Because You Need Me (Falling for You, Book Two) (7 page)

She hitched a brow, her thick lips spreading into a grin. “Why? You gonna kick his ass?” The smile flatlined when she saw that I just might. “Oh my gosh, Xander. The alpha thing? Super hot in the bedroom, but in real life, it's too much. Like you said, my ex is in the past. If I'm being generous, maybe he was supposed to be an asshole so I could be dragged to a sex club in San Francisco and meet you.”

I leaned toward her, scooping dark and gold strands that spilled into her eyes behind her ears. There was a symmetry to all of this. When I leaned in and kissed her, I knew that whether it was fate or coincidence, for the first time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I was happy.

“W
hat's got you grinning from ear to ear?”

Usually the very sound of Lara's voice was enough to send me spiraling toward some version of a panic attack. What cruel thing would she say? What snide look was she throwing the people around me? If I made myself as close to non threatening and invisible as possible, would that lessen the blow?

Today, I just looked into the mirror, locked onto her glare, and pulled the sides of my mouth up another inch. Forget ear to ear, my smile practically stretched to the ceiling.

I could have told her that I had not only met the man of my dreams, but he wanted me too. And not for a month, long enough to secure his place at the top of his company, but for years. He'd said years.

I leaned closer to the mirror, touching up my peach colored lipgloss. Lara didn't budge from where she stood, trying to glare me into submission. Maybe she wanted a reply after all.

I lowered my lipgloss onto the vanity, my smile never leaving my face. I remembered the last time we were all made up in pretty dresses. The night I met Xander. I'd felt so out of place. I was just as pretty as the girls that surrounded me, just as accomplished. I let them convince me that I didn't belong; that I had to grin and bear it just to prove I earned a right to stand next to them. I'd be standing next to them again in a matter of minutes, and looking into Lara's pretty, cruel face, I realized that I had nothing to prove to her. If I wanted, I could ignore her altogether. Rubbing my happiness with Xander in her face was something she'd do. Besides, she'd see it with her own eyes at the reception.

I twirled one of the curly ringlets that the stylist had weaved in and out of my side braid and batted my false eyelashes at her. “Don't you just love weddings?”

“Ugh,” she snarled. She bit off a cuss word or two as she barreled through her friends and out the door. It clicked shut and I turned back to my reflection. To be honest, I looked nothing like me. Every blemish was hidden, every imperfection contoured out of existence. My bone straight hair that usually hung like limp pasta had volume and lift. My mermaid braid even had texture, curls dipping and cradling the plait like a work of art. The last minute alterations ensured that the strapless gown hung on me just right and the corset beneath made my tiny boobs look luscious. Even though I felt like I was in a costume, 'me' radiated from within. I knew that underneath all the glitz and glamour, I was just as sexy. Xander desired me when I showed my freckles, without the push up factor, without the pound of makeup. And more than that, his love reminded me that at the end of the day, boring old Penny Robertson was more than enough.

The door swung open and I gripped the edge of the vanity, sure Lara had returned for a rematch. When I tossed my eyes in her direction, my heart stalled. It wasn't Lara. It was my sister...and she was beautiful.

Of course she was beautiful, she could make an ugly Christmas sweater and crimped hair look beautiful. I needed a thesaurus to put it in words. Breathtaking. Glorious. Freaking amazing. Her pale blonde hair was pulled to the crown of her head, a sea of intricate braids and curls pinned with jewels and tiny pearls. Instead of the usual makeup styling, enhancing her already devastating good looks, she went minimalist, her cheeks and eyes glowing with a slight shimmer. Her bright eyes glittered, framed with a swipe of mascara. Her lips shimmered with a rosy pink gloss. And the dress...I wasn't used to spending much more than $50 on a dress, but her vintage gown was worth every penny. The lace clung to her torso and hips and flared out at the knee. As everyone clamored over to her to ooo and ahh, she flashed one of her shoes, blood red pumps that matched the ruby red studs that glittered in her ears—and the rose bouquet that my mother was clutching like a child.

