Twisted Tides (Forged Hearts #2)

Epilogue

Epilogue

THE WEDDING

“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica

“Dance Macabre” by Ghost

W e are gathered in the church for Emma and Eduardo’s wedding. He meant it when he said he wanted to get married right away. His manager at his gym, Helena, helped Emma organize everything. They both had similar tastes in music, so it wasn’t hard to get contacts who could meet the requests of what I can only describe as a goth wedding. Eduardo didn’t care what wedding he had as long as he was married to the love of his life. It’s been a long time coming, and I can’t deny him the opportunity to marry her right now. One thing our past has taught us is that life is short. Make the best of it while you can because, even though they were given a second chance, we know that is rare.

I look out to the crowd gathered here, and I think we did well. The band is the same one Eduardo used to replace the original band the night we were going to be sold off at Mr. Martinez’s party. I love their style, and they eagerly agreed to the handsome fee Emma’s soon-to-be husband offered them for the day.

I look in the mirror at my deep blood-red dress. It’s gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as my sister’s. I can’t wait to see Eduardo’s reaction to her as she walks down the aisle. Her friends made the trip up from Corpus to be here, and some are bridesmaids. Eduardo has Jameson, our brother, Gus, Eli, and Philip as his selected groomsmen. They are all in tuxedos, much like on the night of the party. The jacket has silk embroidered roses, and Eduardo is wearing a ridiculous top hat.

“Oh God, is that black eyeliner?” Emma laughs behind me. She looks nervous.

‘‘Are you ready?” I ask her, and she smiles. She looks over to Ainsley, Val, and Piper who are also wearing blood-red dresses.

Liv comes up to her. “Hey, babe. How are you holding up?”

She shrugs. “Nervous, but excited.” There is a twinkle in her eye that always leads to mischief. “I wish I had a drink.”

I bring the champagne bottle over and pour us each a glass.

“Ah, my wonderful sister.” She sings my praises.

I raise my glass to hers. “To amazing second chances.”

She pouts. “Don’t make me cry, Eves. It’s too much black eyeliner.”

We take our drinks and down the champagne. Liv puts hers down without a drop being taken from the glass. Emma raises an eyebrow, and Liv shrugs.

Emma laughs, tossing her head back. “I knew it.” Her hands go flying up in the air for emphasis. She throws herself at Liv. “Love you, bestie.”

Liv hugs her back. “Love you, Em.”

Helena comes through the door at us. “It’s almost time. Are you guys ready?”

We all line up in anticipation of the procession starting. She takes the bridesmaids and groomsmen and lines them up. We are ready to start when Helena, the promoted wedding planner, gives us the okay. I hear the band begin, and the song “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica begins to play. Fucking perfection.

I’m paired up with Jameson, and Liv is paired up with our brother. They go out first, and we follow. The rest of the party starts down the aisle as we take our places by the makeshift altar. Eduardo waits patiently, but the nervous energy is palpable. He is ready to have his bride.

She walks down the aisle, escorted by our Uncle Andrés. She is utter perfection. If there was ever a more beautiful bride, I would call them a liar. She is in a white lace dress that bells out with a black lace bodice. There are black embroidered flowers on the bottom part of the dress. She has a black choker with diamond hearts and earrings to match. Her bouquet of roses is a deep red to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. And her red-soled shoes.

As she walks to Eduardo, she sees tears in his eyes. He swipes them away, not caring if anyone sees him.

I steal a glance at Jameson, and he stares at me. I bite my lip, and he licks his lip in response. I can’t wait to get him alone after the wedding. I’ve done nothing but wedding planning.

Eduardo removes his hat as Emma stands beside him, and our uncle gives her a kiss on the cheek before walking away to take his designated seat.

The officiant begins the wedding, and there isn’t a dry eye in the place. As the ceremony concludes, Eduardo doesn’t need to be told twice to kiss his bride. There is a roar of applause and whistles as he kisses her in the most inappropriate fashion in front of all that are gathered to celebrate this joyous day.

We walk out of the venue and into the planetarium where the reception will take place. Jameson and I are hand in hand, following the guests.

The night sky is illuminated with a big moon in the background. There are more lights lit along the walls of the room to offer more than the provided twinkling of the stars. There are also lights on each table. The band is set up on the stage, with a large dance floor in the middle. The cake is off in the distance, and the ghoulish character bride and groom are on top.

The band announces the bride and groom to the crowd, and there are cheers and whoops as Emma and Eduardo take their place for the first song as husband and wife.

The band breaks into the song by Emma’s favorite band Ghost, “Dance Macabre.” Eduardo holds her hand and leads her to the dance floor. He pulls her into his embrace, swings her out, and brings her back to him. She walks around him in a circle as he tracks her with his eyes in a suggestive move. She touches his cheek and, as if in a trance, brings her into him again and kisses her as they dance in one another’s arms in a solid embrace.

We return to the table and see Mateo is talking to his grandfather who is in a wheelchair and is giving off pissy vibes at being wheeled around. I am trying to listen in on their conversation, but soon a lady walks in, and Mateo freezes mid-sentence. Ramón looks over at the two with amusement. He wheels himself over to the table as they stand there staring at one another.

I hit Jameson’s shoulder. “Hey, who’s that?”

He looks in the direction I am pointing, where Mateo is trying to talk to a woman who is trying her best to avoid him, then leaves him there talking mid-sentence. He calls after her, but she continues to walk off as he follows her out of the planetarium.

“Hm. That’s interesting.” Jameson laughs. “Yeah, that’s Ramón’s nurse from the agency that has been helping him get around.”

“Why do I get the feeling that there is more to that story, Jameson?” I lift an eyebrow up to him in question.

He chuckles, bringing my chair closer to him. “Well, because with you guys, there always is?”

I go to protest, but my words are silenced with a kiss.

“Jameson, did you just shut me up with a kiss?” I ask jokingly.

He stands and brings me to my feet with him. He looks around. “Actually, I’d like to shut you up with my cock.”

I laugh, then stop, rethinking that. “Let’s go.”

We take off to find a place where we can be alone, when we see Mateo and Ramón’s nurse sneaking into a room of their own.

I look over to Jameson. “I think they have the same idea.”

We walk into a hall and see a door open that leads to a room with books lining the walls on astronomy. The fireplace is lit for ambiance, creating a soft glow throughout the spacious interior. I take it all in, feeling the warmth as Jameson comes over to stand in front of me.

I look up at him, feeling the intensity of his stare. “So now that you have me here, Jameson, what will you do with me?” I rest my hand on his white dress shirt. His hard muscles flex under my hand involuntarily.

“I’m just glad that everything is all over.” He exhales in relief. He brings me closer to him, and I look into his eyes, which are so full of love and adoration.

“Oh, Jameson,” I reply. I grab the back of his neck, pulling him to me. “We’ve been over this.” His lips hover over mine. “I have a feeling that this is just the beginning.”

I can feel the smile ghost over his lips. He pulls me to him again and kisses me. He pulls back slightly, looking into my eyes. “Our new beginning.”

THE END