You Are Mine Little Sister (by Syra Tucker) novel Chapter 216

RALI

The morning felt unreal; like I was moving through a dream I'd accidentally walked into.

Today felt too big, too bright, too soft for someone built out of scars and half-healed memories like me.

Every blink felt like I might wake up in another life where none of this was mine. I kept touching my chest, my arms, even the thin fabric of the dress, just to remind myself that today was happening.

"My God, the dress is perfect! I knew this would look good on you, my lady," Veronica said, adding a bow that finally wrung a laugh out of me.

Ruby rushed in with the pair of earrings she was insisting I wear. She fixed them on me while I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

"Yes! I knew this would be the best fit." She turned to Veronica. "Can you see I was right?"

Veronica rolled her eyes.

I held my breath, puffed my cheeks and looked into the mirror. A lady with a white flowing dress, holding a bouquet stared back at me. She looked tensed. Dreamy.

I couldn't believe this was me. Couldn't believe I was finally having a wedding.

"Girls, are you sure I look fine?" I asked, even though the designers in the room already told me I was the prettiest bride they've worked with.

"You ask that question one more time, you're getting a bridal spank, Rali," Veronica said.

Ruby put an arm around my shoulder, meeting my gaze in the mirror. "Your husband-to-be is the luckiest man in the world."

Husband-to-be.

After everything, Void really ended up with that title. The bastard fought and won. A small smile played on my lips, followed by a shake of my head.

"Oh. By the way, where's the gift you said you have for him?" Ruby asked. "I'm yet to see a gift around you."

I smiled. "I already have the gift."

.....

I'd always imagined what this moment would feel like; the moment where I would walk down the aisle in a wedding dress, in the midst of my loved ones.

Though I didn't have the crowd I'd imagined I would—we had to keep the crowd as small as possible—what mattered the most was that I was surrounded by the faces of people that meant the world to me.

I could feel a lot of eyes on me. Everyone was smiling at me; watching me keenly like I was the star of the show. I'd always imagined this, and what I felt was like nothing I'd thought it would be.

Despite the people around me, I only fixed my eyes on one person—Dominic Belmonte. Because that was the guy I was getting married to. He was the little boy I met before he became The Torturer to people.

I never thought I'd be getting married to a known murderer, but after much consideration, I realized my mother was right. I might get my hands bloody if I ever saw him with someone else.

As I drew closer to him, I caught the shifting expressions on his face—first confusion, then pure, unguarded surprise.

I stopped in front of him, my two hands wrapped around my bouquet. He wouldn't stop staring at my eyes. My green eyes.

I smiled.

"Do you like my gift?" I asked, low enough for only him to hear.

For a long moment, he didn't answer.

For nearly a full minute, he stood frozen in place, staring at my eyes like they were relics he'd lost in another lifetime. Like treasures he thought the world had stolen from him forever.

Then he slowly lifted his hand to my veil, his fingers tracing its edge as it ghosted down the line of my cheek. I could feel the restraint in the movement, like he wanted my skin but settled for the barrier instead.

"You're beautiful."

The words hit harder than anything he'd ever said to me.

Void had said a lot of things to me, but nothing had ever undone my knees like that.

The priest stepped forward and began the ceremony, introducing the occasion. Then he asked Void to unveil me, which Void did without hesitation.

Then, he asked a question I hadn't expected.

"Ms. Hayes, could you tell us why you're in love with Mr. Belmonte?"

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify