A few seconds later, the bedroom door is being nudged open. I’m surprised to see Will toeing off his Converse and padding towards me. He peels back the duvet and climbs into the bed, curling into my side and resting his head on my chest. I’ve lost count of how many nights we used to spend like this. Back before I started putting so much distance between us.
“Are you drunk?” I ask. I’m pretty sure I can smell espresso martini, which is Will’s weapon of choice.
“A lil' bit, yes.”
“Are we going to be okay?” I whisper into his hair.
“Eventually,” he says with a sigh. Will is a few inches shorter than me; he’s quite slim and feels sort of delicate in my arms. I squeeze him a little tighter, unable to find the words but needing him to know that even though I’ve been a total dick, he still means so much to me.
“Niamh isn’t going to marry Phoenix,” he tells me before I can even form the words I want to say.
“What? What do you mean? Where is she?” I ask, my heart rate spiking. He pulls away slightly and leans on his elbow, looking down at me.
“She’s on her way to your dad’s to tell him. I said I’d come and tell you because there’s some other things I need to say to you.” I turn onto my side and mirror his position so we’re face to face.
“Niamh is no longer eligible to marry Phoenix tomorrow. Because she’s married to me.”
“I’m sorry, what? How long was I asleep for? What do you mean she’s married to you?” I ask incredulously. Have I had some shroom tea? Am I hallucinating?
“We went to Northumbria last night. Nina Fenwick performed the binding ceremony. We agreed to stay married for a year or two until things have calmed down, and then we’ll get her to undo it.”
My brain scrambles to try and comprehend what he’s telling me. I’m not totally surprised Niamh would do this for me; for all the shit we give each other, we’d take a bullet for the other. But I don’t understand why Will would do this. I stomped all over his heart yesterday. I’m reeling and can’t seem to process what he’s told me.
“I don’t even know what to say. Why would you do this?” I ask.
“Okay, I’m going to say my piece, and then I’d prefer it if we put this to bed and never speak of it again, alright?” he asks. I don’t think I have any right to do anything except agree.
“Okay,” I promise.
He takes in a deep breath before speaking. “I married Niamh because I love you. I’ve spent an embarrassingly long time waiting for you to see me as someone other than your childhood best friend, but truthfully, you’ve never given me any indication that would ever happen. I thought if we finally got married, we’d get there eventually. But I’ve felt how you’ve kept me at arm’s length for years now, and I chose to ignore it. I understand whyyou couldn’t tell me about Phoenix, but I really wish you’d told me there was someone else. Even if you couldn’t tell me who. I love you enough that I can’t sit by while you watch the love of your life marry your sister. I don’t know what will happen next, but I do know Niamh will not be marrying Phoenix.”
I lie there, shocked and stunned into silence, as I absorb what Will is saying. I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve so much love from my sister and best friend, but I know that I won’t take it for granted ever again.
“I know it’s not in the way you wish, and I know I’ve been such a shitty friend to you, but I need you to know that I do love you, and I will never forget this.” I squeeze both arms tightly around him and pull him into my chest.
There aren’t the words to convey what this means to me, so I just hold onto him tight. When he trembles in my embrace, his breath hitching a few times as he cries in my arms, I feel so fucking ashamed of myself. I kiss the top of his curly blonde head and try to be there for him as best as I can.
I’m not sure how long I lie with Will in my arms, but eventually, his breaths become steady and even, and I realise he’s fallen asleep.
I’m so relieved Niamh and Phoenix won’t be getting married anymore, but I’m not entirely sure where it leaves us. When crunch time hit, I chose Fee over my pack, but he didn’t choose me back. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move on from this, knowing that truth in my bones. I’ll forever be grateful to Niamh and Will for this sacrifice, but it stings that it ever came to this.
All Fee needed to do was refuse to go through with the wedding, so why didn’t he?
Part II
Present Day
Nineteen
March 2022
Phoenix Campbell
The wedding ceremony with both packs in attendance went by in a bit of a blur. It felt more robotic than the smaller one last week. Lots of being told to ‘stand here’ and ‘walk over there’. We’ve finally finished posing for what must be the most awkward-looking wedding photos in the history of the world.
We’re walking a few metres behind our families as they make their way over to where the reception is being held. I keep glancing at Cee from the corner of my eye as if he’ll run ten miles in the opposite direction if I look away for too long.
“What?” he asks. “Have I got somethin' on my face?”
