Chapter 51

Kayla

The sunlight streaming through the window gently washed across my cheek, nudging me awake.

I cracked my eyes open and blinked, finding that my head felt surprisingly clear. No fever, no delirium, just an ache in my shoulder from sleeping. For the first time in what felt like days, my body wasn’t weighed down by illness. I stretched cautiously, half-expecting some lingering ache or weakness, but I felt surprisingly… better.

The room was quiet, save for the faint crackle of the fire that had burned low overnight. The blanket tucked around me was heavier than I remembered, and there was no mistaking the faint scent clinging to it—Nicholas’s cologne.

My cheeks warmed as I traced the events of the previous night, fragmented memories of him staying close, his hand in mine, his voice murmuring, “I’m not going anywhere.”

But now, when I turned my head toward his side of the bed, he was gone.

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Jade’s voice broke through my haze, and I turned to see her bustling into the room with a tray of steaming tea in her hands. She set it down on the bedside table and rushed over to me, placing her cool palm on my forehead. “Feeling better?”

“I think so,” I said, my voice a little raspier than I expected but otherwise fine. “Where’s Nicholas?”

Jade’s lips twitched up into what I could only describe as a knowing smile. “Starting to miss him already, are you? He was glued to your side all night. Wouldn’t let anyone else sit with you. I practically had to kick him out this morning just to get him to eat something.”

“Oh.” My fingers fiddled with the edge of the blanket as her words sank in. Nicholas had stayed by my side the entire time I was sick? That was… unexpected. I knew he’d stayed with me for a while, but I didn’t expect him to stay there the entire time I was asleep.

It was a strange thought, to say the least. The emotionless playboy, Nicholas Reynolds, the guy who had never had a committed relationship in his entire life…

Had held my hand for hours on end.

Emma appeared in the doorway next, grinning like she’d been eavesdropping. “You made an impressive recovery, too. Having your mate by your side does wonders for healing the body.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, although I couldn’t seem to keep the tiny smile from creeping onto my face at the thought.

Later that afternoon, I was lounging in the living room, flipping through an old book Jade had left on the coffee table, when Nicholas strolled in. He looked as put-together as ever, not a single dark brown hair out of place.

His eyes swept over me for a moment, assessing me with the faintest flicker of concern, before he seemed to realize that I was better.

Instantly, that infuriating smirk of his slammed back into place.

“Glad to see you upright, firecracker.”

“Glad to be upright,” I said dryly, although my stomach fluttered at the nickname. “Where have you been?”

“Running errands.” He gestured toward the door. “Speaking of which, put on something decent. We have an appointment.”

“An appointment?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow.

He didn’t elaborate, just flashed me a grin that was equal parts infuriating and intriguing. “You’ll see.”

It turned out that the ‘appointment’ was at an upscale bridal boutique in town. The kind of place where the staff greeted you with champagne and everything smelled faintly of roses.

My stomach twisted as I stepped inside. I couldn’t decide if I was excited or nervous. The last time I had done something like this had been for my failed wedding to Liam, and although I knew my wedding to Nicholas would just be for show, the butterflies in my stomach didn’t seem to care what was real or not.

Nicholas was already chatting with the attendant, his charm on full display. When he turned back to me, he gestured lazily to the racks of gowns. “Pick out whatever you like.”

I began wandering the shop, my fingers brushing over the racks of lace and beads. The memory of my last wedding dress fitting crept in, unbidden. Isabella had accompanied me at every fitting, scoffing at anything unconventional.

“Your gown must be floor-length!” she had cried when I pointed out a shorter dress I liked. “And the train must be at least four feet long!”

And when I had expressed my desire to wear short sleeves, it was as if I had suggested she suddenly drop to the floor and have a heart attack.

Obviously, I had to capitulate to her—because Liam, her favorite baby boy, certainly wasn’t going to stand up for me if I decided to go against her wishes. So I had put aside my dreams of wearing an untraditional gown, telling myself that it was worth it to marry the love of my life.

Thanks to Ava’s help, I had eventually found a gown I liked, but it had never felt like mine. Not really. And marrying the love of my life? Well, obviously, that never happened.

But I decided, as I bit my lip and looked around the store, that this time would be different. It had to be. Even if it was all just for show.

I pushed past the rows of traditional dresses, searching the back area of the shop until my eyes landed on something that immediately caught my attention.

It was a beautiful dress. The dress of my dreams, really.

The hem stopped at a tea length, the fabric a soft champagne with delicate lace accents. It had off-the-shoulder sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, a corseted bodice with a large bow in the back, and it was paired with elbow-length gloves and strappy heels on the mannequin.

It was elegant but playful, bold but not overdone.

It was… me.

And it was exactly what I’d never been allowed to wear before.

I grinned from ear to ear and asked the attendant to pull out the entire outfit for me, beelining for the fitting rooms.

When I stepped out of the dressing room in the gown, which fit like a glove, my heart hammered in my chest. The attendant gestured for me to step onto the platform, and I hesitated for a fraction of a second before complying.

Nicholas lounged in one of the plush chairs across the room, long legs stretched out in front of him with one elbow propped on the arm of the chair, his eyes closed like he was taking a moment to himself.

“Okay,” I said softly. “You can look now.”

His eyes opened, and for a moment, they didn’t move. His gaze locked onto me, and something shifted in his expression. The usual smugness was gone, replaced by something I couldn’t quite name.

But then the moment stretched on for far too long, and panic set in. “You don’t like it,” I said quickly, moving to step off the platform. “It’s fine, I—”

“Stop.” He was already on his feet, crossing the room in a few quick strides. His hands found mine, and he took hold of them. “I think it’s beautiful. It suits you.”

My cheeks burned under his gaze, the sincerity in his tone doing something strange to my insides. “You really think so?”

He nodded, his lips curving into a small, genuine smile. “You should get it.”

Before I could respond, he turned to the attendant. “We’ll take this one.”

I thought we were done after that, but of course, Nicholas had other ideas. As I changed back into my clothes, the attendant handed me another bag with a second dress inside—this one a slinky, crimson number that I’d glanced at earlier but dismissed as too much for a wedding.

“What is this?” I asked, holding up the bag as I emerged from the dressing room.

Nicholas leaned casually against the counter, his arms crossed. “One for the ceremony, one for the reception,” he said casually. “My Luna should have as many dresses as she desires, even if there are eight wardrobe changes.”

“But I don’t need two dresses!” I protested weakly, my face flushing at the thought of wearing something red and tight-fitting to the reception—which would surely send both Isabella and Liam into a coma.

Nicholas’s smirk just widened, and he dug into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Well, you do now.”

Before I could argue further, he handed the cashier his platinum card between two fingers, not breaking eye contact with me for a single second.