Chapter 31

31

Dakota

C helsea stands next to me near the back of the church, both of us glowering at Callie. Maddox has her sitting in one of the distant pews, staying close to make sure she doesn't do anything else to ruin what's left of this trainwreck of a wedding. But she seems eerily calm, and the smirk she's wearing fills me with dread and disgust. She is enjoying every second of this disaster. "I just want to bash her head in," I hear Chelsea mumble.

"Get in line," I whisper.

Trevor and Donna do their best to keep Maisie busy with her flower basket while Archer has his conversation with the preacher. The tension filling the wedding hall at this point is damn near suffocating. Meanwhile, Reed is still very much passed out upstairs. This isn't going the way it was supposed to, but then again, what has gone the way it was supposed to in this entire situation?

I might as well embrace the chaos and pray I survive.

"I knew you shouldn't have trusted her," Chelsea says, then frowns. "All the work I put into your makeup."

"Forget about the makeup. Let's just hope we can still have a wedding," I shoot back.

"I will get a marriage license online, on my phone, right now, if I have to."

"And that's why you're my best friend and more of a sister than Callie ever was or ever will be," I say, smiling as I lean into my darling Chelsea. It's enough to soften her a bit. She's been on edge from the minute she heard about what happened.

Maisie comes over with an ecstatic smile drawn across her cute face. "Mommy, Grandma Donna says I can start throwing the petals around."

"She did?"

"Probably wants to keep her busy," Chelsea whispers in my ear.

I giggle and crouch so I can be on Maisie's level. "Honey, I need you to be the best flower girl that this church has ever seen and throw those petals all over the aisle."

"You got it!"

Chelsea and I watch my little angel as she sashays back to Trevor and Donna. On the floor next to them is a wicker basket filled with white rose petals. Given the urgency of our situation, we didn't pay much attention to dream wedding details, but we did make sure that our little flower girl would have plenty of flowers to toss around ahead of the bride.

As I chalk this up to yet another hurdle that we clearly needed to cross before getting to our desired endgame, I turn my attention back on Archer and the preacher. They're out of earshot, but I can tell from the nervous hand gestures and occasional frown that Archer is still trying to convince the guy to officiate the wedding.

"At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter to this guy who it is that I'm marrying," I mumble.

Chelsea follows my gaze and lets out a sharp breath. "Yeah, well, the man is obviously old school. Katherine Monroe would've loved him."

"I'm serious. What if he doesn't agree to do this?"

"We'll figure something out," she says, squeezing my shoulder in a bid to reassure me. "No matter what Callie tried to do here today, she's not going to win, okay? You deserve every good thing that's coming your way, including your inheritance. We're going to make sure you get it."

If I don't get it, I am screwed six ways from Sunday.

I know deep down that Maddox, Archer, and Reed won't let me go down like that. I know they'll whip out their checkbooks and resolve it with the stroke of a pen. But it will reflect poorly on how I see myself. In time, it will eat away at me. Not because I am stubbornly proud or hyper-independent, though I can't deny either as a trait, but because I will feel like the ultimate failure.

"What the hell is she so smug about?" Chelsea keeps eyeing Callie.

"If I were her, I'd be smirking, too. She's not the type to concede anything, not even her own defeat. Why sulk when she can keep her chin up?" I reply. "The Monroe ego, I guess. Don't let anyone see that you're suffering."

"Right, because we'd feed on her misery like leeches. Callie has us confused with somebody else, obviously."

"Here he comes," I gasp as Archer finally walks over to us. "So? What did he say?" I ask, then hold my breath and pray to all the gods that it's good news.

Archer gives me a confident smile, followed by a boyish wink. "We're on, babe."

"Thank the stars," Chelsea exclaims.

Another twenty minutes later, we're ready to move forward with the ceremony.

The look on Archer's face as I approach him makes me feel like it was all worth it. Through the fire, through the rain, through the ups and downs that we've faced since the night we met, he and his brothers have been there for me. Supporting me. Adoring me. Helping me become the best version of myself while also letting me fight my own battles. It all hits differently when you're about to say "I do" to these men.

"I'm so sorry Reed isn't able to do this," Archer whispers as I join him in front of the preacher. "He's going to be so bummed."

"I'll make him feel better once he comes to," I mutter, then give the preacher a warm and thankful smile. "I'm so grateful for this."

"It's not my place to question the decisions of man, only to heed the word of God," he calmly replies. I do feel the underlying sting, but we're so close to success that I just let the words slide right off my back.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Maisie settling next to Donna on the front bench. Callie is still quietly seething beside Maddox, the smug smile no longer on her face. Maddox, however, is wearing his heart on his sleeve, and I can feel all of his love and devotion pouring into me, filling me to the brim, reassuring me of his and his brothers' commitment, regardless of the dreadful hiccups we've had along the way.