I felt real tears building as I watched Victoria beam and do a conservative happy dance with her friends. When she looked in my direction, I expected her to spare a smile and go back to celebrating with the people that mattered. But she pushed past her fans and barreled toward me. Before I could gasp or turn around to see if one of her friends was behind me, she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed so tight that I thought she'd break something. Usually, I'd complain or stand there awkwardly, sure it was all an act; like she was up for Sister of the Year and was damned if she wasn't snagging the trophy. This time, I felt something. It felt a lot like love.

She let me go hesitantly and looked down at me, a full head above me with her stilettos. “You look gorgeous Pen!”

As if her hug wasn't enough, hearing her call me the nickname she used when we were kids, before it became clear that I was the oddball and she was the pretty one, back when we were thick as thieves...it was enough to make the tears free fall.

“M-me?” I blubbered. “You're the gorgeous one!”

“Tissue!” Victoria called out and in a blink of an eye a tissue appeared. She gently cradled my chin, dabbing at my cheeks. “You're going to mess up your makeup.”

And there was the Victoria I knew, the spitting image of my mother. Appearances over truth, always. I took the tissue from her and shut off the waterworks. “Thanks. Hard to not get emotional when you look so gorgeous, Vick.” I knew the sound of the nickname I used to call her would draw a scowl that would force her back a few steps.

She did one better and stepped back about ten, like she could see herself at that awkward preteen stage, braces, acne and all. “You look pretty too,
Penelope
.”

Almost as if she knew that I was close to accidentally spilling something stain worthy on my sister, my mother bounced into view, still cradling the bouquet. “Just look at my daughters! One headed down the aisle, the other not far behind!”

Victoria's eyes turned navy with anger. “Don't be silly, Mom. She barely knows this Xander guy.” She gave me a look that reminded me of our conversation yesterday when she told me Xander would break my heart. I longed to tell her that she was wrong. That we talked and we were headed somewhere positive, but it was clear she'd made up her mind. Only time and actually getting to know Xander would show her that his player days were behind him.

“Nonsense,” Mom scoffed. She guided Victoria back to the vanity and yanked me beside them. We were quite the trio. Two platinum blondes and a honey one. Two that looked like mother and daughter, and a third that looked vaguely related. I drew a breath and looked again. Three that looked utterly beautiful, Victoria in her gown, me in my scarlet dress, and my mother in her  rosy red two piece suit.

My mother reached out and gripped our hands. She was all teeth, squeezing my fingers until I felt like they would fall off. “Aren't we a pretty picture!”

Victoria and I rolled our eyes in unison.

My mother broke out of the frame, craning her neck toward the door. “Where on earth is that photographer I'm paying a fortune for!” She dashed off to yell at the poor woman, leaving me and my sister in front of the mirror.

I tossed my sister a shrug and struggled to find something to say. Some sage advice to give before she walked down the aisle. “Ready to change your last name?” I nearly smacked my forehead.

Victoria just leaned closer to the mirror, adjusting the birdcage veil that dipped over one of her eyes. “You didn't really invite that man to the wedding, did you?”

We were doing so well. I should have known it was too good to be true. “Do you mean my boyfriend?”

“Penny, really!” she hissed, whirling to face me. She teetered on her heels and her friends rushed to save their queen, but she waved them off. “Can you guys go in the hall? We're rolling in like two minutes.”

They leapt into action without a single huff of dissent, filing out of the room one by one. The stylist remained, but a glare from my sister made her scatter from the room too.

When we were alone, Victoria turned to me. A glacial, beautiful scowl was on her glossy lips. She placed both hands on her hips. If she wasn't so concerned about money and prestige, she would have made one hell of a teacher. “I warned you about him. I know for a fact that you're not an idiot. And after what your ex did-”

“Don't you dare compare him to Marshall,” I growled. Bride or not, I squared off with her. “And you didn't reach out to me once after we broke up, so you really don't get to invoke his name to support your misplaced concern about my poor, pathetic heart.”

Her eyes widened. I'd never stood up to her. I grinned and took it. That had always been our dynamic.

