in a deep breath to prevent myself from sobbing again. The last thing I need is everyone seeing me with red, puffy eyes and running makeup. They’d know something was wrong, and I don’t think I can play it off as happy tears for my boss.
I also don’t know if I’ll be able to make it through the ceremony. I’ll have to bail before it starts. Once I make sure everything is in order, of course. Because one thing I refuse to do is fail at my job.
No matter what happened between Archie and me, I committed to getting this wedding done and ensuring it goes off without a hitch. And even through the tears and heartache, I’ll complete that task.
I glance at my checklist.
Perfect venue. Check. Belvedere Castle is literally a dream location. The one I’ve had in my head since I was a little girl and Dad used to bring me to the park for picnics. We would sit and stare up at the castle and watch wedding parties have their pictures taken, and I could see myself there with my future husband smiling at me.
Dress. Check. I turn and glance at the beautiful gown hanging behind me in the ready room given to us at the castle. Jessica picked a stunning gown. Actually, it’s exactly what I pictured for myself. Elegant and simple. Athena dropped it off earlier.
Tears well in my eyes again, and I have to turn away before I completely lose my grip on myself.
Flowers. Check. The florist is just putting the finishing touches on the arrangements on either side of the aisle that Jessica will walk down, and the boutonnieres are already in the groom’s ready room. My eyes drift to the bouquet. Absolutely perfect, just like I knew it would be.
Wedding party. Check. Athena and Artemis are already here somewhere—both checked in with me via text message this morning. And Jessica’s bridesmaids will be arriving with her in the limo.
Officiant. Check. Judge Allenson, one of the Warrens’ oldest friends and a federal circuit court judge, is here and ready to go.
That only leaves two more items on the list.
The groom.
I don’t have the strength to go searching for him to make sure he has everything he needs. If the office hadn’t been closed during this week between the Christmas Eve party and the wedding today, and if I hadn’t been taking care of all the wedding planning on my own without having to see him, I don’t think I could’ve handled it. I’m going to assume he’s here and ready to go without seeing him. I’m sure someone will come in here screaming bloody murder if there is some issue with him.
The bride. She will be arriving soon. She opted to get ready at the Four Seasons hotel, where they’ll be spending their first evening as husband and wife and presumably…consummating the marriage. Just thinking about it makes bile burn up my throat, and I have to swallow it back to keep from retching.
I thought I could do this. I thought I could handle doing this, doing my job and staying detached…but I was so wrong.
So damn wrong.
This is a nightmare I may never wake up from.
The door flies open, and Athena buzzes in—hair and makeup already perfectly done and her dark emerald green bridesmaid’s dress hugging her perfectly. “There you are.” She hustles over to me, grabs my arm, and ushers me across the room toward the dreaded dress. “I need you to just throw this on.”
“What?”
She waves her hand in a circular motion. “We don’t have much time.”
“What the hell’s going on?”
“We need to do a few quick alterations, and you and Jessica are the same size.”
“We are?”
How is that even possible?
Jessica is tiny, and on top of the height difference, she’s considerably smaller than I am.
Athena just waves me off and smiles. “Yes, I double-checked. The seamstress will be here any minute. Please?”
I grit my teeth and nod. “I’ll do it.”
Jessica deserves to have her dream wedding, even if I can’t have mine. I won’t get in the way of that. Athena helps me get into the dress, and just as Athena promised, the dress fits me like a glove, almost like it was made to my measurements exactly. I turn to face the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the room. My breath catches, and tears well in my eyes that have somehow managed to maintain most of the makeup I put on this morning.
“Wow.” Athena stands next to me, a grin