A Twist of Fate (23 page)
I HUNG UP THE phone with the flower
shop -
my
flower shop – not the one his mother insisted that I use.
"Edwin!" I wailed. "I’ve had it up to here with your mother. I
can't take it anymore!"
After tormenting Edwin with months of wedding planning, he
finally gave up all involvement. Aside from monitoring the budget and nixing a
couple of my crazy
money wasting
ideas, he had left all of the planning
to me. Or so I had thought.
His mother was so kind as to slip her foot in the door and
step into his place, as though her say was as good as his. I believe she said,
it is in the best interest of the Santora family that I be involved.
I understood how having a houseful of unwed boys would make
Vera very interested in getting involved, but she was starting to give off the
impression that this was
her
special day. While I was grateful to Vera
for paying for a good portion of the expenses, I was tired of being pushed
around.
"You can handle it,” Edwin insisted. “We have one week
to go. Suck it up."
"I really don't think I can," I warned
dramatically, like it was a life or death situation.
"What is it now?"
"She's ignoring what I want and changing things without
my approval. Fine, she upgraded the transportation, I'm not going to complain
about that. But changing my bouquet?
My
bouquet. She didn't even have
to nerve to tell me. If the flower shop hadn’t called to confirm the order, I
would have been forced to walk down the aisle with a bunch of lilies. You know
how much I hate lilies!"
Edwin's lips quirked at the edges, until I scowled at him.
He had better not smile. "She means well, Abs. Give her a break."
I leapt from the couch and matched his stance, my hands
thrust on my curvy hips. "Excuse me? Tell me you're not siding with
her."
Edwin reached for my shoulder, but I stepped away, not
allowing him to touch me. Then he smirked.
"Is this funny to you?" I screeched.
"Don't be upset. She's really excited about it and
only wants everything to be perfect for you."
"For me? Really? I think not. If it was about me,
she'd butt out."
He smiled and scooped me into his arms, before I had time to
react. "I hate to tell you this, babe, but it's only going to get worse
with age. You realize you're marrying into the Santora family.”
I tried to pry myself from his grip, but he wouldn't let me
free. I finally stopped squirming and huffed at him.
Edwin's lips hovered over mine, then slowly dropped down, to
soften the blow. He backed up to look at me, then pressed another delicious
kiss to my mouth.
I forced myself out of Edwin's arms, refusing to let him change
the subject. Edwin cupped my chin, silently pleading for me to drop it. His
thumb stroked my bottom lip, then he kissed me again; and again, sinking his
soft wet tongue into my mouth. Was he trying to seduce me into cooperation? I
hated to admit that it was working.
***
I HAD TO HAND it to her. Vera knew
what she was doing. My bachelorette party went off without a hitch and I even
managed to suffer through her pleasant enthusiasm without too much
aggravation. I may have even had a lot of fun. With Edwin's bachelor party
set for tonight, the night before our big day, I was sure to have a nervous
breakdown.
It was already past five, but I had a lot of work to do
before I could enjoy my honeymoon, guilt-free. Moments after I kissed Edwin
off, him and 21 of his closest friends took off in a glorified limo bus. Owen
and Wes went along, leaving me by myself in our corner of the office. I
struggled to keep my eyes open, still tired from my wild night on the town with
my ladies.
I worked away for the next hour or so, trying not to think
about what Edwin was doing, until I decided it was time to head home. I wished
I could catch up on my beauty sleep, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep a
wink. As I locked the front door of the office, I noticed my phone was
flashing. I was mentally exhausted, but I listened to the voicemail message
anyway.
"Abigail, it's me. Cameron." He hesitated on a
sigh, and it crunched my heart. "Can you meet me for coffee? I'll be at
our favourite place. Please? It's important.”
It sounded important. Urgent even. I wondered if it had to
do with Pheobe. Without thinking twice, I punched his number into my cell and
turned it onto speaker as I hurried to my car. His phone seemed to ring off
the hook, then it finally went to voicemail. Maybe I was too late.
"Shit!" I tossed my phone on the seat next to me,
then stepped on the gas. My anxiety strangled me as I slipped out of my car
and headed for the front door of the diner.
