Page 104 of Vain

“Did you forget something?”

“Huh?”

He moves behind me to take in my dress and groans.

“Oh, that.” I grin.

“Holy fuck, she’s trying to kill me.”

“You like?”

“I love it, but not half as much as I love the woman wearing it.”

Kellen honks the horn, breaking the moment.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

I laugh. “Come on. We can celebrate later.”

With a quick kiss, he leads me out the door and helps me into the car before climbing in beside me.

I rest my head on Aiden’s shoulder as the world whizzes by. I marvel at how much my life has changed, not just in the past six months, but in the last few days.

“Are you happy with how the interview went?”

“Yeah. I’m glad I got to tell the truth. There will still be people out there who won’t believe me, and some who will hate me just for existing, but I’m tired of hiding while other people tell lies about me.”

“I get it. I don’t think I could have handled this whole thing as well as you did.”

“But you did,” I look up at him bemused.

“And we’re here,” Kellen announces, pulling into a driveway that’s already littered with cars.

“For fuck sake, Kellen, we could have walked.”

“You’re not the one wearing heels bro.”

“Awe, Kellen, you’re the sweetest.”

“You hear that Aiden? She thinks I’m the sweetest.”

“Well, it was my dick?—”

I cover his mouth with my hand. “Do not finish that sentence.”

I turn to Kellen. “You, out. And stop being a shit stirrer or I’ll tell all my actress friends that you have an STD.”

His eyes go wide. “Wow, you’re mean.”

He gets out of the car as I move my hand from Aiden’s mouth. “Behave.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He winks before jumping out of the car and getting the door for me.

I take his hand and climb out before we go around the back of the house to the large garden. “Oh, look how pretty it is.”

There are rows of white chairs facing an arch covered with a mix of white flowers. The whole area is underneath the largest pergola I’ve ever seen, and it’s threaded with hundreds of fairy lights. A makeshift dance floor has been set up at the far end of the garden, with a small stage area and long linen-covered tables housing a variety of covered foods. Terracotta pots dotted around are filled with large white daisies and roses.

“Matilda!” a little voice yells. I spin around just in time to catch Zoe who plows into me.