At the sound of Rafe’s voice, Doctor D stopped and turned the wheelchair around to face him.
“CeCe?” Rafe’s jaw dropped open at the sight of her in a wheelchair being pushed by his father.
“Rafe?”
“She fell and twisted her ankle. I just wanted to check on it before we went to lunch, is all,” Doctor D said innocently but with a twinkle in his eyes.
“You’re his father?” CeCe wailed, turning mortified eyes up towards him.
“Yes, ma’am, Doctor Rafal DiAngelo, but everyone calls me Doctor D.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and patted, chuckling. “Don’t worry, you made a good first impression.”
CeCe buried her face in her hands, but giggles escaped instead of tears.
Rafe took the reins from his father and wheeled her into the clinic where Tammy and Elethea were waiting, chatting with Cynthia, the receptionist. The conversation immediately halted when the trio entered the room, and Tammy rushed to CeCe, fawning over her.
“My goodness, dear, what on earth happened to you?”
Rafe sighed. “Mom, this is CeCe. CeCe, this is my mother, Tammy DiAngelo, and my sister, Elethea.”
CeCe was sure she was red-faced and probably disheveled, but she plastered on a congenial smile and offered pleasantries.
“She tripped over that rug in the lobby and twisted her ankle. I took a quick X-ray and she should be fine, but get her some Motrin and an ice pack, will you, Cynthia?” Rafal said.
Tammy poked at CeCe’s leg like she was the doctor and cooed about how sore it looked and how terrible it was for the hospital to have a tripping hazard in the middle of the lobby.
“Where would you like to eat lunch, CeCe?” Rafe asked, hoping to distract his mother from pestering CeCe.
“Anywhere is fine, Rafe, but… maybe not a buffet?”
Everyone burst out laughing at the subtle joke, and CeCe felt the last of her tension dissipate. Lunch would be a breeze after that introduction to the family.
Chapter 21
CeCe woke with a start, sweating, heart pounding, lungs gasping for breath. Her satin comforter was clenched in her fists, and she pushed it off, dropping her feet to the floor to try to reconnect to reality.
In her dream, CeCe had finally agreed to let Rafe heal her, but when he tried, his power wouldn’t work on her, and he’d expressed the same disappointment that every other doctor had when she hadn’t responded to their attempts at treatment. She was broken beyond repair, and no one would ever be able to fix her.
“CeCe, are you okay?” Jessica was sensitive to the sound of her sister’s nightmares and always came to comfort her. She plopped on the bed next to CeCe and rubbed her sister’s shoulder.
CeCe couldn’t tell her the details of her nightmare. Rafe’s supernatural abilities were the only secret she’d ever kept from her closest confidant. “I’m okay, just wedding day jitters, I guess.”
“What are you worried about?”
CeCe sighed and rubbed her sticky hands on the leg of her pajamas. “Maybe it’ll help if I talk to Rafe.” CeCe reached for her phone, and Jessica reluctantly left the room to give her some privacy.
He answered on the first ring, even though it was early in the morning, like he’d been holding his phone waiting for her to call. “You better not be calling to tell me you’ve changed your mind, CeCe Bellamy. I already paid the florist. What on earth am I gonna do with ten dozen roses if you back out now?” His teasing tone instantly started to soothe CeCe’s nerves, and she giggled.
“No, I just needed to hear your voice.”
“Is everything okay?” More serious this time.
“I just had a bad dream; it’s nothing.”
“Of course it’s something, if marrying me is cause for nightmares.”
“It wasn’t about that.” CeCe huffed.
“Well, then, tell me what it was about so I can quit worrying.”
CeCe quieted. Did she dare? On one hand, if she told him that she intended to let him heal her, maybe it would ease her nervousness to spill the secret. But if she told him, she wouldn’t want to disappoint him by backing out, and she still hadn’t completely made up her mind.
“CeCe? You’re freaking me out, here.” His voice was tinged with anxiety.
“I was going to ask you to heal me,” CeCe blurted, surprising herself. “Tonight. Kind of like a wedding present. But I dreamed that it didn’t work, and you were upset.”
