REOMEN
I stood at the altar, my hands clasped loosely in front of me. Kenji was a solid, silent presence beside me. My gaze swept over the crowd, a quick, tactical assessment out of habit.
I saw them all. Kenji Soma, looking as icy and unreadable as ever, but with a beautiful woman at his side who seemed to soften his edges just by existing. Yamada's family, sitting stoically.
And then, my eyes landed on the other side. Barbara, Payton, and Denki. Payton's arm was still in that sling, a stark reminder of the bullet she took. A life we'd saved. They were part of this now, part of our story.
It was all a backdrop. Noise and color. My heart was a steady, impatient drum in my chest. I just needed to see her.
Then the music shifted. The doors opened.
And the world stopped.
There she was. On the arm of Yamada Fujii. But I barely saw him. All the air in my lungs vanished, stolen in a single, sharp gasp.
Paige.
