Her expression looks disarmed, surprise flickering through her eyes. I can’t help but smile at her, a hint of embarrassment making me avert my gaze. I never dared to admit to myself how stunning she truly is, how attractive I find her. Raven has always been someone that’s entirely off-limits to me in that way. Until now.
“Ares, if we do this… if it really gets to that point… I need you to know that I expect more than just affection and respect. I expect you to keep an appropriate distance from my sister, regardless of your history. If I make this sacrifice, I won’t allow you to make me regret it. If I marry you, I want you to treat me as your wife.”
Her fierce expression sets my heart ablaze, and I force myself to stay calm. What is she saying? Does she mean… does she mean she expects us to make this marriage work? I thought what she’d want would be a true marriage of convenience, but could I have been wrong?
“So long as it’s within my power, there’s nothing I won’t give you, Raven. No matter what you ask, it’s yours — and that includesme.”
Her eyes widen slightly, and she nods briefly before tearing her gaze away. “You won’t regret this?” she asks. “You won’t regret sacrificing your happiness for your inheritance? When all is said and done, will you resent me for standing between Hannah and you?”
I cup her face gently and tilt her face toward mine. “No,” I promise her. “I won’t resent you, Raven. This situation is unfortunate for both of us, and I’ll always remember that you’re giving up just as much as I am. I can’t resent you for a choiceHannahmade. I won’t do that to you.”
She nods, her expression unreadable. Raven has always been sweet and kind. The woman looking back at me right now is one I don’t recognize, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Nothing about this conversation went the way I expected it to.
I assumed she’d tell me that even if we end up married, we’d never have more than friendship. I didn’t expect her to ask me for fidelity. Until the words escaped my lips, I didn’t realize I’d be happy to grant it to her, too.
“I hope she changes her mind,” Raven whispers. “All I’ve ever wanted for you is happiness, Ares. I don’t want to be the one who takes it away from you.”
“You won’t,” I promise. “You and I will figure this out, Raven. If we end up getting married, we’ll find our own happiness. It might not be easy, but if this is our destiny, it’ll work itself out.”
The cautious trust I see in her eyes sparks something deep within me. Something that feels an awful lot like hope.
ChapterEighteen
Raven
* * *
Sierra hangs Hannah’s wedding dress on the wardrobe door in the bridal room and smiles at it. “You’re going to look beautiful in this.”
I shake my head and start to pace. “No. She’ll be here any minute now. There’s no way she’ll let Ares marry someone else — especially notme.”
My best friend stares at me, her expression annoyed. “I don’t get it,” she tells me. “You’ve been in love with Ares all your life. Why would youwantHannah to show up?”
I pause and look up at her, my heart sinking. “Because he’s always been hers, Sierra. Even if he marries me, the one he wants will always be Hannah. It’s hard enough to watch him love her the way he does, but legally being able to call him mine while I know that his heart will always belong to her? That would kill me, Sierra. I’d much rather stay friends with him than be the person standing between him and the woman he truly loves. I don’t want to be a replacement, a reminder of Hannah. If we get married now, I’ll never be able to step out of Hannah’s shadow. I’ll always be a cheap replica of her, a stand-in.”
Sierra shakes her head, her expression thoughtful. “I’ve always found it so odd, you know? It never made sense to me that someone that shines the way you do feels like they’re cast in shadows. She’s like the moon, Raven. Beautiful on a lonely night, but cold and distant. You? You’re the sun. You’re warmth and happiness, and the centre of all that’s good. Similarly, Ares’s world will revolve around you if you give him a chance. I know my brother, babe. If you give this marriage an honest chance, he’ll make you happy. I’ve always said this, and I’ll say it again: there’salwaysbeen something between Ares and you. Now you can both finally give into it, and it’ll be the best thing you’ll ever do.”
I run a hand through my hair and shake my head. “Sierra,” I warn. “Today is not the day for your little pep talks and your romantic heart.”
She merely smiles at me and grabs my hand, leading me to the vanity that’s been set up for Hannah. “You’ll see,” she tells me. “This is the start of something new. He’ll fall for you, and when he does, I’ll tell youI told you so.”
A knock sounds at my door, and I look up sharply when my favorite makeup artist walks in with three girls in tow. “What are you doing here, Enrique?”
He smiles at me before lifting his gaze to nod at Sierra. “Leave everything to me,” he tells her as she places her hands on my shoulders. She squeezes tightly before stepping away, and my gaze follows her through the room. What has she done? She can’t truly believe I’ll be walking down that aisle, can she?
I watch through the mirror as Sierra leisurely steams Hannah’s dress, a smile on her face. Today, more than ever, it’s clear just how crazy my bestie is. She should be concerned about Ares and me, but she’s barely stopped smiling all morning.
Enrique starts working on my makeup while a hairdresser starts to work on my hair, and nerves finally truly set in. This can’t be happening, can it?
I grab my phone and try to ring Hannah again, for the fifty-seventh time today. Hannah disappeared after I left her apartment, and last I heard she’d been spotted on a beach in St. Tropez. I really hope she realized what she did and came to her senses in time. If she doesn’t get here within the next hour, she’ll make a mistake she can never undo.
“You look beautiful,” Enrique tells me as he puts the finishing touches on my makeup. He’s done my makeup for every single gala and awards ceremony throughout the last few years, but he’s outdone himself today.
For one single moment, I wonder what Ares will think when he sees me, but then I shake my head and mentally berate myself for the thought. Today must be torment for him. Until the moment he sees me at the end of the aisle, he’ll be expecting Hannah. It isn’t wonder he’ll look at me with. It’ll be disappointment and resentment.
I sit up at the sound of a knock on my door, my heart dropping. The door opens, and my mother walks in. I look at her wide-eyed, and she hesitates for a moment before shaking her head. My shoulders deflate as treacherous relief sinks in. She isn’t here.
“I’m sorry,” Mom says. She glances at Enrique and his crew before pressing her lips together for a moment. “I’m sorry your sister won’t be here on such a special day. I’m not sure what’s gotten into her, and I hope she won’t come to regret this.”