Page 1 of Ever After

CHAPTER 1

BLUE

Icome awake to the knowledge that someone is watching me.

Their gaze is like a line of heat on my skin, and I hear their soft breathing. I freeze, waiting as my brain slowly comes back online so I can catalogue my body. I’m lying in sheets that are soft and warm and smell of Levi’s cologne. I relax immediately. I’m at home. Nothing bad is going to happen. Then, I open my eyes and scream.

A face is looking down at me.

“What the fuck?” the face mumbles.

I blink a few times and then punch Will’s arm hard. “Why the hell are you looming over me like a massive twat?”

“Ouch!” He rubs his arm and straightens up. “I was just wondering if you were ready to get married?”

“No, I’m now currently waiting for coronary failure. Why didn’t you watch me from over by the door? I’ve met less creepy ghosts.”

“And that sounds like very much a you problem.” He grins at me. “I’m just performing my duties as—” He does a muscleman pose. “—the best man.”

My lip twitches. “It was either you or Tom.”

“And I won, yes?”

“Well, only because I felt that Tom’s speech might have been either crotchety or filled with reminiscing of a sexual nature. Or both of those combined with dire warnings about marital harmony and global disasters.”

He immediately blanches. “Wait. I have to make a speech?” I stay silent for as long as I can and then start to laugh. “Prick,” he says with no rancour.

I roll my eyes. “As if I want a fucking speech. No, thank you.”

“I’m just amazed you even want a ceremony. Won’t that be just more pesky emotion for you to deal with?”

“Are you trying to do my accent? I hate to tell you that you’re stuck somewhere between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.”

“You lie. You do not hate to tell me that.”

I stretch. “I’m okay with the ceremony, because it’s how I get Levi legally.”

His smile breaks through and he starts to laugh. “It’d be cheaper to piss on him.”

“As if Levi would go for that. He hates it when he even gets mud on his clothes. Besides, I like the idea of the ceremony. The words are nice.” I squint at the clock and cringe. “Shit! It’s ten o’clock already.”

“I know,” he says patiently. “Hence the looking and staring. I wanted to make sure you weren’t off astral travelling or whatever it is you do.”

“You make it sound like I’ve hopped on the number thirty-seven bus. No, I’m all here.”

“How lucky I am.” He studies me. “Well, shall we get ready?”

Nerves come to life in my belly like a nest of angry baby birds. I lick my lips. “Oh my god, I’m getting married.”

“Ah, hello panic, my old friend. I was waiting for you to show up.”

I pull the pillow over my face. “Oh my god.”

Will removes the pillow and throws it on the floor. “Nervous?”

“Will, I’m going to have to stand in front of a room full of people and admit to feeling things. So many love things. What do you think?”

He chuckles. “It’ll be fine. I think we’re all very aware that you have lots of strong feelings for Levi. It won’t come as a surprise to anyone.”