Page 44 of All the Beautiful Things
“Groom’s or bride’s side?” The guy must have been in his early twenties, several years younger than me at least, but he was handsome in that way he knew it.
“Groom’s side,” David said, stepping from behind the usher, surprising me.
“David,” I said softly, and caught the ring of apology in my tone. “I’d planned on sitting on Jenna’s side.” She was the one who called me family, and her side wasn’t as full.
“You’re family, and soon Jenna will be ours, too.”
The usher, grinning, stepped to the side and gestured for David to escort me. David took my hand and curled it around his arm.
“Everything is absolutely gorgeous,” I whispered as we walked down the aisle. My limbs shook from the overwhelming happiness at David’s words.
You’re family.It was so bizarre it still threatened to knock me off my feet whenever I heard such things.
Many heads swiveled in our direction as we walked down the aisle, but it was David next to me, and Hudson who I saw at the front, already taking his place next to Brandon that made my steps falter.
I was walking down the aisle… escorted by David.
And it was that moment, when Hudson’s eyes met mine and immediately softened before turning to that tortured, haunted look I’d become so used to seeing on him over the last couple of weeks that made me want to throw all my fears to the side and run until he held me in his arms.
I wanted this. David, holding my hand, Hudson at the front. It was insanity and yet I saw it all play out like a movie that was so beautiful, so perfect, my fingers dug into David’s arm.
“Come, sweetheart,” he said to me, with a voice so thick it was like he knew what I was feeling and was approving, almost overcome with his own thoughts on the matter. “This way.”
He guided me straight to the front row where I stood like an idiot, gaping at him.
“David—”
“Family sits in front,” he gently said and uncurled my tense grip from his arm.
“I really should have brought tissues,” I said, laughing dumbly through tears beckoning.
I slid into the front pew and clutched my purse in my lap to give my hands something to do. In front of me, Hudson was grinning down at me, shaking his head in the way that said he thought I was adorable.
How could I continue to be so angry with him when I understood so much now of why they’d kept the truth from me? Especially David.
David took his seat, reached into his suit coat pocket and placed a handkerchief into my hands.
“Oh. Thank you.”
I clung to it as he patted my hands. “It was my wife’s. Her initials are monogrammed onto a corner. I gave one to Jenna this morning as well.”
“Jesus,” I gasped between more tears. The hits just kept on coming today. How in the world would I survive the actual ceremony?
I unfolded the handkerchief, feeling Hudson’s gaze searing into me until I saw the corner with the letters JVC sewn into one corner.
“What does the C stand for?” I asked, running my thumb over the corner and the dainty stitching.
“Caroline.”
He cleared his throat and reached for the wedding program I hadn’t thought to grab.
“Thank you. It’s lovely.”
“It’s yours.”
It was a handkerchief. That was all. And yet I tucked it into my hands and held it close because it might have also been the loveliest gift anyone had ever given to me.
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