A breath escaped Rafe’s lungs, and he needed a moment to collect himself. “CeCe…”
“I’m scared, Rafe.” The words tumbled out as her body shuttered.
“I’m coming over, CeCe. I’ll be there in ten minutes… Okay?” He only threw in the question in case she cared about wedding day superstitions. Not that that would stop him. She needed him, and he needed to be there for her.
CeCe went to the bathroom and washed the sleep from her eyes then brushed her teeth. She rarely worried about her appearance, trusting Jessica to keep her from looking unkept, but she felt a little self-conscious about Rafe seeing her like this, hair messy and wearing rumpled pajamas. She figured he’d see her like this tomorrow morning anyway, though, so what difference did it make?
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Jessica let in Rafe and Emily. She took the girl into the kitchen for some breakfast while Rafe headed down the hallway towards CeCe.
She met him in the hallway, and he embraced her, not even blinking at her tousled appearance. His hands smoothed down the length of her hair and lingered at her lower back, pulling her close to him. She breathed in the crisp ocean scent of his cologne and it was as soothing as waves, crashing on the beach. She buried her nose in his chest and breathed him in.
Eventually, she lifted her head, and he ran his fingers along her temples and cradled her head in his hands, tilting it up so he could look in her eyes.
“What are you scared of, CeCe? Is this too soon?”
She shook her head emphatically. “No, not for me. I’m ready. I love you and I want to marry you. But maybe…” She dropped her head and pulled away.
He grabbed her hands, not letting her pull too far away. “What, CeCe? Are you worried that I’m not ready?”
They heard Emily in the kitchen, announcing that she had to go potty, so CeCe nodded towards her bedroom and Rafe followed her. His heartbeat sped up as he walked into her room, the sweet scent of her overwhelming the small space.
The walls were plain white, no pictures decorating them, but the room was rich with texture. A small touch lamp glowed in the corner, illuminating the cozy space. Velvet damask wallpaper covered a section of wall near her bed, and CeCe’s fingers trailed along it as she made her way in. Even the thin carpeting had been covered with a thick, shag rug, and she wiggled her toes through it as she walked. The furniture featured intricate scrollwork, and her satin bedding was piled with a variety of pillows — some with ruffles, some with lace, others with soft fur or raised designs, and Rafe imagined her lying there at night, stroking the different fabrics.
Rafe fantasized for a moment about the attention her fingers might pay to his own body later that evening. She sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her, and Rafe groaned a little as he settled onto her bed. The intimacy of the moment stoked a fire in him.
CeCe didn’t think twice about inviting Rafe into her bedroom, her mind was too busy churning over her insecurities. She clenched her hands between her knees as she tried to explain.
“I wanted to let you heal me, Rafe. I wanted to make you happy. But I’m scared it won’t work and you’ll be upset. What if even a miracle can’t fix me?” Her voice wavered and cracked, and her body trembled. “But even if it does work, what if I can’t handle having sight? What if I can’t live up to people’s expectations? Maybe I should’ve let you do it earlier, before we planned the wedding. That way you’d know for sure what I’m going to be like.”
“CeCe.” Rafe reached for her chin and turned it towards his lips, capturing her
s in a soft kiss. He peppered every inch of her lips with tiny kisses, over and over again, then finally drew her in deeper, burying his tongue in her mouth. When he pulled away, her chest was throbbing, and her worries were temporarily forgotten.
He grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms length. “Let’s get this straight, CeCe. No one expects you to be anything other than what you are, especially not me. You don’t have to change anything for me. I don’t want you to. And if that’s why you want me to heal you, because you think I’ll like you better that way, you’re wrong, and I won’t do it. I don’t care if you’re blind. I’m in love with you, and I want to marry you, just the way you are. Do you understand that, CeCe?” His words were sharp, demanding. “I know who you are, deep inside. And that’s not going to change, even if you regain your sight.” His voice softened, and he stroked his hands down her arms. A tear dripped down her cheek, and Rafe kissed it away.
