Empire High Betrayal (Empire High #3) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,96
It didn’t matter. None of it did. As long as I had Matt by my side everything would be fine.
But there was one thing about my conversation with my father that weighed on me. And it wasn’t fair to marry Matt without being honest with him.
“I was right,” I said. “He is a mobster.”
Matt sighed. “Yeah, we kind of figured, didn’t we?”
That wasn’t really the reaction I’d expected. “So if we get married…that kind of drags you into this mess.”
“If we get married? There’s no if, baby. Nothing would make me not marry you.”
I breathed in his exhales. “But he told me it’s dangerous. I don’t want to put you in danger.”
“Hey.” Matt cradled my face in his hands. “This isn’t about our families. It’s about us. I want to marry you. And that’s all that matters.”
“It kind of matters.” There’s no out. “It’s a family business. I’m a Pruitt.”
“Yeah, and I’m a Caldwell, but I’m not the future CEO of MAC International. Let our older siblings take care of the family businesses. We can go wherever we want. Do whatever we want. Be whoever we want to be.” He pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“As long as I can be Brooklyn Caldwell I’ll be happy.”
Matt smiled. “And as long as I can call you my wife, I’ll be happy.”
He was freaking perfect. “Can we please get out of these clothes now?” I asked.
Matt laughed. “And into the guest bed.”
Oh my God. I didn’t bother telling him that my dad disapproved of our sleeping arrangements. I couldn’t not sleep beside Matt. The sound of his heart beating while I was snuggled up to his chest was the only way I was able to fall asleep. He’d held me close every night after my uncle passed away. He held me tight every night since I moved in. When I was in his arms, I felt whole. And no one, not even Isabella, was going to break me again.
Chapter 33
Wednesday
I ran my fingers along the velvety couch and looked up at the chandelier above my head. There was only one way to describe the wedding dress boutique – pure elegance. It was like Odegaard, only the wedding equivalent. And I was already feeling uncomfortable knowing that these dresses probably cost more than the down payment of my mom’s house back in Delaware.
A super stylish woman in a black dress walked over to us. “Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’ll be your bridal consultant today. Which one of you is the bride?”
I stood up to shake her hand. “That would be me. I’m Brooklyn.”
"It’s so nice to meet you. And who is with you today?"
"This is my maid of honor, Kennedy. My future mother-in-law.” I gestured to Mrs. Caldwell. “And my Justin.” I laughed. “He’s my wedding planner.”
“Nice to meet all of you,” Sarah said. “Are you ready to get started?"
She didn’t say it, but it seemed like she was thinking we must be waiting for someone else. Like my mom. I found myself blinking away tears. “Yes, let’s do this.”
Sarah smiled. “What silhouette are you leaning towards?"
"Oh, um.” I looked over at Justin.
He laughed. “We need the full treatment, Sarah. We’re going to try one of every style to see what she’s most comfortable in. And then we can narrow it down from there. Sound good, Brooklyn?”
I nodded. I was so glad he was here.
“Great,” Sarah said. “And when is your wedding?”
"It’s December 22nd,” Justin said. “So we need to make a decision today.”
Sarah stared at him for a second. "Wait, you mean this December 22nd? That's less than two months away. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to turn something around that quickly."
“Sarah.” Justin said her name with the most serious expression on his face. “We both know that your designers always make exceptions under certain circumstances.”
Sarah looked over at me and then back at Justin. "Yes, under very limited circumstances. But rush orders start at..."
"Her father let me know that her budget is $15,000,” Justin said.
My budget is what?
Kennedy’s jaw dropped.
I was pretty sure I looked as shocked as Kennedy. And Sarah. Sarah was probably thinking there was no way I could afford that. I was wearing a pair of jeans and Matt’s varsity jacket. She probably thought I couldn’t even afford to be in the store.
“And when I say $15,000 is the budget, I mean it’s the minimum,” Justin added and smiled over at me. “Your dad wanted to make sure you knew you