Beyond These Walls (The Walls Duet #2)(19)

“I love you, Mom.”

“Oh, baby, I love you, too—so very much.”

“Did you know that many brides find it difficult to eat on their wedding day?” Grace asked from across the room as she pushed a black olive around on her plate. Her hair was up in large barrel curlers, and she sat cross-legged on the freshly made bed.

I smirked, trying to remain perfectly still, as the gorgeous brunette behind me continued to tug and pull at my long mane, promising to turn it into bridal perfection.

“Well, that’s just plain ridiculous,” I replied, carefully bringing a slivered strawberry up to my mouth from the plate sitting on my lap.

Grace laughed, setting her plate down beside her. We’d basically done nothing but eat and lounge around the hotel room for hours. When she’d said we had nothing to do, she’d meant it. There was absolutely no reason any of us had had to wake up at the crack of dawn this morning. The wedding ceremony wasn’t being held until six in the evening, which meant that today was going to drag on endlessly.

And it certainly was already.

My eyes darted over to the alarm clock, and once again, I sighed.

“Sweetheart, just relax. The day will be nothing but a memory before you know it. Try to enjoy every second,” my mom reminded me.

I smiled and let my shoulders relax. “I’m trying. I just can’t wait to see him standing at the end of that aisle.”

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting our conversation, and Grace suddenly jumped up to answer it.

“Password.” She giggled.

“It’s me,” a male voice said from the other side.

“I don’t know any me. You need to be more specific!” she joked.

“Grace, I’ll tell everyone I see tonight the real name that appears on your birth certificate. Don’t make me do it!” Brian’s voice came through loud and clear.

“You wouldn’t!” she squeaked.

“Oh, I would, babe.”

“That’s just evil!”

“Your name isn’t Grace?” I asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Yes, it is! Well, it’s my middle name. Never mind!” she scoffed, opening the door to let her sneaky husband in. “You have my son. You should have just said that from the beginning,” she cooed, holding open her arms to take a babbling Zander.

“And miss all that? Never.” He grinned. His hand snaked around her waist, gripping the fuzzy fabric of her robe, and he placed a tender kiss on her cheek.

Zander watched the exchange between his parents with interest as his tiny fingers pressed against their faces.

“So, what brings you here, handsome?” she asked, stepping away to sit down on the nearest bed with her new adorable little bundle.

“I was charged with a task, and I’ve come to deliver it.”

I looked at him and shook my head. “Oh, no. Please tell me he didn’t.”

“I don’t know what the question is, so I can’t answer that.”

“Did he get me something?”

Brian’s wide grin was answer enough.

“He’s incredible.” I sighed.

“Did you really expect anything less from Jude?” my mother asked.

“No. That’s why I gave Dad a gift to hand over to Jude today as well.” I smiled, slightly shrugging my shoulders up before remembering I wasn’t supposed to be moving.

The stylist was so good that I’d almost forgotten she was there.

“I was told to deliver this,” Brian said, pulling a small box out of his pocket and stepping forward to place it in my small hand, “before your makeup was done.”

A small laugh escaped my throat. “That man thinks of everything.”

“I’ll leave you ladies to your primping.” He turned to his wife and child. “Come on, son. Let’s give Mommy a few more hours of pampering.”

Zander reached out for his daddy and gave us a wave with his chunky baby hand, and then soon, both were gone.

“So, are you going to open it?” Grace asked eagerly.

She and my mother were staring at me. I glanced up to see that even my stylist had stopped to see what might be hidden beneath the ornate silver wrapping.

With shaky fingers, I slowly lifted the red bow and pulled off the paper. When I opened the box, a gasp escaped my lungs at the same moment tears stung my eyes. I was so glad I didn’t have makeup on. It would have been ruined for sure.

A stunning silver heart locket was resting in the velvet box. But it wasn’t just any heart locket you’d find anywhere. The heart was made of two interlocking angel wings. The wings opened, and nestled inside was a folded piece of paper with Jude’s angular handwriting.

My angel, my Lailah, my love.

“Oh God, I love this man,” I choked out.

The room was silent, and as I looked up, I found three women with tears to match my own.

“Please tell me he has a brother,” my stylist said between sobs.

I laughed. “He does, but my Jude is one of a kind.”

And today, that one-of-a kind man would become mine forever.

A QUIET KNOCK echoed through the apartment, and Marcus didn’t waste any time in jumping off the couch to answer the door. Seconds later, Brian appeared, following closely behind Marcus.

Brian’s eyes met mine, and he slowed slightly. “Still pacing the floors, I see,” he said as he adjusted a fussy Zander on his hip.