The thought has a grin spreading across my face. I guess some things never change.
I step forward and raise my hand to the door, sucking it up and realizing that putting this off is pointless. The sooner I get in there, the sooner I can make things right.
I hear people rushing around on the other side, and I cringe. Now probably isn’t the best time to spring a visit on them. After all, there’s a wedding that needs to be had. My knuckles barely brush the door before it’s ripped open from the inside and a fucking angel appears before me.
My heart stops.
She’s radiant.
Tully stands before me, and as her eyes rise and lock on mine, everything stands still. Tully Cage. My beautiful Tully. Over the past four years there have been many times where I thought I’d never see her again, and the fact that she’s standing right here before me, tells me there really is a God up there because right now, all my prayers have been answered.
My heart kicks into overdrive. I’ve been in the middle of a war zone, and my heart has never beat this damn fast. I’m desperate to take her in, have my eyes travel up and down her body, but I’m locked in the moment with her wide jade eyes on mine, neither of us physically able to break the hold.
Her breathing picks up, her chest rising and falling with erratic movements and it’s then I can no longer go on without taking her in.
I roam my eyes over her face and take in every little line, every little curve, every tiny detail that sets her apart from the girl I used to know. She’s not the same nineteen-year-old girl I left; she’s a fucking woman, and damn, it looks good on her.
Her long brunette hair is swept to the side with beautiful thick curls cascading down her back. I follow the curve of her face, down past her jaw and neck and over her body. She wears a strapless gold dress, and I’m fucking breathless.
How is it possible for one person to have such pure beauty?
The door has been open for less than ten seconds, but that time is enough to tell me exactly what I need to know: she’s not happy to see me.
I don’t doubt she’s been waiting for this moment and in her head, she probably has a speech already rehearsed. Seeing as though not a word has come from her mouth, I’d bet that she’s kicking herself right about now. Though I’m one to talk. I’ve been so caught up that I haven’t even said hello.
A gasp sounds behind her, and my eyes flick back. I hadn’t even realized someone else was there.
I take in the silk white gown that sits perfectly over the bride’s frame and the soft vale that covers her face and I can’t help the smile that rips across my own. I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. Henley is stunning. This is exactly what Noah’s dreams are made of.
A voice to the left has my gaze shooting across the room to take in two guys, both dressed to impress in their best suits. I don’t think I’ve met these guys before, or maybe I have. I don’t know, it’s been a while.
A strange familiarity pulls at me. One of them looks oddly like a dude I used to go to school with, though too much is going on inside my brain to try and work out who I’m actually referring to. Say, the piercing stare coming from the goddess standing right in front of me, the heat of her intense gaze making me want nothing more than to drown in her eyes.
“Who’s this tall drink of water?” the guy on the right questions, looking me up and down as though I’m his next meal.
His question is ignored as my sister’s crumbled voice cuts through the room in a pained whisper, filled with all sorts of desperation. “What are you doing here?”
I put my need to drop to my knees before Tully aside and focus on my sister. It’s her big day, and I don’t want to ruin it, so if she asks me to leave right now, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I give her a warm smile. “You didn’t think I was going to miss my best friend and little sister’s wedding, did you?”
At the sound of my voice, Violet’s head whips up from the mountain of dress she’s been focused on in her hands and a gasp comes flying out. The need to throw myself into her arms sails through me, especially as a softness creeps into her features and tears spring to her eyes.
At least someone is happy to see me. I’d give anything for Tully to find her nineteen-year-old self and slap that hand of hers across my face. At least that way I’d have her burning touch on my skin once again.