Page 78

One Year Later

RACHELLE

“ A re you ready to get married officially today, wife?” Jared asks with a grin, peeking his head into the bedroom.

Traditions be damned, he can come see me if he wants to.

My dress is layers of blue-black and white chiffon, my heels a pretty silver sandal. My mom just smiled and nodded when I told her I didn’t want to wear an all white dress. I wanted one with as much character as my life.

My hair has grown so much in the past year, and curls to mid-back now. For today, though, I have it braided and curled into a bun that I had a hairdresser do for me. Every detail has been planned, and now it’s time to enjoy the day.

We’re at a hotel tonight for the wedding before flying out on a trip to Greece that will also serve as my birthday present.

The hotel sits on a cliffside and also has a beach.

We decided to get married on the cliff, overlooking the world.

My stepfather teased that we should have just gotten married at the house we live in now, but what’s the fun in that?

Plus, it’s currently under construction as we expand to include more bedrooms and a safe room. It’s been a little cramped with three extra people living there over the past year, despite the fact that we typically all sleep in a bed together.

This will give us all more room to spread out, and there’s plenty of land now that Jared and the guys bought the empty property on either side of the house.

Checking my makeup once more, my eyes trail over the dusty pinks and browns of my makeup, and the flush of my cheeks.

The makeup artist didn’t really need to worry about applying blush because of how high the color is in my face.

My lips are a mauve nude color, and my ears have new-to-me icy blue earrings that belonged to my mother.

They’re something blue, something borrowed, and something new.

It’s the epitome of work smarter, not harder.

Standing now that there’s nothing else to check, I take a deep breath.

I’m getting married today! Deep welling emotions flood over me, and I blink furiously to keep from crying. It feels overwhelming and exciting all at the same time.

“Hey,” Jared says, walking quickly to me to cup my face. “I can have you out of here in two seconds if you don’t want to do this anymore. Just say the word. There’s a car that’ll take us away and we forget this whole thing.”

“We are not running out on our wedding,” I giggle.

“Well, we’re not anymore,” he teases me, kissing the tip of my nose.

I can feel myself settling, and I know that he created levity to help me. When it comes to Jared, there really could be a car waiting in case I change my mind. I won’t though. I’m ready.

“Shall we?” I ask, smiling as I hold out my hand and pick up my bouquet of flowers.

“We shall,” he murmurs, taking my hand to escort me out of the hotel room and through the hotel to the back door. Picking up my skirts, we walk together as the breeze plays with my hair.

If he’s here with me, it means everyone else is waiting for us up on the cliff. It’s not a long walk, but it’s enough to help me center myself.

“Mr. Reyes is waiting to walk you down the aisle,” Jared says with a low chuckle. “He insisted that I offer you an out, just in case you didn’t want to deal with us all for the rest of your life.”

A surprised laugh flows out of me, and I accidentally scare a bird sitting on a tree branch over my head.

“I’m sure he said it a lot more colorfully than that too,” I reply.

“Doesn’t he always,” Jared says with a fake shudder.

Theo, Elijah, and Jared are all terrified of my stepfather. Liliana says that it’s healthy to be scared of your father-in-law. I don’t think that many people need to worry about their father-in-law calling a hit on you, but whatever works.

Getting closer to the crest of the hill, I take in how beautiful San Diego is. There’s still so much of California that I haven’t experienced, and I’m glad we got to spend a few days here before we fly out tomorrow.

My dress billows out behind me with the wind as we climb, the sidewalk ensuring that there’s no chance for me to trip. My lips part in surprise as I see the gorgeous flowers creating an aisle for me to walk between and Emil waiting patiently for me at the beginning of it.

Our wedding party is small, but I know there’s a photographer that’s supposed to be here, I just haven’t seen her yet. Jared said she’d be completely unobtrusive, I just didn’t realize that would mean she’d also be invisible.

“I knew you wouldn’t run,” he says with a smirk, holding out his hand to accept it from Jared. “The option to is still nice, though.”

“All options are nice,” I concede. “I don’t want to be anywhere else but here.”

Emil tucks my hand into the crook on his arm and he nods.