Archer looks so dashing in his grey tuxedo, his hair pulled into a tight man bun and slicked back with a finely fragranced oil. His lips stretch into a warm smile as he looks at me, and I look lovingly back at him.

"You look amazing, Dakota. You look like a dream come true," he says, and I feel the emotion in his voice as it echoes my own.

"Thank you so much, Archer. You look amazing, too."

Chelsea takes a deep breath. "All right, let's get this show on the road."

And so it begins , I silently tell myself as the preacher opens the Good Book to recite the relevant passages.

BANG !

The doors burst wide open.

"Oh, for fuck's sake—" Chelsea groans but then gasps and instantly stops herself, covering her mouth in horror as she remembers she's in a church.

But it doesn't matter as we watch Keith saunter down the aisle. It quickly becomes evident that things are not done getting worse. Not even close. I reckon we've yet to reach the edge of the cliff here, and I'm too numbed out by everything that's happened up to this point to even be surprised.

"I can't let this wedding happen, not in good conscience," Keith declares.

"You need to turn around and go before I rip your head off," Archer harshly replies.

The pastor is downright irritated. "What is going on here?"

"I'm so exhausted from all of this," I sigh heavily.

Chelsea makes the smart move of gently moving away. I catch a glimpse of her getting Maisie and Trevor out of the room through one of the side doors in such a gingerly fashion that no one even notices that they're gone.

"What do you want?" I ask, my shoulders dropping in mild, sullen defeat.

"No, no, it doesn't even matter what he wants," Archer fiercely cuts in, then takes a step toward my ex-husband. "I'm not going to say it again. Get out of here before I make you regret the day you were born."

"Please, this is still a church!" the pastor chimes in.

Donna stands up, a frown darkening her green eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"

"This is my ex-husband," I explain. "As if today wasn't enough of a hot mess already…"

"I just figured the honorable preacher and man of God here would want to know what kind of people he's dealing with," Keith replies with a satisfied grin slitting across his face. Where is the warm and handsome man I was once so deeply in love with? Was he ever real, or did I just imagine him? "Here… I have proof."

Everything comes to a sudden halt as he whips out his smartphone and hits the play button on a clear, high-definition video, complete with sound. Clear enough that even the pastor can see what's going on. And what is going on is a steamy lovemaking session from a few nights ago.

"Oh, my God," I say, instantly nauseated as I break into a cold sweat.

It's a video of me riding Reed while Archer takes me from the back. I'm trying to fit all of Maddox down my throat. Candlelight burns everywhere around us. It's a weird angle but I quickly realize it's from a hidden camera. Bile rises and pricks the back of my tongue. I cover my mouth, my eyes squeezing tightly shut, willing it all to go away.

"Oh my," the pastor gasps.

Donna moves in with lightning speed and smacks Keith over the hand, causing him to drop the phone. The screen cracks and goes black. But the damage is done. He's laughing, almost hysterically, as he looks at us. "It doesn't matter. I've got copies. I'll be showing them to the judge, too," he says. "You were so stupid, Dakota. Stupid to think I wouldn't figure you out. That I wouldn't make you pay."

"Pay for what, you sorry sack of shit? For not taking you back after you ran off like the coward that you are?" Archer growls, seething, his hands tightening into fists.

"You crossed one hell of a line," Donna warns Keith.

But my ex-husband is far too pleased with himself to care.

I notice that Callie remains alarmingly calm. Smiling, even. Enjoying this entire scene and not at all surprised by any of it. Maddox is blank as a sheet of paper, staring in disbelief. Confused. Unsure of what to do or say next. But Keith's delighted cackle reactivates him. A moment later, Maddox stands up and starts making his way toward us.

"This is unacceptable," the preacher declares, his face red and shaking with outrage. "I am a man of God, and I came here to officiate a wedding between a man and a woman, not put up with this lewd and disgusting circus."

"Please," I try to reason with him, but it's too late.

The Good Book is shut and tucked under his arm. "Find somebody else to do this. And not in this church. This is hallowed ground."

"Wait!" Archer calls out.

But he is already out the door, and we're left without anyone to officiate the wedding.

I glance down at my dress as the disaster continues to unravel before me. I barely register the speed with which everything has spiraled completely out of control. At least Chelsea had the presence of mind to get the kids out of here.

"Keith, how did you get that footage?" I ask.