Meeting Cameron - my ex - on the night before my wedding,
was probably not the smartest thing I'd ever agreed to do. Was I trying to
jinx myself? If anything though, I had to close off my relationship with him
once and for all, before I started the rest of my life with Edwin. Things had
been weird between us lately, and I didn’t want for us to end like that.
The Thorncliffe café hadn't changed in the eight months that
Cameron and I had been apart. Neither had my aching heart when I thought about
poor Pheobe and how she took the news about our separation. As I entered the
long, narrow room, I glanced around until I found Cameron sitting alone at the
table farthest from the door. He looked good – casual – very put together.
Why did he have to look like that?
As I approached him, he stood from his seat and stared me
down, a light smile touching his mouth. His dark blonde hair was cut super
short and he wore it wild and spiky. I forced a smile, hoping it would hide my
anxiety. Unfortunately, the closer I got to him, the stronger the sensation
became.
I had hoped I wouldn’t feel this way. I had hoped it would
be a cinch. But our attraction had never faded. It still ran hot. Cameron
had gone away, out of sight, but
it
was still there. Unsure how to
greet him, I avoided an awkward hug or handshake and took the seat across from
him. He smirked and sat down without making me feel uncomfortable about it.
"What's so important?" I asked, skipping to the
point.
"Don't you at least want to get a drink first? You
must be hungry."
I couldn't imagine sitting at the table for a whole meal
with his desirous cologne flooding my nostrils. But when the waitress rounded
the counter with my favourites, how could I say no?
"I took the liberty of ordering for you. I hope you
don't mind." He wrinkled that adorable forehead and it took me a second
to regain my cool.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to."
Suddenly, my stomach was feeling very full; full of regret
and full of an alarming sadness. I nibbled on the food, but I couldn’t swallow
a single bite. I dropped my fork onto the plate and stared up at him.
"Are you going to tell me what this is about? I don't have a whole lot of
time."
Cameron held his eyes on me and it shook me like a rumble of
thunder to my core. "Don't do it."
I choked on the air, seemingly empty of oxygen, and
struggled with my drink to clear my throat. "I'm sorry?"
"I don't know how I'm supposed to live without you,
Abby. Don't marry Edwin."
Cameron glanced at the floor, appearing very vulnerable.
Then he looked up at me, and it felt like he was calling the shots again.
"You have to give us another chance."
In an instant, the wound that I had so carefully stitched up
after we had called it quits, was gaping wide open. I pushed away my plate,
and took a deep breath to steady my jitters.
"You know I gave us a chance, Cam. It didn't work out
the way I planned either. We both need to move on already."
"No."
I was stunned by his convictions. "It's not healthy,
hanging on like this."
Cameron slid his hand on top of mine and toyed with the ring
he found there. "What's not healthy is this thing you're calling a
wedding. If you don't want me, fine. But don't settle with Edwin.”
I wanted to get angry, but all I could feel was sadness.
For him. “I’m in love Edwin.”
“Really? How much do you love him? Enough to give up your
dream? I saw the feathery gown you ripped from a wedding magazine, Abby. It
didn't look anything like the one I saw Edwin's mother carrying out of the
bridal shop. This boring, traditional wedding sounds nothing like the one I
imagined for us."
Outwardly, I scowled at that statement. "The flowers I
want don't grow naturally in the fall. The place I picked for the ceremony
wasn’t available on such short notice and it’d be too cold outside for the
guests anyway. Not everyone's dreams come true. I'm being realistic."
Silence enveloped us, as I stared blankly at him, unsure
what else I could say to him. I could have sliced the atmosphere with a knife.
"All I'm saying is, why rush it? What's the
rush?" Compassion dripped from his every plea.
I closed my eyes and squeezed them shut. "Cameron,
you're so not doing this right now."
"Actually, I am. Were you hoping that we could go on
ignoring each other and forget that anything every happened between us? I
can't pretend that you don't exist, Abigail. I tried it. It's not working for
me. We were so happy together."
"You said it,” I whispered. “Were. Past tense."
Sadness rushed my throat and tears rushed my eyes, but I refused to let them
escape. "You expect me to believe anything’s changed? I still want
children of my own. My mind will never change on that subject."
"But mine has," he stated, profoundly.
I froze with panic-filled eyes. "Oh, and you just came
up with this crazy idea now? The day before my wedding." I was too upset
to notice that the other patrons of the café were growing restless and most
were starting to stare.
