There were gasps as all eyes shifted to him. Tessa’s were imploring him to stick to the script. She stood there, spine steeled, resolute. He’d give her that.
He swallowed and blocked out everyone but Tessa. She looked…miserable. And resigned.
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go through with this.
“Tessa, I—”
“Tell them, Leo,” she urged, her voice more steady. “Tell them. About us.”
“About…us?” He didn’t have a clue what she was asking him for.
She took up both his hands. Hers were clammy and cold, but they gripped his like a vise. “We’ve always competed with each other, but that’s because we’re equals. Family is always the most important thing—to both of us. We’ve agreed to help each other achieve our dreams.” She turned to her sisters. “And…and somewhere along the way, we fell in love with each other.”
“Did you write those vows?” Jack patted his pockets. “Because I didn’t get a copy.”
Jack was right. The words were touching. And beautiful. They filled him with regret that they were wasted on a sham marriage.
He turned to Tessa’s sisters. “I know you’re afraid we’re doing this for the wrong reasons. And it’s going to be a shock to our families. But we wanted to do this before they could object. And we’ll have a real wedding…next year.”
“You’re going to have a real wedding?” Juliet asked in a surprised tone.
“Yes, of course,” Tessa said. “And you’ll both be my bridesmaids.”
“In the church?” Vivienne asked. “With the whole family?”
“Yes, Viv,” Tessa said, looking at Leo. “In church.”
He got what she was trying to do. Well, the part about family and helping each other to achieve their dreams—that was something he could hang his hat on. And it made this whole fiasco seem not quite so bad.
“All right then.” Tessa gave him a nod as they lined up again in front of Jack. “No more distractions; let’s do it.”
“Repeat after me,” Jack said. “‘I, Leonides Leonardo Castorini.’”
“I, Leo,” he repeated, “take you, Tessa Elizabeth Montgomery, to be my wife…”
And the rest, he didn’t really remember, because his mind was wandering as he repeated the words. To her sisters, crying, but not from happiness, and to Tessa herself, who managed to get through the vows without crying but was looking a little green again.
Which really hit a guy’s ego where it hurts—the realization that marrying him was so terrifying to his new wife that she pukes.
Then Jack handed over the rings.
Tessa caught sight of some sparkles, her eyes widening. “That’s it?” she asked, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
“You don’t like it?” he asked, his heart accelerating. He cleared his throat—damn frog.
She stared at the ring, which was platinum, surrounded by tiny diamonds alternating with sapphires. “I was expecting—something different.”
She didn’t care for it. Which disappointed him more than it should have. “We can exchange it for something that’s more to your liking. More modern.”
“It’s beautiful. But expensive.”
Wait a minute. She was objecting because she thought it cost too much? “We sort of skipped the engagement, so I wanted to make sure you had a nice ring, and there was no time to discuss it. Like I said, if you don’t like it—”
Jack was standing there, his eyes darting from Tessa to him and back again, not sure what to make of the fact that they’d essentially stopped the ceremony to have a discussion about rings.
“I really like it,” she said, her deep blue eyes looking big and maybe a little frightened. “It’s stunning.”
Leo nodded. “Great.”
She was contradicting everything he knew about her. Nothing about her was passionless. Or wily. Or deceitful. Which was a shame, because it made him want to like her. A lot.
Meanwhile, Juliet and Vivienne were standing there, their expressions alternating between shock and disbelief.
Jack cleared his throat. “Okay to go on?”
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Leo repeated after Jack. He slipped the ring onto Tessa’s icy finger. “And pledge you my love now and forever.”
One glance in her eyes made him see things he’d rather not see—sadness. Confusion. Dread.
And it was then that he realized that this was not a game. Their scheme involved playing with people’s lives. Lying to the people they loved.
Jack handed her a plain band. She repeated the same words and slipped it on his finger, her words and her gaze not wavering.
“You may kiss each other,” Jack said.
“You won’t regret this,” Leo whispered before meeting her halfway for the kiss.
He didn’t get as far as her lips. Because suddenly someone shouted, “Stop the wedding!”
…
Tessa’s mother and grandmother, Leo’s father, and Gia had squeezed into the now crowded room.
“No,” Tessa whispered. A quick glance over at her sisters showed that Vivienne’s cheeks were blazing, a telltale sign. “Viv, you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just panicked. You wouldn’t get married without Mom, would you?”
Next to her, Leo groaned. She followed his gaze to the door, where his other best friend, Noah, stood, carrying a straw basket with a handle and wearing a white tux with a black bow tie. Which officially made him better dressed than Leo. And Tessa. Combined.
“Hey, everyone,” Noah said, smiling. “I brought everyone Summer’s Night pillar candles.” He held out the basket so Tessa could see a cluster of candles, each tied with a raffia bow. “For wedding favors.” He took in the shocked faces of their parents. “Okay, maybe a little later.”
“They’re really sweet, Noah,” Tessa said. “Thanks.” Not only was Noah a good friend of Leo’s, but he was also a head designer at the candle factory, which explained the party favors—which, under normal circumstances, Tessa would be really excited about.
“They smell fabulous,” Lilac said, picking one up and sniffing it.
“I told you to come quick,” Jack said under his breath, “not to bring presents.”
“They’re not presents; they’re welcome gifts,” Noah said. To Tessa, he added, “You are totally rocking that pink theme. If I had known, I could have coordinated the ribbons.”