LOGINThat night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
After an expensive night at the hospital, I went home late with my hand in a cast and a bottle full of pain meds. Rest was nearly impossible as I couldn’t get comfortable, and work the next day was miserable. Beyond saying that I got it in my self-defense class, I refused to explain to any of my col
Our lovemaking ended in a mind-shattering explosion. Instinctually, I wanted to nuzzle into his chest afterwards, but there was work to be done. I fully expected my colleagues to be blowing my phone up, wondering where I was. I pulled off Andrew’s lap and rushed to put myself back together. When i
That Saturday, Andrew agreed to drive with me in the company van to Eliza’s house so that we could pick up the final group of dresses that Nikolas was repairing. I thought that it would be nice to have someone to talk to on the way there, but Andrew was unusually silent. Unlike our typical silence,
“Nope. Everyone’s busy.” “Priestess Moreau?” “Sick.” “Judge Chang?” “Already officiating a different wedding at the same time.” “Mrs. Jansen?” “Out of town.” “How about—” “Trust me, I’ve called everyone on our list. No one is available.” Terri scratched her chin for a moment, deep