"Does it even matter? I now know the truth, and there's no way in hell that I'm letting you raise our daughter in such depravity!" he shouts, a sneer permanently stretched across his lips. "I knew there was something off about you," he says to Archer, "the way you paraded around that house while my daughter was present!"

"Maisie never saw or heard anything out of order," Archer replies, then takes another step. "But I will ask you the same thing. How the fuck did you get that footage?"

Donna steps in between them. "Archer, honey, calm down."

"I am calm, Mom. I just want to know."

"That makes two of us," Maddox joins the conversation, the green in his eyes so dark and smoldering that it might melt the meat off Keith's bones altogether. "Because something stinks here."

"It doesn't matter," Keith insists, but I can see he's getting nervous.

"It really doesn't," Callie adds from the back as she gets up, appearing just as satisfied as my ex-husband. "Once it's out in the press, no judge will allow Maisie anywhere near such a depraved and deviant mother."

I'm having trouble breathing.

"How could you do this?"

"It's my eighty million," Callie replies.

"Maisie is my daughter, too," Keith valiantly declares.

"You walked out on her," Archer replies before his face lights up. "Holy shit, I know what happened." He pauses and gives Maddox an eerily amused look. "The break-in."

"You're shitting me," Maddox says, then looks at Keith. "You're the one we caught breaking in. That's why nothing was missing. Your only goal was to plant that camera. Come here, you piece of—"

Keith bolts in the opposite direction.

Quick as a mouse, he scurries out of the chapel as Maddox runs after him. I'm not sure how this will end, but right now, I don't think I care. All I can do is stare at Callie in sheer disbelief. "You orchestrated this," I conclude, my voice barely audible. "You weren't at all shocked about the footage, you did not react whatsoever, and you didn't object to Maddox keeping you here to watch the wedding ceremony proceed with Archer instead of Reed. You knew what was coming. Keith was your backup plan, wasn't he?"

"Is Archer going to rough me up now? ‘Cause I'm calling the cops," Callie says and whips out her phone. Donna is quick to make a move, stepping toward her with such deliberation that my sister's hand freezes before her fingers can move over the screen.

"You need to get out of here before I rough you up," Donna hisses. "And trust me, I will do a lot worse than my sons will."

"I'm done here anyway," Callie says dismissively.

She walks away, leaving me in shambles. Everything I've struggled for, everything I fought to protect… it's gone. Tomorrow, that footage will find its way into the newspapers or at least social media, which is infinitely worse. There's no way I'll be able to survive what comes next. I'm ruined in every possible way, and the Faulkner brothers will go down with me.

"Oh, God… I can't do this," I move away from Archer and his mother.

"Dakota, stop." Archer tries to reach me.

But I push back, shaking my head. "No, I can't, I can't do this anymore. It's over."

"Hold on, we'll figure something out."

"Dakota, please," Donna says. "It's not over yet. We have lawyers. Friends in the media. I can pull a few strings—"

"What point is there in any of that? It's over," I say it again. "There will be no wedding. I'm not getting my inheritance. I'll lose the house. Maisie won't get her shot at Prescott Academy. And even if your sons, your wonderful, caring, loving sons, do insist on bailing me out, they're already ruined. I can't even think straight right now."

Archer tries again, but I reject him once more. He stills, a devastated look settling on his handsome face. His chest rises and falls heavily with each ragged breath. "Dammit, Dakota. Give us a minute, will you?"

"I can't…"

Tears prick my eyes as I slip through the side door. I find Chelsea with Trevor and Maisie. The three of them look understandably worried and confused, yet all I can do is scoop my daughter up and reach a hand out to Chelsea.

"I beg you, give me your car keys. I'll leave them at my place," I say to my best friend.

Archer and Donna's voices echo from the hall, and a sense of urgency comes over me as Chelsea reluctantly gives me the keys to her car. "Dakota, what happened?"

"I can't say. Not in front of the children."

"Mommy, are you okay?" Maisie asks me.

Trevor frowns. "Are my dads okay?"

"Yeah, honey, they're okay. We're just not going to have a wedding today," I manage, trying so hard not to crumble right in front of him.

Chelsea comes closer. "Honey, talk to me."

"I can't. I just… I need to get out of here."

"Okay, well, I'm coming with you then," she says.

I shake my head. "You've done enough, babe, I have to—"

"I'm coming; end of discussion."

It's not like I can argue with her. I'm too tired, heartsick, worn out, devastated, and broken into itty bitty pieces. Callie played her hand well and then some. I don't know how, but she roped Keith into it, too. Or maybe he's the one who roped her in. It doesn't really matter anymore, though, does it?

It is over.