Cameron leaned forward and whispered privately to me,
hinting for me to quiet down. "I've done a lot of thinking since I left
the firm. Yes, I want to give you children, and yes Pheobe has been asking for
you. I miss you, Abby. We both do."
A single tear dripped down my cheek. "You're too
late," I whispered. "I'm marrying Edwin tomorrow."
He shook his head no. "Maybe Edwin loves you. Maybe
you think you love him too. But know I never stopped loving you." His
voice became softer, but it was getting so much more demanding. "I
haven’t given up. I will never give up on us."
"You'll have to," I said, sadly.
"No. Don't do it, Abby."
Another tear snuck down my face and I tried to wipe it
before he noticed, but his eyes pierced me with desperation. I snatched up my
purse, hoping to take off before he realized that it was over for good.
“I’m sorry. Please tell Pheobe I said hello.” I rushed
from my seat and flicked away a tear, but it was useless. I raced to my car,
to escape from my feelings, but they beat me there. I crashed into my seat on
a whirl of emotions and didn't look back to see if Cameron had followed me,
mostly afraid to see that he had.
Without turning back, I had hurried home, pulled on my
favourite pj’s and slipped into bed for some much needed rest. As my eyes
slipped shut, the nightmares resumed. It was late, and I was alone, lost in my
head full of dreams and darkness.
OPENING MY EYES WAS the first
mistake of the day. I blinked them closed again but, despite my terrible
mental hangover, I decided that I was still in control of my own destiny.
Today was
my
day.
When I tried to move to check my alarm clock, a heavy arm
pinned me down and I recognized the warmth of a body behind me. Edwin must
have skipped the hotel to come home.
What a sweetheart.
I wriggled to get closer to him and he nestled his nose in
my hair. His breath was warm on my skin and his lips were soft on my neck.
Still mostly sleeping, eyes mostly shut, I rolled over for an early morning
kiss.
Edwin’s lips were just as soft and sweet as I had imagined
they would be.
“Mmm,” he growled, as he woke from his peaceful slumber. He
was supposed to spend the night at the hotel, so he didn’t see the bride on his
wedding day. The fact that he was here only made me love him that much more.
I felt like a puzzle, colourful and complete. No more would
I be left to my own mind where I talked to dead people and believed that my
destiny wasn't in my own hands. It turned out that a twist of fate was exactly
what was needed to get me and my heart to this place, where the love of my life
stood to give me everything I had ever dreamed of.
***
AUBREY YANKED ON HER sister’s arm.
"Come on! No one's supposed to see you." She didn’t believe in all
that hocus pocus, but Abby never was one for luck.
"You don't seriously believe that bull, do you?"
Abigail asked, smirking. "Besides, there was only like five cars in the
entire church parking lot."
Again, she didn’t believe that anything would happen. But,
yes, there were five cars. She had counted. Because she could've sworn that
one looked a lot like Cameron’s. A shimmer of anxiety warmed her cheeks, as she
dragged Abigail into the church.
As they made their way through the back halls, Aubrey heard
a commotion echoing in the main service room. Realizing that Abigail hadn't
yet heard anything, she shuffled toward the dressing room and raised her voice.
"Why don't we find out where they're putting you. We
can go check out the flowers in a few," Aubrey insisted dramatically,
hoping to distract her.
"Okay," Abigail answered, curious as to why her
sister was acting so weird and clueless as to what was unfolding on the other
side of that arched doorway.
Abigail remained oblivious, as Hunter entered the hallway. “Abby.
I didn’t realize you were here already.” He checked over his shoulder, to be
sure he didn’t have company behind him. “Aliah was looking for you. Why don’t
you go see her? She’s down there,” Hunter said, pointing in the opposite
direction from where Cameron had just walked off.
The second Abigail disappeared down the hall, Aubrey
whispered to Hunter. "Cameron?"
Hunter’s eyes looked cold and determined. "Yeah. He
asked to see her, but I turned him away. I was probably a bit too hard on him,
but I had to get the point across. Abigail’s marrying Edwin today.”
Aubrey covered her mouth with her hand.
Poor Cameron.
“What
did you say?”
Hunter checked over his shoulder again, but no one was
there. When he turned back to Aubrey, she could see the remorse in his
expression. “I told him if Abigail wanted
him
, he'd be the one in the
tux."
