16. Nova

Chapter 16

Nova

E zra’s heartbeat steadied, and his breathing slowed as we lay in bed. My cheek was pressed against his bare chest, which was officially the best pillow I had ever laid on. Our legs tangled together, the sheet covering us as it felt like the world outside stilled, and the potential danger was ignored in an effort to enjoy this peace. Faint rays of afternoon light fell across his eyes, illuminating his face and brightening their orange hue. My heart rate calmed as his fingers drew soft hearts on my shoulder.

“So when you said you could manage pretending to like me, it was because you weren’t pretending?” I chuckled at the realization I had been too in denial to see.

“Not for one second,” he said, kissing my forehead. Before, my best friend had made this comforting gesture. But now, with his heartbeat as the soundtrack to our words, I felt the warmth of joy reach every inch of my body.

I nuzzled against him before catching sight of the time. “We should get ready for the wedding,” I said, shooting up and holding the sheets to my chest.

“I think we should lay here forever.”

“Hmm…wishful thinking.”

I pulled the sheets off me and grabbed Ezra’s shirt off the floor to throw over my head. He stared at me again, just like he had in the kitchen of my apartment. How had I been so blind?

This time, however, I didn’t feel unnerved by his gaze. I welcomed it. I wanted more of it.

“Come on,” I urged. “We can’t be late.”

“Just let me enjoy the view,” he complained, his eyes roaming my body.

I rolled my eyes as he sat up, the sheet covering his lap, and sat on the edge of the bed. He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. One hand cupped my butt while the other fiddled with the edge of my—well, his—shirt. I leaned and kissed him, feeling his hand trail up my back and forward.

“Ezzy!” I exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand from under the shirt. “Come on! We have to get ready.” He groaned but got up, heading for the shower.

We struggled to get ready in the tiny bathroom, which led to many distracted touches and kisses that I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to experience. Ezra brushed his teeth, only covered by his slacks, and I couldn’t hide my staring as my eyes trailed his bare chest down to the faint V disappearing into his pants. I shook off my thoughts since we had ten minutes before needing to be downstairs, and I refused to be late. I did my makeup and fixed my hair. Before long, we stood in front of the full-length mirror, ready for the wedding.

Ezra wore a classic black suit, which fit who he was. Classic and dependable. The only thing missing was his tie. His hair was lightly slicked back, and he smelled like apple shampoo. He looped the tie around his neck and started working on it in front of the mirror. I rarely saw him wear a tie, but he took care of the knot expertly and in seconds. I stood on my toes and kissed him briefly before slipping into my heels and fixing his tie.

My heart felt like it was on cloud nine as Ezra watched me center his tie on his neck. I had decided to ignore what would happen once we came down and had to face reality, but the anxiety was starting to permeate my thoughts. I smoothed over my tea-length, rust-colored dress and admired my trusty black heels. My purple hair fell in waves over my shoulder, and dark eyeshadow highlighted my eyes.

“Gorgeous.” Ezra walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing the back of my neck.

“Handsome,” I said. I met his gleaming orange eyes in the mirror and leaned back on him as he hugged me.

Standing in the comfort of the room, I felt confident and safe, but as soon as we left, we would enter a different situation. This was a high-profile wedding with much security and powerful creatures present, but my fear of what could happen came and went in waves. If Elias hadn’t suspected something could happen, he wouldn’t have agreed to the extra security. Its presence screamed that there was something worth keeping safe in the building.

Me.

Ezra tightly held my hand as we walked through a lobby crawling with creatures. His parents had missed the luncheon to help with wedding preparations, and it had been a while since I had seen them, so I was nervous to face them now that they knew my secret. Even though I had always liked them, and they were ever present in my life growing up, I disliked how they treated Ezra like he was broken sometimes. His muscles were taut; his lips pursed as we walked to the ballroom door. I hooked my arm around him, and he looked down, smiling for the first time since we left the room.

Baron, Ezra’s dad, stood at the ballroom door, chatting with his wife, Tara. They smiled tensely as they saw us walking toward them, but their eyes seemed glad to see us. Tara took me in her arms and hugged me. Baron shook his son’s hand and hugged him. To anyone, this would look like parents greeting their child and his date.

