THE BRIDAL SWITCH

CHAPTER FOUR

POV: Amanda

The heavy oak doors of the cathedral groaned as they swung open, and the sudden blast of organ music felt like a physical weight pressing against my chest while I stood there clutching the bouquet of white roses. I could feel the heat of the camera flashes from the media lines outside, and hundreds of faces turned toward me in a synchronized motion that made my head spin with a sudden wave of dizziness. My mother gave me a sharp nudge in the small of my back, and her eyes were narrowed with a warning that I needed to start walking before anyone noticed the sheer terror written across my features. I took the first step onto the long red carpet, and the silk of the gown hissed against the floor while I tried to keep my breathing steady and my chin tilted up just the way Audrey always did when she wanted to command a room.

“Keep walking, and don’t you dare look at the floor,” my mother hissed under her breath as she walked me down the aisle, and I could see the Sandler family sitting in the front pews with expressions of stony expectation.

“There are too many people, Mom, and I feel like I’m going to pass out before I even reach the altar,” I whispered, and I felt my knees shaking so violently that I was worried the layers of tulle wouldn’t be enough to hide my trembling.

“Just focus on Leo and stop thinking about the crowd, because if you trip now, I will never let you hear the end of it,” she replied, and then she let go of my arm and stepped aside to take her seat next to the other elite guests.

I looked up finally, and that was when I saw him standing at the end of the aisle, and the air seemed to vanish from my lungs because Leo Sandler was even more imposing than the photographs had suggested. He stood perfectly still in a tailored black tuxedo, and his dark hair was swept back from a face that looked like it had been carved out of granite, but it was his eyes that truly stopped me in my tracks. They were a piercing, steel-blue color that seemed to cut right through the lace of my veil, and as I got closer, I noticed that he wasn’t smiling at his bride with the warmth I had expected from a man on his wedding day. Instead, he was watching my every move with a quiet, intense focus that made me feel like a specimen under a microscope, and I had to force myself not to turn around and run back out the doors.

“You’re late,” Leo murmured when I finally reached his side, and his voice was deep and smooth, but there was a sharp edge to it that caught me off guard.

“The traffic was difficult, and I had some last-minute trouble with the dress,” I replied, and I tried to pitch my voice higher to mimic Audrey’s carefree tone, but it came out sounding breathless and strained.

“Traffic? On a Sunday morning with a police escort?” he asked, and he raised one eyebrow while he reached out to take my hand and lead me up the final two steps toward the priest.

“I meant... the excitement of the morning made me lose track of time,” I corrected quickly, and I looked away from him to focus on the priest because I couldn’t handle the way he was studying the side of my face.

The ceremony began with a long reading that I didn’t hear a word of, and all I could think about was the heat of Leo’s hand against mine and the way his thumb was tracing slow, deliberate circles against my skin. When it came time for the vows, the priest looked at me expectantly, and I felt the silence of the cathedral stretching out until it became deafening while I struggled to remember the words I had practiced in front of the mirror.

“I, Audrey Hart, take you, Leo Sandler...” I started, but my voice cracked in the middle of the sentence, and I had to stop and swallow hard before I could continue. “...to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward.”

“Is something wrong with your throat, Audrey?” Leo asked in a low voice that only I could hear, and he didn’t lean away as he waited for me to finish the rest of the promise.

“I’m just emotional, Leo, as it’s a big day for both of us,” I whispered, and I felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck while I watched him take the diamond band from the velvet cushion held by the best man.

He took my left hand in his, and he didn’t just slide the ring onto my finger, but instead, he held my hand firmly and stared down at my palm for several seconds as if he was looking for something specific. His touch lingered much longer than necessary, and I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up in alarm. He finally pushed the ring into place, and the weight of the diamonds felt like a shackle that was locking me into a life that didn’t belong to me, but I had to stand there and smile as the priest declared us husband and wife.

“You may kiss your bride,” the priest said, and I felt my heart hammer against my ribs like a trapped bird while Leo reached out to lift the veil away from my face.

He didn’t move quickly, and he waited until the lace was completely cleared before he leaned in, but he didn’t go for my lips and instead pressed a firm, lingering kiss against my cheek. His skin was warm against mine, but his eyes were cold and searching when he pulled back just an inch, and I could see the gears turning behind his composed expression. We turned to face the cheering crowd, and we walked back down the aisle together while the rose petals fell from the ceiling, but I didn’t feel like a celebrated bride at all.

“The reception is going to be a long night, so I hope you have enough energy to keep up this performance,” Leo said as we stepped into the back of the waiting limousine and the driver closed the door, sealing us in the quiet luxury of the leather interior.

“Performance? I don’t know what you mean, Leo, as I’m just happy the ceremony is over and we can finally relax,” I said, and I tried to lean back against the seat, but he shifted closer until our shoulders were touching.

“You’ve barely looked me in the eye since you arrived at the church, and you haven’t mentioned the gift I sent to your room this morning,” he noted, and he watched my reaction closely while he adjusted the cufflink on his sleeve.

“The gift... it was beautiful, and I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to thank you in the chaos of getting ready,” I lied, and I felt a cold knot of panic tighten in my chest because my mother hadn’t mentioned any gift at all.

“That’s interesting,” Leo replied, and he leaned in even closer until his breath was warm against my ear, and his voice dropped to a whisper that sent a chill straight down my spine.

“Because I didn’t send you a gift this morning, Audrey, and you seem... different today.”