“I love you, Rafe,” she whispered and wiped her eyes. When she opened them, the room seemed lighter, but she figured it was just the darkness of her insecurities lifting away. “Thank you for being you. You’re perfect for me.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to get married, CeCe? Because I can wait if you need me to.” The words twisted his gut as they came out, but he meant them.
“No, I don’t want to wait another day. Do you? Are you having cold feet?”
Rafe chuckled. “Definitely not. In fact, if I spend another minute in your bedroom, we’re going to be late for the wedding.”
CeCe blushed and gave him a brilliant smile. It was all he could do to pull himself off the bed. “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”
CeCe nodded and placed her hand on the spot he had just vacated, savoring the warmth. She grinned as she realized he’d warm her bed from now on.
Jessie let Rafe and Emily out then rejoined CeCe in her bedroom. “Feel better, Sissy?”
“Yeah.” CeCe gave a big smile. “I might as well take a shower, start getting ready.”
An hour later, CeCe was sitting in the bathroom, letting Jessica dry her hair, when she jerked her hand up in front of her face, sensing movement. Her fingers tangled in the hair that was twisting in the air from the dryer. She dropped her hand and tried to stare at the locks she could feel tickling her face, but she couldn’t recreate the sensation.
Jessica braided and pinned her hair into an intricate updo, and CeCe ran her fingers gently over it, exploring. She had no memories of complicated hairstyles like this, so she couldn’t conjure up a mental image, and she wished for a moment that she could see it. Thoughts like that had been invading her mind ever since she first considered the possibility of letting Rafe heal her. It was a strange desire, one she’d never had before.
When Jessica started on CeCe’s makeup, she pulled out tube after tube of lipstick, popping open the cap, holding it up to CeCe’s lips, hmming, then replacing the lid with a snap before trying the next one.
“How many different colors of lipstick can there possibly be?” CeCe asked, wondering what was wrong with the first five shades her sister had rejected. The tubes were lying in a row on the counter, and CeCe ran her hand lightly over them, starting the line rolling. She squinted, sure she saw a glint of light reflecting off the shiny, metal cylinders, but Jessie had CeCe’s head clasped firmly in place as she painted her lips, and CeCe couldn’t turn her head to investigate.
“Oh, Sissy.” Jessie sighed, admiring the finished product. “I wish you could see how beautiful you look. Rafe is the luckiest guy ever; I hope he knows that.”
CeCe stared at the mirror, trying to will an image of herself to appear. She wished she had asked Rafe to heal her before the wedding. This was the most important day of her life, and she was missing so much of it.
Jessie drove her to the church, her dress in a garment bag in the backseat and her heart in her throat. They entered the bridal room through a back door, and Jessica carried in the dress and other accessories. “Oh, what a pretty room,” she commented, meandering around, caressing the tufted chairs and glossy wooden furniture.
Cece lingered by the door, waiting for directions, noticing the heavy scent of furniture polish and the more subtle fragrance of a dozen different perfumes worn by previous brides.
“Okay, Sis, you might as well take off those clothes and put your dress on.” She took CeCe’s hand and led her over to one of the cushiony chairs. CeCe stripped and sat in the chair, her hands crossed nervously over her lacy white lingerie. She’d never worried much about her figure, but suddenly she wondered what Rafe would think of it. Would he find her appealing? She could hear desire in the tone of his voice sometimes, and his fingers were quick to caress her at every opportunity. Hopefully that meant he found her body attractive.
Jessica rustled around in the background, unwrapping CeCe’s dress. CeCe had let her pick it out, caring only about the comfort of it. Jessie unzipped the gown and carried it over to CeCe, encouraging her to hold onto her shoulders as CeCe stepped into the skirt. When everything was in place, Jessica led CeCe over to a short platform in front of a wall of mirrors.
“Climb up here and let me take your picture, CeCe. You look amazing.” Jessica stuck her hands in her pockets, searching for her cell phone. “I think I left my phone in the car. Stay put; I’l be back in a sec.”
