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"And I couldn’t?” I fired back.

Ace leaned in, his lips twisted into a wry smile. “Clearly, you already did.”

“Low blow.”

"Was there blowing involved, though?” he snapped.

"God, why was I even feeling?—“

"What?” His blue eyes lit up. “Feeling what?”

"Nothing,” I lied. “Nothing but hatred, disgust, but for a second I did feel guilty about the scars.”

"I’m used to them. Old and new, they all mean the same thing, a part of me I never deserved in the first place, gone forever,” he rasped. “We should go, it’s time. I’ll be the one waiting at the end of the aisle with a scowl in my face.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll try not to sprint.”

As I turned, his hand landed on my shoulder. He squeezed and pulled me back against him. “Remember to close your eyes, remember to imagine him, it will make saying yes to the monster a lot easier.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Says the monster.”

“I would know best. After all, he has to wrestle with his own reflection in the mirror on a daily basis.”

I took a deep breath. “I can do that.”

“Good.” He cursed under his breath and dropped his hand. “That’s good.”

I didn’t remember walking to the church doors, only that my dad was standing there in his black tux with his arm out like I had to take it, like I had no choice.

A week ago I took this long walk and thought my life was over.

I thought it couldn’t get worse.

Today I wasn’t saying goodbye.

Today I was saying hello to a brand new life I’d never asked for, one I didn’t want—with Ace, in order to protect the one that was taken from me with Louis.

Before Louis I would have maybe been excited. Ace and I didn’t get along for obvious reasons, but at one time, he was all I saw when all he did was look through me.

"You look beautiful,” Dad said.

I took his arm. “Thank you.”

“Deep breaths,” he whispered. “It will all be over soon.”

How wrong he was.

How very wrong.

"Yeah.” I was so good at lying to my dad’s face now. “It’s for the best.”

His eyes narrowed. “You look anxious.”

“I’m happy.” Another lie as the music started.

The doors opened, the choking sound of the organ echoed off the large walls of the sanctuary. Everything was dripping in beautiful lilacs and at the front dozens of red roses like the ones I was carrying.

It smelled like perfume.