It was the most brilliant dress I’d ever seen in my life, never mind to wear it, after some emergency alterations of course. And then, there were the shoes. They were perfect — white platforms, covered in tiny crystals, just enough to make them sparkle without being showy at all. And they fit me. I swear to God, I felt like Cinderella herself when I slipped my foot into that shoe and it fit.

We walked through the exhibits featuring dresses from avant garde to historical pieces, then wandered into the dining room as dinner was announced. The moment we walked in, my eyes widened, and my chin tipped up to the ceiling. The columns lining the room were decorated to look like trees that stretched up to the ceiling, branches that wound across the open space, hanging with blankets of wisteria. Small lights were strung throughout, casting a soft glow, illuminating the canopy like tiny fairies.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

He kissed my temple and whispered back, “It’s nothing, compared to you.”

I could barely breathe as he towed me across the room and to our seats, which were at one of the long tables. I took a seat, unable to comprehend where I was, what was happening. It felt like a dream.

A menu sat just in front of a fresh glass of wine, and I picked the paper up, admiring the elegant vellum and scrolling word Spellbound. The table was covered in hyacinth and peonies, mossy wooden displays dotted with tiny wildflowers and spotted mushrooms.

Cooper sat next to me and smiled, watching me take it all in. “What do you think?”

“It’s like a real live fairy tale, Coop. They really don’t do anything halfway, do they?”

He laughed. “Never.”

“Cooper, I’ve been looking for you, man.” A tall, blond man about Cooper’s age approached with a brilliant smile on his face and a gorgeous girl on his arm, even if she looked incredibly bored. How anyone could have been bored there was beyond me.

We stood to greet him. “Ash,” Cooper said with a smile. “This is Maggie Williams.”

Recognition sparked behind his bright eyes, and he extended a hand. “West’s sister?”

I smiled and took it. “I am. Pleasure to meet you.”

“You too.” He shook his head and shot Cooper a knowing smile. “This is the girl? West’s sister is the girl?”

Cooper smiled back and laid a hand on my waist.

He laughed, a charming, carefree laugh. “Now I know why you weren’t forthcoming with the details. He must not know, if you’re still standing.”

We both laughed at that, though I was curious as to how exactly that all played out. “Once I told him how I felt, it wasn’t all that hard to convince him to let me live.”

The girl on Ash’s arm cleared her throat, and he remembered himself. “Oh, ah … sorry — this is Evangeline. Evangeline, meet Cooper Moore, one of my oldest friends.”

She put on a sour smile and extended a limp hand. “Charmed.”

Cooper gave it a halfhearted shake. “I’m sure.”

“Looks like we’re across from you. Come on, Ang.”

She rolled her eyes. “Evangeline, please, Ash.”

“Sorry, Evangeline. Seems like we could maybe use a little scotch, too.” He smirked at Cooper before dragging not-Ang around the table to sit.

We took our seats as the dining room began to fill up. We were surrounded mostly by strangers, other than a few of Cooper’s friends who sat across the table. Once we’d ordered, everyone chatted, and Cooper and I turned to each other, feeling like we were alone for the first time all night.

He slipped a hand into my lap and threaded his fingers through mine as we leaned in. “I want to know everything that’s happened since you’ve been gone. I feel like I’ve missed everything.”

My brows came together just a hair, thinking back. It seemed like a million years ago. “Well, my mom fed me a lot, and I slept and read. Spent time with Brooke. Tried not to think about you or any of the mess. But then I ran into Courtney.”

“Who?”

“My maid of honor.”

“Oh. Her.”

I sighed. “Yeah, that’s pretty much how it went when I saw her too. She actually tried to tell me she missed me, as if there were a possibility that we could make amends.”

“Smart girl.”

I snorted. “No one would ever accuse her of that. Anyway, then it got out that I was home, and a couple of days later, Jimmy came by.”

His face tightened. “What happened?”

“He tried to apologize, told me he wanted me back, blah, blah, blah. And then I unloaded on him. That son of a bitch even had the nerve to try to kiss me.”

Cooper stiffened, and I smiled at him reassuringly.

“He was lucky he caught me off guard because if he hadn’t, I would have either punched him or kicked him in the nuts. Maybe both.”

He chuckled and seemed to relax.

I laid my hand on top of his in my lap. “But mostly, I realized that I didn’t love him, not like that. I never felt for him what I feel for you. Not even in high school. It was never like this. I just thought I’d always be with him, as if that was just what I was supposed to do. He was a catch, and we were happy enough that I never considered it being any other way. But now? I’ve compared every man I’ve ever met to you, and not a single one measured up.”

“I know what you mean. Like the bar is so high, the scale so tipped. The things I love about you are the measure for everyone else. I’ll look at a woman and think, I bet her laugh isn’t as pretty as Maggie’s, or her hair is so dark, not like Maggie’s in the sunshine. No one can compare to you. There are just too many things that I cherish.”

I met his eyes and smiled, my heart so full. “Why are you so perfect?”

He laughed. “You know I’m far from perfect.”

I squeezed his fingers. “Well, you’re perfect for me.”

Cooper reached for my cheek with his free hand. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as you are tonight.”

I leaned into his hand, cheeks flushed. “Only because Astrid was my fairy godmother and had her makeup artist spray paint my face.”

“No, you’re always beautiful, even with your face naked, nothing to hide your freckles.” He brushed the apple of my cheek with his thumb. “Where did you get this dress?”

“Astrid. It was the dress she was supposed to wear. She apparently knows one of Galliano’s tailors personally, and he was waiting at her place to alter the dress for me. I didn’t think it was possible, but he just snapped his fingers and said, ‘Honey, give me one hour.’”

He smiled crookedly. “Fairy godmother Astrid, huh?”

“She gave me her invitation to the Gala, texted Bobby to pick me up. She got me the dress and the chariot and got me to the ball. She helped me get my prince. So, yes. As far as I’m concerned, Astrid will forever be my fairy godmother.”

He laughed and pressed a sweet kiss on my lips.

A flash popped, and we both looked toward it, Cooper with narrowed eyes, mine full of shock, I was sure.

The photographer smiled. “Sorry. I’m with Getty. Didn’t mean to disturb you.” He nodded and made his way down the table, snapping photos.

“I thought paparazzi weren’t allowed in here?” I asked.

“They aren’t. He’s with the press.” Cooper was watching me — I felt his uncertainty when he finally spoke. “Everyone has seen you tonight. With me. People are going to wonder who you are, which means things might get crazy.” He squeezed my hand. “I’ve lived in the public eye for years. I’m used to it. And I can protect you from a lot of it, but there will be times when it’ll be overwhelming. The talk will die down after some time has passed, but in the meantime, it’s going to be a lot. They’re going to seek you out, ask you questions. Speculate. You might be in gossip magazines, and they’re rarely kind.” He searched my face. “I need to know if you’re sure you want to do this.”

As freaked out as I was by the thought, I smiled. “There’s nothing that could keep me from you. This is part of your life, so now it’s part of mine. You’ll just have to hold my hand.”