Page 32 of Nevermore (A Cruel Love #1)

THIRTY

SANTIAGO

Reign’s been off.

In the last week, he’s been antsy. With our parents’ wedding today, he’s been all over the place trying to make sure his mother has everything she could ever want.

My father, on the other hand, hasn’t even left the house yet.

Even though this is his second ceremony, he’s too calm and collected to be as frazzled as his bride.

I’m waiting for Reign outside his mother’s suite where I hear her crying about some sort of flower being out of place. Holly never struck me as high maintenance, but I can only assume days like today put a lot of pressure on people.

After a few minutes, Reign appears, all sorts of flustered. His eyes are wide with a frenzied panic, his hair is a mess, and he isn’t even dressed yet.

But he’s still so fucking beautiful.

“Woah,” he says when he sees me. His steps fumble and he huffs. “You look… What the fuck?”

I’m not normally so vain, but I preen at his compliment. I raise my chin and hold my shoulders back, pleased that he likes what he sees. The suit is custom and expensive, my hair has been professionally styled, and I took extra care with my facial routine this morning. “Thank you. You look…”

“Horrible,” he breathes, almost in relief as he steps into my waiting arms. “Jesus fuck why did Mama decide to do this?”

I chuckle into his hair and rub his back. “It’s all okay, querido .”

“Did you know there’s a difference between egg white and cream?” he asks as he pulls back. “They both looked fuckin’ white to me.”

“Of course there is,” I teasingly taunt, tucking a stray curl behind his ear. “You’ll have to leave these plans to me then.”

He cocks his head. “Plans?”

“For our wedding.”

It’ll be an incredible event. Only the best will be bought and set up for Reign. He’s going to have everything he could ever want. The cake of his dreams, the most expensive band, and the finest tuxedo. It’ll be extravagant and lush. A memory for him to always carry.

“Wedding?” He takes a step back and I raise a brow at the way his chest rises and falls quickly. “Um, Santi, baby. I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

“Aren’t we?” I say, full of confidence as I pull him to me by the back of his neck. “I claimed you as mine, querido . We will get married. It’s not a matter of if but when.”

He gulps, but when I crash my lips against his, all his nerves fade. He falls into my arms and gives himself up entirely. He lets me take from him, knowing I’ll give him back just as much, and we stand there locked in our perfect embrace.

“I love you.” I kiss the corner of his mouth. “ Te amo .” I press my lips against his right eyebrow. “We have forever together to figure it out.”

His smile is soft and sweet as he nods. “Yeah, I know. Forever sounds pretty fuckin’ great.”

I nod and give his bubble butt a solid slap. “Go get dressed, querido . I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the aisle.”

“Okay.” He leans in and gives me one more kiss. “Where’d you put my suit?”

“The men’s suite. Third hanger in the closet.”

“Thank you, baby.” He kisses me once more like he can’t help it before stepping away. “See you real soon.”

I watch the love of my life walk away and I’m happy I could calm him on such a hectic day. As he disappears around the corner, I lean on the wall and smile to myself.

Life truly does have a way of giving you the greatest gift when you least expect it.

I spend the rest of the time before the ceremony mulling around the hotel before I grow bored. I make my way out into the lobby where most of the guests are waiting to take their seats and spot Kingston and Hudson. It was kind of Holly to invite them, although unnecessary.

“Looking good man,” Kingston says, up-nodding me as I approach. He looks over my shoulder and frowns. “Where’s that lovely cowboy of yours?”

I narrow my eyes at his interest and frown. “None of your fucking concern.”

“He’s whipped,” Hudson mumbles under his breath, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he claps my shoulder. “You look great. Want to show us to our seats before the ceremony starts?”

I nod and gesture to the doors that lead out into the garden. “After you two.”

We walk through the crowded lobby, and I can’t help but notice that Kingston continues to look over his shoulder every few minutes for Reign. It sets my nerves on edge because what the fuck is he doing looking for my boyfriend?

I realize then that it’s the first time I’ve called Reign that. It sounds good but… not enough. I don’t think there is a title that I could call him that would do justice to my feelings. The closest is to simply refer to him as my obsession because that’s what he is. My obsession. My entirety.

My last strained breath.

I lead the guys to their seats and they both seem impressed with how well the venue is put together.

