Page 218 of Cashmere Ruin
Oh.
Matvey mentioned that it was taking longer than expected. Since we’d already booked everything, we thought we’d go ahead with the ceremony anyway and formalize later, but…
This is real. This is happening.
“How did you get the lawyers to speed this up?” Petra flips through the pages with efficiency.
“Threatened mine,” he says with a low chuckle.
“That’s such bullshit,” she mutters. “I threatened mine, too. What, they’re taking you seriously but not me?”
“Simple math.Pakhantrumpsvor.Nothing personal.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell that to those dudebros you hired.”
I feel exhilarated. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. “So we can sign?” I ask. “We can really sign today?”
“As soon as she signs,” he confirms.
I take a glance at the papers. They’ve already been signed and initialed by him, every single page. “Got a pen?” Petra asks.
“Right here.”
Once everything’s in order, she hands the folder back over. “You’ll send me a copy?”
“Sure. Consider it your honeymoon gift.”
“You stingy bastard.”
Despite Petra’s words, this might just be the most amicable divorce I’ve ever witnessed. “So we’re good?” I ask, still incredulous. “We can get married? For real?”
“For real,” Matvey replies. He presses a kiss to the back of my head, and I can feel all his affection there. The love that already binds us, more than any contract ever could.
But still, the ring’s pretty nice.
“I’d better go look for my brother,” he sighs. “Make sure he isn’t breathing in a paper bag.”
Petra’s eyes narrow. “He’s not getting cold feet, is he?”
“I’ve blocked the exits just in case.”
“Double check the locks.”
I roll my eyes.Freaking Bratva.Some things never change. “See you at the altar, then.”
“See you at the altar, Ms. Flowers.”
He speaks those words right against my ear, low and gravelly as sin. It reminds me of the day we met, back when he still did call me that.‘Ms. Flowers.’
How far we’ve come from that changing room.
Then again, some things never change. Like the heat crawling down my spine, so strong I can barely breathe. I want to rip this dress right off and let him sweep me off my feet, carry me where no one can see us. Declare his love for me in all the ways he knows how.
But first, we’ve got a wedding to attend.
After Matvey leaves, June spirits me away to the prep room. She touches up my hair and makeup—not without some choice swearing at the damage I did during my mad dash for the silk ribbon—and turns me once again into my fairytale self. Then she does the same to Petra.
“I have bridesmaids, you know,” she protests.