Chapter 31: Wedding day 2.

Nerissa’s POV

I dress and head straight to Olivia’s room. I really, really don’t want to go to this stupid-ass wedding. If it were anyone else, I would probably find a way to disappear until the whole thing was over. But it’s Olivia and I know my sister.

She might be smiling right now., she might be pretending she’s okay with everything, she might even convince everyone else that she’s ready for this.

But I know she needs me there....So I’m going.

I reach her door and, as usual, open it without knocking.

"Olivia, I...."

I stop half way my mouth falling open.

Olivia is in Nathaniel’s arms.

They both look startled, like they’ve been caught doing something they absolutely weren’t supposed to be doing.

I slowly raise an eyebrow.

"Awwnnnn."

They pull apart almost immediately.

"I see our big enforcer came to say goodbye."

Nathaniel clears his throat and Olivia suddenly becomes very interested in fixing the front of her dress.

And Nathaniel...Nathaniel subtly wipes at his eyes.

I stare at him, then I stare harder.

"Are you crying?!"

His hand drops immediately.

"What?"

"You were crying."

"No I wasn’t."

"You absolutely were."

"I wasn’t."

I narrow my eyes.

"Nathaniel, crying?"

I look between the two of them.

"Something bad must have happened."

Olivia’s expression changes.

"What?"

I move toward her immediately.

"What’s wrong, Oli?"

I grab her hands.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Rissa."

"Did someone do something?"

"No."

"Did Uncle Lorenzo say something?"

"No.I’m fine."

She gives me a small smile.

"Just a little tired, but I’m fine."

I look at her carefully, she doesn’t look fine, her eyes are slightly red and puffy, she looks a bit sicky.

And Nathaniel definitely looked like he was crying but Olivia is stubborn when she wants to be.

I glance at Nathaniel but he gives me a look that tells me absolutely nothing.

Which, frankly, makes me more suspicious.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened," Olivia says.

"That’s exactly what people say when something happened."

She rolls her eyes.

"Rissa. Pls drop it."

"Fine."

I reluctantly let go of her hands.

Nathaniel steps forward and adjusts his jacket.

"I’ll leave you both now."

He looks at Olivia.

"I’ll see you later, Dolcezza."

My eyebrows shoot up.

Dolcezza means my Sweetness in Italian. My Italian may not be perfect, but I know that one.

Olivia gives him a small smile.

"Later."

Nathaniel walks past me.

I turn my head and watch him disappear through the doorway.

The door closes behind him and I look back at Olivia.

"That was strange."

She immediately turns away.

"What’s strange?"

"You and Nathaniel."

"Nothing is strange."

"He was crying."

"No he wasn’t."

"He was."

"He probably had something in his eye."

I stare at her.

"Both eyes?"

She laughs despite herself and I shake my head.

"What’s going on?"

"Nothing, Rissa."

She picks up her veil.

"Come help me with this stupid thing."

I sigh.

"Fine."

I take the veil from her and motion for her to sit. She settles in front of the mirror while I stand behind her as I carefully gather her hair, trying to figure out where the hell the veil is supposed to sit.

"This thing is unnecessarily complicated."

"It’s just a veil."

"Exactly. Why does it need instructions?"

She laughs softly and I catch her eyes in the mirror. For a moment, neither of us says anything.

She looks beautiful, too beautiful.

The kind of beautiful that makes my chest ache because I know she’s about to walk away from this house and into a completely different life.

I don’t want to think about it so I focus on the veil.

"Hold still."

"I am holding still."

"You moved."

"I just breathed."

"Don’t."

She laughs again as I pin the veil into place.

"There."

She looks at herself in the mirror.

"Do I look okay?"

I scoff.

"You look annoyingly perfect."

She smiles.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

I continue adjusting the veil until the the door suddenly swings open and I nearly stab myself with a pin.

"Jesus!"

Uncle Lorenzo walks in without bothering to knock.

He has my favorite aunt with him, so I don’t call him out on it.

Not that I have many aunts to choose from, but even if I did, I’m pretty sure she’d still be my favorite. She’s one of the few genuinely good people in this family and somehow, she ended up married to Lorenzo life really has a twisted sense of humor doesn’t it?.

I look at him, then at her.

Why do the shittiest men always get the best women?

It should be illegal.

Lorenzo’s eyes immediately land on Olivia.

He stops and for once, the cold expression he’s worn for years seems to crack.

His eyes soften and a second, he looks almost emotional.

Almost.

I stare at him cause It’s strange seeing him like that.

This is the same man who forced Olivia into this situation in the first place, the same man who decided her future without asking her what she wanted. Yet now he stands there looking at her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.

Maybe that’s what makes it worse.

My aunt walks toward Olivia and smiles warmly.

Lorenzo clears his throat.

"It’s time, Olivia."

Olivia slowly rises from the chair and Lorenzo takes a breath.

"I’ll have to walk you down the aisle."

My aunt steps forward and wraps Olivia in a warm embrace.

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispers, pulling back to look at her. "You’re so beautiful."

Olivia smiles, but I notice the slight tremble in her lips.

My aunt gently cups her face.

"You’re going to make the loveliest bride piccolo."

She kisses her forehead before hugging her again.

I watch them quietly, feeling something tighten in my chest.For all the chaos surrounding this wedding, this moment feels strangely peaceful.

Olivia closes her eyes in her arms, taking one deep breath.

Then my aunt pulls away, smoothing her veil.

"Come on, darling. They’re waiting for you."