Cece ran her hands up and down her dress, the tiny pearl beads massaging her palms. When Jessica didn’t return immediately, CeCe found herself staring at the wall in front of her, trying to decide if the glimmer of light was all in her imagination. She squinted, and the brightness became more distinct.
CeCe stepped down off the platform and moved towards the mirror, her hands held out in front of her. When her hands touched the cool glass, she dropped them and concentrated as hard as she could on the image in front of her.
Her white dress stood out in contrast to the dark burgundy walls reflected behind her in the mirror, and CeCe became convinced that she could see a streak of light in the center of the darkness that surrounded her. Before she had a chance to contemplate this development, Jessica bustled back into the room, phone in hand.
“Okay, let’s snap a few pics for posterity,” she said, clicking away. CeCe smiled and posed as Jessie directed her to, laughing at the way she commanded her like a professional photographer even though she was only using the camera on her cell phone.
A knock on the door interrupted them, and Eve peeked her head in at CeCe’s call of welcome.
“Oh, CeCe, you look amazing! This dress is gorgeous. Did you pick it out?” She turned towards Jessica.
Jessica grinned. “Yeah, I’m her sister, Jessica.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Eve.”
Jessie nodded, remembering the pregnant woman CeCe had mentioned.
The three chatted for a few minutes until Eve announced that it was almost time for the ceremony and offered CeCe a hug. When she leaned in, CeCe frowned at the streak of color that flashed before her eyes.
“Eve, what color is your hair?”
Eve tilted her head, curious. “It’s red, kind of coppery. Why?”
“Oh no reason, I just thought…” her voice drifted off, at a loss for words.
Eve said goodbye and then they were alone again, but only for a moment. Another tiny knock sounded, this time Rafe’s mother.
“Hello, sweetheart, I just wanted to see if you needed any…” She gasped, patting her chest with one hand and fanning her face with the other. “Oh my goodness, CeCe, you’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen! My Rafe will never want to leave the house once he has you at home.” She winked at Jessica, who’s eyes grew wide at the comment, and bustled over to finger the intricate beading of CeCe’s dress. “How on earth did he manage to score an angel like you?”
“I’m the lucky one, Tammy. I couldn’t have wished for a better man than your son.”
Tammy’s face melted into a happy grin. “I tried my best to raise him right; let’s hope he’s the kind of husband a mother
can be proud of.”
She fussed over CeCe and Jessica for a few more minutes, and CeCe sighed nervously when she left.
You’re gonna be fine,” Jessica said, squeezing her sister’s hand.
CeCe gave a soft smile. “Thank you, Jessie. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me. I’m going to miss you.”
Jessica snorted to hide a sniffle and wiped her eyes. “You’re only moving ten minutes away, CeCe.”
CeCe chuckled. “I promise I’ll come visit as often as I can.”
“I suppose that would be all right.”
Jessica led CeCe to the foyer and adjusted her veil and the bow on Dexter’s collar before kissing her cheek and placing the bouquet of pink roses in her hand.
When the wedding march swelled, CeCe took a deep breath and threw back her shoulders. An usher opened the doors, and she marched confidently down the aisle, trying not to think about the large crowd of strangers she knew surrounded her. They were silent, but the rustling sound they made as they turned to watch her entry let her know that every eye was on her. The scent of roses perfumed the air, and the petals Emily had tossed down the aisle gave off tiny puffs of fragrance as CeCe crushed them beneath her heels.
As she reached the end of the aisle, Rafe’s hands engulfed hers, and all the tension flowed out of her body like water pouring down a drain.
Zeph performed the ceremony, shining in his role as Dominion, but the words blurred together in CeCe’s ears, all her attention focused on the feel of Rafe’s hands in hers and the beating of her heart. She knew he was gazing into her eyes at that moment, and she wished more than anything that she could look into his.
The only words she listened for were, “I do.”
When Rafe said them, CeCe’s heart and breath exploded, a million butterflies tickling as they escaped, spreading her lips into a giant smile.
Her own vows echoed from her mouth, the words more significant to her than any she’d ever spoke before. As soon as they were released, Rafe closed his lips around hers, trapping the words between them.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 60
