Page 41 of All In

Clover straightens, she fusses with my veil one more time, unnecessarily, then stops herself and just looks at me instead.

“I’m so happy for you,” she says, voice thick. “I want you to know that whatever else is happening this weekend, none of it touches this. None of it touches you and Leo. That part has been perfect since the very beginning, and I’ve gotten to watch the whole thing happen, and it’s been one of the great privileges of my life.”

I don’t trust my own voice to respond to that without ruining my makeup completely, so I just pull her into another hug instead. We stand like that for a second, two sisters who built a life together when the world took nearly everything from us.

“Soooo… if you marry Heath will that make you my sister and my mother-in-law?”

“Oh my God,” she says.

Then we both dissolve into a fit of giggles.

I follow the cue from the resort’s wedding planner and step out into the light.

Leo is already looking for me. Of course he is. He’s always looking for me. It’s that same unwavering attention he gave me after I kissed him, like I might disappear if he looks away for even a second.

I find his eyes across all that distance, all that sand, and the rest of the world goes soft and quiet and unimportant.

There he is.

Exactly where I left him, every single time, since the very first day... waiting for me.

I walk toward him, feeling completely certain and nearly giddy at the prospect of exchanging vows with him.

I love you, he mouths as I draw closer to him.

I know, I mouth.

And he laughs.

Yep, no regrets, Leo was totally worth ambushing.

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