***
CALYFA JENKINS SLOWLY APPROACHED the
massive, whimsical church. It was mounted on a lush, grassy hillside,
overlooking the nearby city. While the hillside was covered with a pristine,
green lawn, the city was swallowed in dry, autumn leaves, that buried any sign
of growth and clarity. The skies were blue, but the wind was brisk and wisped
around the arriving guests, daring the ladies to leave their skirts unattended.
Cally adjusted the skirt of her short, gold party dress and
headed toward the long flight of stairs. More and more guests arrived around
her, crossing through the well-retained gardens, passing the fanciful fountains
and filing into the picturesque church that looked like a castle from a little
girl's dream. She always knew one day Edwin would sweep Abby off her feet and
put a ring on it. It had certainly taken him long enough.
Once inside the church, Cally gaped at the romantic flower
arrangements that were beautifully arranged on a series of white, custom-made columns.
As she approached the gathering of family and friends, she felt less than
welcomed by their reception. The majority of women in Edwin's family were
glaring at her with envy, as every man in the vicinity stared with
fascination. She was used to that and, as usual, held her head high as she
moved toward the handsome, young usher.
He charmed her by extending his arm and flashed her a
confident smile. When she grasped onto his elbow, he whispered in her ear.
"I don't have to ask. With beauty like yours, you must be here for the
bride."
Cally was all smiles. "Aren't you a sweetheart. I'm
Cally, Abby’s cousin. And what do they call you?"
"I’m Caleb, a friend of Edwin’s. Pleased to meet
you."
"Very pleased to meet you," she said, flashing him
a flirtatious smile.
Caleb continued to grin, as he led her down the long, main
isle, passing row upon row of dark-cherry pews. Without another word, Cally released
his arm and sashayed to the next pew. She slipped past a few relatives and
took a seat, flashing a look back at Caleb, to catch a look at his fine ass as
he walked away.
***
MADDIE STARED AROUND THE room that
was quickly filling with guests.
"What's Caleb's problem? He's drooling all over
himself," Maddie said to Taylor.
Taylor glanced across the aisle at the beautiful blonde that
had just taken a seat across from them and smirked. "Can you blame him?
That girl is gorgeous. I only wish I could be that young and blonde."
"I'll never look like that ever again,” Maddie whined.
“Trust me. Having kids ruins you. Enjoy your bod while you still have
one."
Taylor broke out laughing. "Thanks for the compliment,
but my body's been hanging south for years. A baby isn’t the only thing that
ruins you. Age can do a number on you too."
Maddie casually glanced behind her, where a couple of
handsome men in expensive suits conversed in the aisle.
Taylor had noticed them too. "I knew this place would
be swarming with gorgeous men." She couldn’t even hide the wide grin on
her face, as she took another peek at the handsome fellows. She caught the
attention of the one with the shaggy brown hair. He smiled at her and she
instantly craned her neck back to its resting place, wide-eyed and speechless.
Maddie slapped her leg, and bent forward, with a voiceless,
open-mouthed laugh. Taylor's reaction to seeing Edwin’s brothers was entertaining
to say the least. Yes, the men were fascinating. The majority of the men on
the Santora side were. But Maddie only had eyes for Hunter.
Just then, Maddie saw TJ and Hunter enter through a spectacular
arched doorway. Hunter walked to the front of the room, with his hands
casually stuffed in his pants pockets.
“That's my man," she whispered, staring straight ahead
at him.
Edwin’s brother, Payton, walked up the centre aisle and
lined up next to Hunter. Maddie watched Hunter stare down the line at his
fellow groomsmen. All three of them were suited in matching black tuxedos,
with golden silk vests and ties. Maddie was thrilled when Edwin had asked
Hunter to be his best man.
Vera Santora’s smile could have been seen from a mile away.
She had been battling with Abigail for months about every little detail and it
looked like it had paid off.
Edwin's oldest brother, Anthony, and youngest, Keelan, stood
on either side of Vera in the first pew. Though they weren’t groomsmen, they
looked just as stunning in their designer tuxedos.
"I must say, the groomsmen are looking pretty sharp,”
Maddie said to Taylor.
"They really are, but it's the ladies who I can't wait
to see."
"Shhh, it looks like it's time." Maddie nodded
her head toward Edwin, who had now joined Hunter at the head of the main aisle.
