mom squeezed her tighter as Beth let out a sob.

"Then my anger and hate was for nothing."

"No, not for nothing, but it doesn't serve you, baby. It's killing you. You have a bright future with Damon and with all of us. Let the past stay where it is and offer your dad forgiveness."

"Have you?"

"Yes. The night I said yes to Kent... I forgave your father for everything. It wasn't easy, but my chest doesn't hurt so much anymore, my dreams aren't so tainted with pain and loss." She kissed Beth's head again and forced her to turn. "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping someone else will die. They won't, but you will. Let it go because your understanding of it is wrong. I should have corrected it a long time ago, but I wanted him to lose you, to hurt because I was hurt. I'm better now. Kent's love, and your love. They've freed me."

Bethany glanced down and let out another soft cry. "I can't mess up this make-up. Damn."

"Then don't, but tonight when Damon is asleep, spend some time letting go." She kissed Bethany's forehead and moved back. "Now... let's get this wedding done so you can go lounge on a beach somewhere as a billionaire's wife. It's fun. I should know."

Bethany glanced up and nodded. "I love you. Thanks, Mom."

"Anything for you." The older woman turned and walked to the door, pausing only when Bethany called out to her.

"Mom."

She turned back. "Yeah, baby?"

"Is Dad happy? Does he have another family now and stuff?" Bethany held her breath.

"Yeah, he does. He has three kids. All teenagers." Her mother smiled. "He deserves that hell."

Bethany nodded not sure what to say.

"I got his address for you should you ever want to visit him." Her mom opened the door. "See you in the sanctuary in a few minutes. It's almost time."

As soon as her mother left, Beth moved over to the table and sat down, picking up the pen and scripting out her vows. They flowed out of her as if she were created to write them. The knock at the door scared her, but she was done.

"You ready? It's time." Damon's Aunt Allison stood there with tears in her eyes. "Damon looks amazing, but nothing like you."

"Thanks." Bethany smiled and stood up, walking toward the door. She hugged Damon's aunt before moving out into the hall.

Erica turned and squealed softly. "You look amazing."

"Thanks." Bethany moved up to hug her. "Matt's up front with Damon?"

The coordinator moved up beside them, the woman more calm than Bethany had seen her all day. "Yes. The guys are up front. Erica is going to walk down the aisle before you, and then we'll have everyone stand and cue the music, and it will be your turn."

Bethany nodded and moved up as Erica walked in. The church door shut and everything seemed almost too real . Everything had fallen into place. All of her hard work had paid off. No more poverty in her bank account or bankruptcy in her heart. Damon had helped to fix all of that.

"You ready?" The coordinator’s face lit up. "It's time, dear."

"Yes. More than ready." Bethany moved up to the door and took a deep breath as they opened the doors and the music started to play.

Kent reached for her arm and smiled. "You look beautiful. I'm glad to call you mine."

"Thanks. I feel beautiful." She slipped her arm into his and walked toward the main aisle. They paused at the back and Bethany glanced up, her groom waiting at the front. The look of anticipation mixed with desire on his face melted her.

With shaky knees and her heart trying to pound its way out of her chest, she took the first step toward forever. She'd never been more terrified or elated before in her life. This was it.

Just don't trip. Just don't trip. Just don't trip.