“Most little sisters would appreciate their big sisters looking out for them-”

“And I do appreciate it,” I insisted, trying to breathe and lower my blood pressure. After a few breaths, when the heat of anger had died down to smoke, I picked up my bouquet and held out my arm. We would just have to agree to disagree on the matter of Xander Wade. She didn't know him, and didn't seem to concerned about changing that, but I hoped that with time, she would be. If I could give her husband, the bro-est of bros, a cordial hello and goodbye, she could do the same. Hopefully.

“Today isn't about me or Xander. It's about you and the man that's waiting at the end of the aisle. Don't worry about me, sis. I'll be just fine.”

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I saw tears in her eyes, but she sniffed and just like that, the rain was gone. She took my arm and we marched out into the hall.

The wedding planner, a fierce woman named Aga who ruled the itinerary with an iron fist whipped to face us and I rushed to my place behind Lara. Victoria started toward Aga. She leaned in and whispered something that made the woman groan with disgust.

“You know I don't like surprises!”

Victoria didn't say another word and the woman just sighed and pointed at me. “You! To the front of the line!”

Lara and I exchanged glances, then turned back to my sister.

“The front of the line?” I asked feebly.

Lara still hadn't picked her jaw up from the floor.

Victoria just stood taller, taking the bouquet from my mother. “That's where the maid of honor belongs.”

Lara looked two seconds away from exploding. I edged out of line and in front of her, half expecting her to grab my braid and start brawling with me like some Jerry Springer re-run, but she just shuffled into place behind me, hatred glowing in her eyes.

“It's showtime ladies!” Aga whispered, clapping her hands. She barked something into her earpiece, then gestured for me to start walking. I moved forward through the enclosed patio, the garden already in view. The flowers smelled sweet, flooding my nostrils with their saccharine scent. The music was soft and gentle as I put one foot in front of the other. There was a sea of people on both sides. Most of them were strangers, all important looking and in their finest. They smiled at me, but it was clear that many of them were ready to skip to the reception part where the booze would flow freely and they could get out of the sun.

And then familiar green eyes rose out of the mass of cocktail dresses and suits. I paused for a second, my heart nearly beating out of my chest.

Xander mouthed a single word: “Wow.”

I rocked back into motion, surprised I didn't trip when I glimpsed him looking pretty wow-worthy himself. He wore a gray suit with a crisp white shirt, his dark hair sleek and his smile following me all the way to the altar. I had to force myself not to look at him or I'd do something crazy like rush to him and kiss him. I could picture Aga and her security team carting us off. After all of us took our place and the groomsmen followed (my sister wanted to switch things up and do something avant garde), my sister made her appearance. Free booze and the world class DJ was the furthest thing from everyone's mind as she moved down the aisle.

When the ceremony began, I tried to focus on their vows, but with every sappy word they shared, I stole a look at Xander. The quiet smile on his lips melted me into a puddle. When they kissed and made it official, I felt his lips pressed against mine.

As the newlyweds hurried back down the aisle and we followed them to begin part two of the wedding photos, I found him in the crowd and he winked at me. His lips were moving and I counted out something that looked like three words, but I was back in the building before I could figure them out.

The only thing I knew as surely as I was breathing was that I was ridiculously in love with Xander Wade.

I
'm a fucking lucky man.

I looked across the courtyard at Penny, glowing brighter than anyone else in the room. It had very little to do with the dress, though she looked like the best kind of sin in the hot little red number. The makeup hid the freckles that I was fond of and the caramel eyes I could look into for hours. And I never knew ankles could be so sexy but the fact that the hem hit a few inches above hers was  way more delicious than the heels on her feet.

The glow was in her smile, the one she gave the guests she nervously mingled with and the sensual one she gifted me when she caught me staring. How could I not stare? I was in love...and something told me this was the start of something good.

I tuned back into the conversation at hand. I’d already forgotten every name that had been given to me, but they knew exactly who I was. As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, they were on me like flies on shit.

One of the more aggressive ones flashed his bleached white teeth. They gleamed as brightly as his balding head. “So, Xander-is it okay if I call you Xander?”