Edwin appeared to be suffering from pre-wedding jitters.
His face was red and sweat poured from his forehead, as his eyes swept over the
crowd. The churchgoers started to grow quiet, as the clock ticked down the
minutes before the ladies would grace them with their presence. Then Maddie
caught Edwin covering his mouth to whisper to Hunter.
The groomsmen stirred, their answering stance being anything
but casual. Something was seriously wrong.
***
ASHLEY YANKED ON HER date’s arm,
demanding that he keep up. "I will not be late for this wedding because
of you," she growled.
As they ran up the stairs, with only a minute to afford,
Ashley noted that no expense had been spared for Abigail’s wedding. Victorian
chandeliers were draped from the ceiling, setting the stage for a romantic
affair. The stunning architecture of the church and gothic style canopy only
added to the fantasy. Even on such short notice, this wedding was the most
elaborate event she had attended all year, and that really pissed her off.
Ashley pulled her handsome date through the old, wooden
doors. "You're sure you want to witness this?" she asked,
snobbishly.
"I’ve come this far, haven't I?"
Natural light flooded through grand arches and when they
stepped onto the dark, carpeted aisle, the large cathedral seemed to shrink
instantly. All eyes zoomed in on them. On Cameron.
Ashley kept her smile pasted on her face, knowing that she
looked hot in her black rouched dress.
Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to
bring him after all.
"Whose wedding is this anyways?" Ashley whispered,
insinuating that it was worthy of royalty.
Cameron shrugged his shoulders, knowing that no answer would
satisfy her.
"Lighten up," she snapped, as they shuffled into
the last pew. "I don't even know why you came. Why would anyone
intentionally put themselves through this?"
Cameron turned his somber blue eyes on her. "It’s
supposed to be me. She has to know that she’s making a mistake. I can't just
let Abby walk off into the sunset with Edwin."
Ashley's eyes grew wide, displaying her anger. "Don't
even think about it!" Her voice echoed through the room, her lips left in
a sour pucker. And again, all eyes were on them.
Cameron took his turn, pasting on a fake smile. He nodded
his head, apologetically, hoping the guests would forget about them. After the
looks dissipated, Ashley turned to Cameron to force her disapproval on him.
"We did not come here to mess with the ceremony. Don't
be stupid." Ashley’s anxiety was causing her to ramble. "I mean,
look at Edwin. What woman wouldn't want to marry that? Oh, and
you've
got a boatload of baggage. It's no wonder Abby didn't want you," she
stated, hoping to break his spirit.
But Ashley's words didn't stop Cameron from quietly voicing
his opinion. "The right path isn't always the easiest, Ash. But have you
ever known me to take the easy road?"
"Haven't you ever heard that sometimes it's better to
leave it broken, rather than hurt yourself putting the pieces back together? Your
relationship is one of those things. Get it through your thick skull. She
chose him.”
When Cameron shook his head in disagreement, she knew her
words went in one ear and out the other. Ashley puckered her mouth out of
annoyance, and turned away to inspect the bridesmaids who were now congregating
at the base of the aisle. She couldn't deny that they looked hot in their
champagne-coloured dresses that were cinched above the waist with a black sash.
Crystals glittered on the strapless tops and light glimmered
off the shiny, champagne skirts. They all wore strappy, black sandals, but
each wore a different variation of the lacy black flower adorned on them. She
leaned forward to get the first look at the bride's dress.
Abigail looked stunning.
Big surprise there.
But
the real shocker was seeing her wearing the beautiful dress of feathers. Aubrey
had said it was on back order, but there Abigail was, working that strapless
heap of silk and feathers like she was royalty. A belt, encrusted with crystals,
wrapped around her waist in a soft v that dipped just below her hips. The
flowing snowy silk, and soft flawless feathers, fell delicately down the skirt
like they belonged there.
When Cameron caught a glimpse of the bride, he felt like he
was drowning in a living nightmare. Stunning didn't even begin to describe how
she looked. Abigail took his breath away. And she looked so happy. But he had
been so determined to prove to her that he deserved another chance.
He tried to stick to his guns, telling himself that she had
to agree with him. She had to change her mind. But he knew in his heart that
she had already chosen.
Suddenly feeling enlightened, Cameron lost his nerve. The
last thing he wanted to do was ruin her special day.