to hide his smirk. It wasn't working, though. "Mhm. I think I should say the same to you."
Then Rhaven claimed the space beside Zara. "I'm dying over here."
"Nope, that'll be tonight," Zara said with a wink. "Oh! And let me see the ID? I heard it came in."
So she pulled out her new license and showed it off. Zara made a face at the picture, but those never looked good. Rhaven was just happy that she didn't look like some guy in a wig. But when Zara pointed at a spot in the middle, Rhaven giggled. That was where it said female.
"I know," Rhaven breathed. "I kinda stared at that for an hour when it arrived in the mail."
Then Zara glanced back. "Oh, shit. Now Jason's talking to them. Girl, you are in so much trouble."
"Don't remind me?" Rhaven begged. "After last time, and now this? I'm making a mess of it, and this is supposed to be your weekend."
Zara turned toward her and lifted a finger. "I am getting married tomorrow. So far as I care, that makes all of you my family, and family is supposed to be messy."
"What?" Rhaven asked.
"When I met him, Jason had these pictures all over his walls, right? None of you knew his real name. You had no idea where he was, what he did, or any of that, but he knew all about all of you. And yeah, you were there too. All of the gamers at the high table, half the devs, and so on. He knew what time you got to work, what brand of coffee Braden buys, and the smallest details about your lives, and he treasured it, you know? The same way you do with a sibling."
"That's actually kinda cute," Rhaven admitted.
"I know," Zara said. "But he has no real family. Well, didn't until Riley claimed him, and even then, he couldn't say anything about it. He was a shadow following all of you around, doing his best to take care of you. So, I decided that this is his family, and that's why I wanted to do a wedding like this. Well, and the fact that my father's on a roll about losing traditions and my mother's trying to add in a million different ceremonies and things. She wants a week-long wedding!" Zara waved that off. "I want to say 'I do' and then throw him in bed!"
Rhaven laughed. "Then we'll make sure that happens." But she grabbed Zara's shoulders and leaned back to look at her. "Have you been working out to fit in your dress or something?"
"No, why?" Zara asked.
"Because you look great. I feel like I've been dragged through the mud after the last week, but you're radiant. Guess there's a good side effect to pre-wedding nerves huh?"
"I'm not nervous," Zara insisted. "See, that's the thing. Not a second of doubt, not even a hint of what if. I'm... This..."
"Is right for you," Rhaven finished for her. "Good. I think that's kinda what we all hope for. You and Jason are perfect together. And this means he won't be disappearing again, right?"
"Right!" Zara agreed. "Granted, signing all of you like that helped. He said his bosses got to see a bit of it in action recently, and they're impressed."
"Nice," Rhaven said, pausing when the woman behind the counter lifted a hand.
"I'm going to need your ID," she almost apologized. "And theirs as well, if you have it?"
"Brae! Psyc!" Rhaven called. "Come get official." Then she looked back to Zara. "I heard Adam booked off the entire top of the hotel for us."
It was the employee who answered. "Top floor is for the Raige wedding party, ma'am. There's a code reader to get the elevator that high. It works off your room card, though. If you have any problems, the staff will help you, and we've all been informed that Mr. Degrass's personal friends are to get anything they want."
"Really?" Zara asked. "So, no one in the halls at all?"
"Not without access," the woman assured her. "Our staff is also trained in discretion, ma'am." She glanced at Zara with a smile. "And I couldn't help but overhear, so, congratulations. If you need anything for your wedding, let us know and we'll be happy to get it."
"A limo?" Rhaven asked.
"Three are already booked for tomorrow," the woman assured them. "And all of your cards are to be keyed to the Royal Suite as well."
"Has to be Riley's," Rhaven said. "Kate said that's going to be our