fussing with it. I’m sure you can do the same.”
Yeah, fuck it. I start to pace.
“This was a terrible idea,” I lament. “Cate is going to hate it when I ask her to marry me again. Why did I let Luna talk me into this?”
“Because Luna promised she has softened Cate up for you for the last two days.” Owen looks thoughtful. “I don’t know why you and Cate are so spiky with each other. She’s perfectly nice to me.”
I shoot him a glare. “It’s not always like that with us. Besides, I’m trying to leave that spikiness behind.”
He trots up the steps to the altar, looking around a little. “Do you think that is part of your thing? I mean, that’s one of the reasons your sex is hot, right?”
Raising my eyes up to the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling, I sigh. “Can we talk about something else?”
He shrugs. “Sure. This whole day is just about you two.”
I pace some more, though it’s not helping my stress level at all. “Let’s go over the plan again. Luna is going to get her here. Then…” I trail off, frowning.
Owen comes over to me, standing in my way. He puts a steadying hand on my shoulder. “Then everyone else will fade into the background. I’ll be right outside. It’ll just be you two in here until you call to me.”
I take a deep breath. “That just leaves the key piece to me, then. I have to figure out what the fuck I’m going to say to her.”
He raises his brows. “Yeah, now would be a good time to practice whatever you’re going to say.”
My mouth turns down at the corners. “I love her. Even when she’s being mouthy. Even when she’s crying. I still love her. That’s the main point I want to focus on.”
“That’s a good one.” He smiles ruefully. “I wish I had what you have, man.”
I eye him. “What about you and Chloe?”
I only have to mention her name and his cheeks color. Instantly, Owen turns from a confident man into a bumbling fool.
“Oh, Chloe and I are just friends,” he says firmly. He clears his throat, clarifying. “We could never be anything more than that without damaging our friendship.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, glancing at the screen. As expected, it’s Luna.
We are in the parking lot, heading to you.
I glance up at Owen. “Luna says that they’re here. This conversation is paused, but it’s not over.”
He rolls his eyes at me. “Whatever you say, man.”
Owen heads to the back of the cathedral, disappearing through one of the dark wood doors. I head to the end of the first pew, sitting down.
My heart beats loudly in my ears.
Will Cate listen to what I have to say?
Or will she just give me the cold shoulder?
When I hear Luna’s voice at the back in the cathedral, I tense.
“Just come on,” Luna says. “I know it’s not one of your church days, but I think you’ll find it worthwhile…”
It takes an inhuman amount of inner willpower not to turn around. Especially not when I hear Cate’s voice.
“I don’t think—” She stops mid-sentence. “Luna, what is your brother doing here?”
“Don’t be mad,” Luna says. She raises her voice to call out to me. “Luca, I got her here!”
I rise, turning to face them. Cate looks breathtaking in a simple black gown; Luna is dressed fancy too in a lemon-colored dress. Dressing up is part of what I asked Luna to do.
Cate is pale, a distrustful frown on her face. Luna bites her lip, walking backwards toward the rear of the cathedral.
“Luna!” Cate snaps. She turns to see my sister retreating. I watch her swallow heavily as her gaze returns to me. “What do you want?”
I approach her slowly, seeing her sizing me up as I get closer. She licks her lips nervously and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I want to tell you that I’m sorry. Sorry for the fight, sorry that I ever made you walk into Madisyn’s wedding with me.” I pause, frowning. “I didn’t actually want to go. But I was worried that if I didn’t keep that date as a tentpole, our relationship wouldn’t be able to bloom.”
Her eyebrows rise slightly. “Is that what it is? A relationship?”
I prowl closer. “That’s what I want it to be. We were obviously drunk when we wed, but… I think my subconscious knew something I didn’t.”
Her eyes narrow as I take the last few steps