Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 119548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 398(@300wpm)
Just made it all happen.
Then… the wedding march.
I looked up, only to see Nana’s empty seat. Where had she gone? She’d been here only a few minutes ago. Was she unwell?
I turned towards the back, my heart racing, and froze.
Ah.
I should have guessed.
Nana was right there, holding the hand of my best friend as she rounded the corner and came into my view.
For the first time in my life, Delilah Peters made my heart skip a beat.
Her dress was simple and unfussy—the most Delilah thing I’d ever seen. It was strapless, plain, and the skirt was asymmetrical. Shorter at the front, showing off her toned legs, and a bit longer at the back. It barely skirted the floor behind her black heels, but the skirt was just puffy enough that it gave her the princess vibes she’d always loved as a child.
She wore her hair down and loosely curled, and the dark waves fell over both of her shoulders. She’d rejected a tiara from the family vault, instead choosing a simple hair ornament. It was so small that if you blinked you’d miss it, but somehow, she made it look like the most extravagant decoration you could imagine.
And despite it all, she looked as sick as I felt.
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile as widely as I wanted to. It was a hell of a fight, because how could I not smile?
I was marrying my best friend, and she’d never looked more beautiful.
Deli and Nana stopped in front of me, and Deli peered up at me hesitantly. “Hi,” she whispered.
“Hey,” I whispered back, letting my smile go.
She inhaled sharply, then relaxed like someone had turned off an anxiety switch.
Nana beamed between us and took my hand. “Look after my girl, Freddie.”
I bent down and kissed her powdery cheek. “Always, Nana. I promise.”
She nodded and returned the kiss. “Don’t let her bully you,” she whispered in my ear.
With a laugh, I assured her I wouldn’t, and she whispered something to Deli as she kissed her.
Probably told her not to bully me.
Nana linked our hands together then stepped back, retaking her seat.
I turned my gaze to Deli, lightly squeezing her fingers. “You good?”
She nodded shakily. “Get on with it before I pass out.”
The officiant cleared his throat, and the wedding officially began.
At Granny’s behest we’d opted for the non-religious ceremony. Deli had breathed a firm sigh of relief at it, and I couldn’t say I was unhappy about this turn of events. As the officiant worked his way through his speech, I kept my gaze firmly on Deli.
She was a flight risk right now.
If anyone was going to run away from her own wedding, real or fake, I’d always had money on it being her.
As if she knew what I was thinking, she shot me a look and pursed her lips. Her eyes flashed with mischief, and I grinned. She squeezed my hand, poking her nail into my finger, and I just about managed to hide my wince as the sharp pain shot through me.
That was my warning.
I choked back my chuckle just as the officiant got to the vows. It was my turn first, and my heart skipped again as I met Deli’s eyes. She was nervous, but there was an unwavering trust in her copper gaze, and that trust snaked around me, strengthening my resolve.
“I, Frederick Albert Wellington, take you, Delilah Elizabeth Peters, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do us part,” I recited, finishing with a smile.
“Do you, Delilah Elizabeth Peters, take Frederick Albert Wellington, as your lawfully wedded husband?” the officiant asked, turning to Deli.
She swallowed, making her throat bob. “I, Delilah Elizabeth Peters, take you, Frederick Albert Wellington, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do us part.”
“The rings, please.”
Max stepped forwards and handed them over, and we both took one. They were simple gold bands, made to sit perfectly with Deli’s engagement ring. She rested her hand in mine, and I hovered the band over her fingertip.
“With this ring, I wed you and pledge to infuriate you for the rest of our lives.”
She pursed her lips, fighting back a laugh. Some among the guests weren’t as restrained, and even the officiant cracked a smile.
I slid the ring onto her finger, and we switched sides. Deli’s hand was cold as she took mine, and she squeezed my finger a little too tightly.
“With this ring, I wed you,” she said softly, pushing it over my fingertip. “And pledge to bring chaos to your days for the rest of our lives.”