It wasn’t just because my father wanted to give Holly her dream wedding.

There are standards we have to keep. So the lilies that line the aisle and the glittering lanterns somehow floating above us are all for show.

It’s like a peacock with feathers. The most immaculate ones win.

I lead the guys to their seats and throw Kingston a withering glare when he checks over his shoulder again. “Fuck off about Reign.”

“Where is he?” he asks, still distractedly looking over his shoulder.

“He’s getting dressed,” I hiss.

“Have you seen him?”

I open my mouth to tell him once again to fuck off but Hudson beats me to it. “You’re being purposefully creepy,” he tells Kingston. “Just sit down. The ceremony is about to start.”

Kingston narrows his eyes at him, gives me one last stare, and sits. Confused, I want to ask what that was all about, but the announcement that the wedding is about to begin has me going to my spot up front.

“You took your time,” I say when I finally see my father coming up to the front of the aisle. “ ?Dónde estabas ?”

He shakes his head. My father isn’t a man who typically looks nervous, but there’s a red flush coating his tan neck, and the way he’s adjusting his tie is too anxious for someone like him. “Not now.”

I raise a brow at that but don’t bother asking anything else. With Emiliano Torres, everything is always going to be on his timetable. Whatever was happening before the wedding that has him looking like a wreck is going to have to wait. Or, fuck it, maybe it’s the wedding that’s making him nervous.

Either way, I don’t have any time to think about it because music starts playing in the background.

Holly didn’t have an actual bridal party, so the only people walking down the aisle are her and Reign.

My father mentioned that Reign will be the one walking Holly down the aisle, which is a sweet thought.

The soft classical music plays for a minute or two before the doors to the garden open to reveal them.

Holly looks stunning. Her hair is a messy bun at the top of her head which somehow both suits her and compliments her strapless cream colored dress. My father’s breath hitches beside me, and I have to give him credit, apparently he’s a bigger sucker for her than I thought.

Then my eyes migrate to Reign, almost like magnetism, like I can’t help but ignore everything else in place of him.

He’s managed to tame his endearing yet unruly set of curls.

The expression on his face is beautiful.

The way he looks at his mother is like she’s hung the stars and the moon.

For a second, a pang of longing hits me for the memory of the first woman I loved, but it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.

But then I hear someone clear their throat. A quiet murmur spreads through the crowd, and it takes me a second to realize why. In my completely whipped state of only staring at Reign’s face, I’ve forgotten to look at the rest of him and?—

“Ride ‘em like a cowboy, baby!”

Everyone freezes for a moment. It’s like when you’re about to witness a car crash and the world goes still.

You’re frozen in place, watching the disaster unfold in front of you.

That’s what happens to me when the ungodly country music starts blaring through the speakers and I realize what Reign’s wearing.

A server’s uniform.

The laughter begins. Kingston—the fucking asshole—is the first one to cackle.

Loudly . His laughter starts and it’s like it triggers a domino effect on everyone else.

Now the crowd is in hysterics watching as Reign looks around in confusion, eyes wide as Holly starts to stammer something to him I can’t hear.

He’s looking around wildly until his eyes land on one of the servers by the entrance of the garden, and it clicks.

My poor baby.

The way his face falls nearly makes me crumble. It’s horrible because I recognize that expression. It’s the same one he was wearing when Kingston pushed him into the pool and he had to swim out with his little cowboy hat plastered to his chest.

Instinctively, I take a step forward to go to him, to do anything , but I stop. I don’t know what makes me hesitate. It’s not purposeful, because I want nothing more than to comfort him, but I do stop.

And he catches it.

That hopeful expression on his face, the one that wanted me to go to him and make everything okay, vanishes. What’s left in place are furrowed brows and a trembling frown which cuts me to my core.

Betrayal.

Holly’s in tears now. She turns and runs back the way she came. My father is barking at someone—I can’t tell—but my eyes are still glued to Reign.

And I’m still standing in the same spot I was.

Instead of saying something—-not that I’d even know what he would say—he turns to follow his running mother out of the garden and back into the hotel.

Watching the two of them run away, it hurts. I haven’t grown close to Holly, but I’ve always been fond of her. Still, I’m selfish enough to not give two shits about what she’s feeling, because Reign is my priority.

But he’s gone before I can remind him of that.