Beyond These Walls (The Walls Duet #2)(14)

“Tease.”

She bent forward, putting one foot in the car before freezing. Her head popped back up, looking at me in surprise. “Oh my gosh!” she shouted, fully tumbling into the car.

I laughed, following close behind but with a bit more grace, and I found her in the loving arms of her mother.

“I didn’t think you’d be here until tonight,” Lailah cried.

Molly smoothed back the light blonde strands of hair around her face. “We managed to catch an earlier flight,” she said. “Marcus has already checked in at the hotel.”

“This is amazing. Now, you can spend the rest of the day with us!”

“Actually, I’m going to have to bow out,” I said as we all settled into our seats.

Lailah’s eyes met mine, as she placed the large bouquet of flowers in her lap. “What do you mean? You’re not working this afternoon, are you?”

“No,” I answered. “Surprisingly, Roman did manage to make it in on time today, like promised, but I do have a few last-minute errands I need to make.”

Her gaze narrowed. “And you can’t do those last-minute errands with me?”

“Nope.” I smiled.

“Hmm,” was all she said.

Laughing, I leaned forward to place my hand on her knee. “You really hate surprises, don’t you?”

“Yes.” She pouted.

It was cute but didn’t sway my decision for a second.

“Sorry, not changing my mind.”

“Jerk.”

“Do you see how she treats me, Molly?” I joked.

The limo pulled up to a random curb about five blocks away from my destination. Lailah suspiciously looked around, trying to guess where I was headed. Molly just shook her head and grinned.

“Stop trying to figure it out,” I whispered before leaning forward to steal one last kiss for the road.

Her lips lingered against mine for a brief moment before I pushed the door open and stepped out.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

She blew me a kiss, and I shut the door. The car pulled away from the curb, and I stepped onto the sidewalk.

“I love you!” Lailah’s voice rang through the city noise.

I turned to see her smiling face, full of life and exuberance, hanging out the moonroof of the limo. She waved her flowers back and forth like a flag.

I cupped my hands over my mouth, and amid the sea of people walking past, I shouted back, “I love you, too!”

“See? You’re not the only one who can be surprising!” she yelled before the limo rounded the corner and disappeared.

I chuckled under my breath and shook my head.

No, definitely not. Lailah always managed to keep me on my toes, and there wasn’t anyone else I’d rather be with.

With my secret errands done, I returned to our apartment with just enough time to shower and get ready for the rehearsal dinner that Molly and Marcus were hosting in our honor.

We’d decided to forgo the traditional rehearsal the day before the wedding, agreeing that our simple service wouldn’t really need to be practiced. Plus, I wanted the first time I saw her walking down that church aisle to be real.

The apartment was quiet as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. Lailah had packed an overnight bag and booked a hotel room where her parents and Grace were staying. Grace, baby Zander, and her husband, Brian, had arrived not too long ago, and I’d already received a text from Lailah, saying that Grace had commandeered her for the rest of the afternoon to do her makeup and hair for the evening.

A small smile played across my lips as I walked into the closet to gather my clothes for the evening.

We were getting married tomorrow.

It was still hard to imagine, yet the hours couldn’t tick away fast enough. I’d been waiting for this day for what seemed like an eternity. There was a time when I’d believed it was an impossibility, something I could only envision in my dreams.

But now, it was nearly here, and I couldn’t wait to place that ring on her left hand and make her mine.

I tossed on a pair of slacks and a light-gray shirt before adding a purple tie and dark gray vest for my bride. She loved seeing me in a vest. I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, ran my hands through my damp hair, and grabbed a pair of shoes.

I was ready to go in under twenty minutes.

I still had a bit of time before our reservation, but I decided to head out anyway, just in case traffic got tricky or anyone decided to arrive early.

My instincts were right on target as I found myself stuck in a cab twenty minutes later and only six blocks from our apartment. My foot began to nervously tap as I looked at my watch. Finally, I leaned forward and handed the driver a couple of twenties.

“I’ll just walk. Thanks.”

A brisk fifteen-minute walk later, I made it to the restaurant with the ability to still feel most of my toes, and I headed inside for warmth. I soon found my mother sitting in a cozy chair by the bar with a glass of dark red merlot in her hand.

“Hey, Mom,” I greeted.

She rose to her feet to hug me.

“First one here?” I asked, briefly looking around, as I took the seat next to her.

“I believe so. Your brother said he would meet me here for a drink, but I haven’t seen him yet.”

I kept my comments regarding Roman to myself, and instead, I tried to change the subject. “Did you check in to your hotel all right?”