Chapter 27

SETH

Sometimes Seth disliked being part of an Italian family that insisted on celebrating everything.

When all he wanted was a quick visit to a judge, their families insisted on a church wedding, dress, cake, and party—the works.

He didn’t have the heart to tell his mom that the marriage itself was a farce.

So here he stood, in a black suit and shiny shoes, Austin beside him, his large afro subdued in a tidy ponytail for the first time since Seth had met him.

There was a handful of people in the church, including his nonna, mom, and Sarah, as well as Tereza’s parents.

Seth didn’t invite any of his friends. It wasn’t exactly a day he was eager to share with people. Terry had asked Sarah to be her maid of honor but had been greeted with stony silence.

He watched as Tereza walked down the aisle in a salmon-pink dress, and he bit his lip to stop the laughter.

Tereza preferred jeans and T-shirts and she was visibly uncomfortable, so he knew the dress was her mother’s condition for the marriage.

Her millions of corkscrew curls hung loose down her back, her bangs tied back with a posy of pink roses that matched her bouquet.

Her demeanor was more like someone walking to the gallows instead of her bridegroom, and it was a relief the church was empty so that no one could see how miserable she was.

And if Seth hadn’t felt the same way, he would have laughed. And if it hadn’t pushed such a deep wedge between him and his twin sister, he might have even smiled.

~***~

^TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING^

~“~Sethford Andrew Marshall!!!~ Get your ass down here!” ~

~Seth heard the anger in her footsteps as she climbed up the stairs. He shut off the shower and pulled a towel around his waist as she called his name again. “Sethford Andrew—” ~

~“Bathroom,” he called, and the door flew open. ~

~“Have you lost your fucking mind?! You are agreeing to marry a madwoman! Tereza Pellegrini is ~insane~!” ~

~Sarah planted herself firmly in the doorway of the bathroom, blocking his path, so he slid onto the counter and folded his arms across his chest. ~

~Seth tilted his head as he watched her gesticulate. ~

~Sarah was the twin with a cooler temper, always looking at the bright side of life, seeking the positive in everything, and always looking for a peaceful way to solve an issue. ~

~She preferred doing things that didn’t get her noticed and ~never~ raised her voice. She was the lady to his rebel. ~

~For Sarah to swing her arms, point, and solidly lose her shit meant that he had eventually succeeded in doing something he had tried for many years to achieve. ~

~And his sister was a beautiful sight in her rage. ~

~Her blond hair framed her square face, highlighting the blush that her temper had infused into her cheeks. ~

~But it was her eyes that were so captivating—pure green, vibrant…~alive~ as she scolded him in Italian. ~

~“Are you even listening to me?!” She slapped his bare shoulder, the sound of her hand resounding against his wet skin and stinging like shit! ~

~“Hey!” he protested. ~

~“Sono sconvolto!” she screamed at him. He could see she was upset, but Seth could also see the hurt within the shining depths of her eyes. “What the fuck are you doing?”~

~“Why didn’t you open with ~that~ question, Sar?” ~

~He pushed off from the counter, gently gripped her arms, and moved her to the hallway so that he could leave the bathroom and get some clothes on. “~Ouch~!” ~

~He spun around to look at her as the toilet roll bounced on his bed after knocking him hard on his shoulder, and ducked as she tossed another toilet roll at his head. ~

~He caught a third one that would have made sure he never had kids, judging from the power behind the toss. ~

~He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with a volatile Sarah, having never encountered this side of his sister before. ~

~“Sarah…” he sighed as he held out his hands, but this seemed to inflame her even more and she released another volley of bilingual insults and cursing, her voice rising with pain. ~

~“Sarah!” ~

~“How could you do that, Seth? How could you agree to marry her?” He stepped closer to her and tried to reach for her but Sarah swatted his hands. ~

~He took hold of her arms again, and she pounded against his shoulders as she continued hurling insults at him in English and Italian. ~

~He pulled her closer when a hand struck him on his jaw, and with a soft curse, he trapped her arms between them, gently leading her to the bed and pulling her to sit beside him. ~

~He waited till her sobs subsided, stroking her hair and wiping her cheeks from the tears. “I was the one who suggested marriage.” ~

~“You ~what~?” He held her tightly to keep her from pulling away from him. ~

~“Listen to me, please?” ~

~“Why?” ~

~“Because I ~need~ you,” he pleaded softly. “I need you to take care of this baby for me.” ~

~“But it’s not yours!” she protested. ~

~“I know, Sarah, I know.” She pulled back and frowned at him. “We both know that it doesn’t stand a chance with Terry.” ~

~“Adopt it. I’ll take care of it while you’re away. Give me custody. I’ll raise the baby for you!” ~

~“I won’t get parental rights of it because I can’t prove it’s mine. I will have to marry her to save its life, Sar. It’s the right thing to do—” ~

~“Dannazione!” She jumped to her feet to look at him directly. “~The right thing~! Dannazione! You’re too decent for your own good!” ~

~“Sarah—” She pushed him back to the bed when he tried to get to his feet. ~

~“Basta così!” Sarah spun away from him, pushing her hair off her face as she took deep breaths to control her emotions. ~

~Then she wiped the tears from her face and folded her arms across her waist before turning back to him. “You’re too fucking decent for your own good, Sethford Andrew Marshall.” ~

~“Sarah, I—” He fell silent when she shook her head. ~

~“Non voglio parlare con te.”~ ~Her quiet words cut into his soul as she closed the door with a soft snap behind her. ~

***

As Seth stood at the altar waiting for Tereza to join him, he glanced at Sarah, who was examining the stained-glass windows.

She had not spoken to him since walking out of his room two days before. He had tried, but she pointedly left a room when he entered it.

She didn’t answer her phone when he called and didn’t return his texts. And he missed his sister, even though they were in the same house.

And the thing that made him even sadder was that he was shipping out immediately after the wedding.

At the insistence of Terry’s family, they had a small ceremony and Seth took the opportunity to pull Sarah to her feet and steer her to the dance floor.

She allowed him to guide her in the dance to avoid a scene, but she was stiff and did not look at him.

“I know you don’t support me in this, Sarah, and you don’t even have to speak to me again. I’ve accepted this baby as mine. I’m begging you, please do the same?”

“I’ve already bought her a snuggly.” The admission was whispered into his shoulder, and he blinked away the tears that threatened to fall.