“We’ll talk after the wedding,” Baron whispered. “But it’s so nice to see the two of you.”

“Yes,” Tara agreed, smirking at our joined hands. “And hand in hand no less.”

Ezra proudly wrapped his arm around me. “Yep. Nova and I are together now.”

“Well, it was about time,” Baron laughed. Even though we lightly conversed about our new relationship status, the tension between us was palpable, and I struggled to mask my eyes. The fear and resistance of my emotions to be shoved to the back of my mind unnerved me more, so I tried to keep my eyes averted from anyone who might notice a color change.

“We should start heading in before the ceremony starts,” Ezra noted. He motioned for his parents to go in front of us, and we followed a few feet behind.

The ballroom was incredible. Every nook and cranny was intricately decorated with orange and white decor, heavily leaning into the Halloween theme. I hadn't been to many weddings, but Damero was setting an impossible standard of what a gorgeous wedding looked like. My jaw hinged slightly open as I awed at the decor. Ezra snuck glimpses of my face, always turning his to see what I was looking at.

A white runner covered a large aisle with the Woodhaven and Redd’s family crests in the middle. It divided a sea of orange tulle-covered chairs, each row marked by a small bouquet of black chrysanthemums. A small sign saving our seats in the third row of chairs was moved out of the way as Baron led the way to our spots. As we arrived, Eva, Ezra's sister, and her husband were already sitting. Minutes after we took our seats, Elias and his wife filled in the rest of the row. Ezra planted his hand firmly on my thigh as the music started.

The ceremony was beautiful. Damero read a short poem aloud, and they exchanged heartfelt vows that brought tears to my eyes. I loved everything about it, except it being inside. For my own, I knew I wanted it to be outside. I wanted to be surrounded by falling leaves and the natural colors of fall. Usually, the temperature during Halloween was gorgeous, so my choice of date shouldn't pose a weather problem. Allison's wedding dress was strapless and trailed behind her beautifully. She looked lovely as she beamed down the aisle to Damero. For my own, I would want sleeves. I loved sleeves.

Was it too early to start thinking about my own wedding? Nope. Nova, you’ve wanted to marry Ezra since you were a kid.

The reception was taking place in the ballroom next door. Tara stayed close to me during cocktail hour every time Ezra walked away and snuck looks my way with concerned glances and suggestive smiles. Ezra brought us a drink from the open bar, and Elias joined us at the tall table for a conversation about the soaring prices of pumpkins before continuing to schmooze the room. As the eldest Woodhaven, Elias would one day take over his dad’s responsibilities, and one of those was keeping relationships with the leadership of other creatures and other towns intact.

I didn’t understand the politics, but Ezra listened intently and learned. He would never be expected to take an active role in his family, but sometimes, I could see the longing to be part of it in his face. His lack of ability shouldn't keep him from the kind of role Elias had. He was so intelligent and charismatic that I believed he would be perfect for it.

“Maybe we should quit our jobs at the hotline and become pumpkin farmers,” I whispered into Ezra’s ear.

He laughed into his glass as he sipped his drink. “Nova, do you remember when we volunteered for the gardening project at the elementary school?” I nodded. The elementary school ran a beautification project every year to ensure their landscaping was well-kept. They enlisted kids and adults to help. Half of the town came out for the day, and there was a whole fair with food, games, and activities outside the garden. I got to participate every year even though I wasn’t signed up for school. “A small worm popped out of the soil, and you screamed bloody murder. Then complained about how dirty the dirt was.”

“I don’t like getting dirty,” I shrugged with a laugh. Mulch had been stuck under my fingernails for hours after the event, and the smell made me want to gag.

“Well, what do you think will happen if we get an entire field full of pumpkins and need to tend to it?”

“Whatever.” I bumped him lightly on the hip. “You’re such a Debby Downer, Ezzy.”

“You sound like a child,” he said. I rolled my eyes at him and sipped my wine. He snaked his arm around my waist and brought his lips to my ear. “I’m just pointing out the flaw in your plan, but if you want to grow pumpkins, we’ll grow pumpkins.”