“Here we go then,” he says.

Jared leaves us to stand with Liliana and the guys, and Emil and I begin to walk toward them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the photographer, and I realize just how good she is at that moment.

When we were planning things, she promised to get candid shots of me walking up the hill with Jared. I never saw her at all.

“Liliana’s father wants to take over the construction of the safe room. Do you think anyone would mind?” he asks as if we’re just taking a stroll.

My heart is starting to pound with each step I take closer to my future, and I nod.

“I don’t see why not,” I rasp. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but I don’t know if I’m going to make it. “He was in charge of the one in Liliana’s house.”

She decided to give the house to her father to live in since he decided to move to be closer to her. This way, it stays in the family. It was the perfect escape for her when she needed it.

“He was,” Emil agrees. “I think he’s also planning a hidden room as well. We just won’t tell anyone until it’s done. You all just enjoy your honeymoon.”

My hand touches my chest as I laugh. Old men with their machinations. They’ll never change, and I fucking love it. Of course they’d take advantage of our vacation.

“I love you,” I tell him with a sigh.

“Oh, mija , I’ve loved you since I set eyes on you. You deserve the world, and I intend to make sure Liliana and your men give it to you.”

Calvin is standing in front of the archway of flowers to be our witness with my stepfather, a handkerchief clutched in his fingers as he watches us pass by him.

Emil gives my hand to Nacio and he helps me join the group surrounding me.

My mom gives me a watery smile as she holds a notebook in front of me.

We asked her if she’d marry us, something she didn’t expect.

“This is a ceremony for a group that has worked hard to find their way,” Mom says, her voice strong despite the emotions written on her face.

“Over the last year, I’ve been able to watch them together and it’s allowed me to see how much they love Rachelle.

It also helped me see how protective they are too. ”

When I went to the party last year with the guys, I found out that there were also people invited who were interested in the club as a whole.

Someone drank too much and made the mistake of touching me.

Theo punched him and Ignacio escorted him out.

No one was surprised, and the party continued as if nothing had happened.

No one else made the mistake of touching me.

Mom talks about love, forgiveness, and redemption.

My tears finally break when I make my vows with Jared.

Even though we’re married on paper, we didn’t get to do this part.

His hands squeeze mine as he promises to love, cherish, and protect me to his dying breath.

I notice that his eyes also have a shine that wasn’t there before.

It appears no one is going to leave without shedding a tear or two.

Next, Mom performs a hand fasting for us, something she studied before the wedding. The six of us stand with our hands wrapped together and tell each other what we mean to one another.

Liliana is wearing a midnight blue and white dress that makes her look like a goddess, her hair also braided and curled like mine. She gazes at Nacio and I and says her vows, tears running down her cheeks with each word.

Each of them sees something different inside of us, showing you can’t judge a book by its cover. The guys are wearing tuxes that would make my mouth water if I wasn’t so damn emotional.

The ceremony ends in a group hug, each of us officially a mess by the end. It’s mid morning, and it’s not too warm yet. The hotel has a brunch set up for us, which I’m glad for because my stomach is starting to growl.

Theo digs into his pocket and hands me a little packet of tissues. Always prepared.

“I had a feeling today would be emotional, I just didn’t expect it to affect me too,” he admits, offering his arm to help me walk as I dry my tears.

Seeing Liliana stepping down off the little platform they set up for us, I hand her the rest of the tissues.

“Thank you,” she says with a brilliant and wobbly smile. “I can’t believe we just did that.”

“You’re stuck with us forever,” I tease her, stepping down.

“Oh baby, that’s a forgone conclusion.”

Turning back to Theo as we walk, I sigh happily. “I think you forget that you have feelings, Theo. Just because you experience them differently, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

“I know. Finally getting to call you and the guys officially mine is humbling,” he admits.

The photographer asks for some group shots with the cliffs behind us, and I’m incredibly grateful that I am going to have these memories. As someone who has been able to capture important moments for others with a camera, I can admit what a gift this is.

We’re taking our first steps toward the rest of our lives, and I’m ready for it.

Three Years Later

October