“Stop molesting my best friend. The wedding is about to start, and they kind of need the best man!” Caleb interrupts me, having somehow entered the room without us noticing. His hand wraps around my elbow, tugging until I release Luke and step back.
“Little shit. You’re a real cock blocker, you know that?” I mutter, frowning in his direction.
He smirks.
Luke huffs out a laugh, looking dazed with his kiss-swollen lips. He smiles at me, a happy twinkle in his eye that makes my heart skip a beat. My eyes dip down, and I grimace when I notice how crooked his tie is. Somehow, I got it all rumpled during our impromptu make-out session. My hands reach out to fix it, only to be interrupted by Caleb’s hands flapping wildly and gesturing for me to step away, all while making a sort of squawking protest.
“Hands off! We don’t have time for you two to get distracted again. I’ll fix it,” he hisses.
I roll my eyes as I step away, a half-grin stretching my lips as he shoots me an indignant glare over his shoulder.
“It’s not weird,” Luke says.
I give him a blank look. “What?”
“You asked me if it was weird to have my ex-girlfriend marry my brother,” Luke reminds me.
Oh, right.
Caleb snorts.
“I mean, it’s kind of weird because sometimes people still stare at me and talk about it, ya know?” He shrugs, a thoughtful expression on his face. “But honestly, that feels like a lifetime ago, and I’m kinda glad it never worked out between Maddie and me. If it had, then me and you never would have…” His eyes heat, his eyelashes fluttering and making my pulse speed up.
“Gross,” Caleb interjects, his lips curled into a grimace as he walks out the door.
I smile, grabbing Luke around the waist before he can head out and whispering, “I’ll see you after the ceremony… Save a dance for me?”
He nods, and I take one last opportunity to squeeze those firm ass cheeks, loving the way his breath hitches.
“That’s my good boy.”
Several minutes later, I’m sitting next to Caleb in the outdoor seating area. Pink rose petals are scattered in the space between the two aisles, a row of white, flickering candles lining the walkway. Overhead, the twinkling fairy lights give the space a cozy ambiance, especially as the sun begins to set. The altar is a wooden, pergola-looking structure with a white cloth wrapped around it, covered in vines and flowers.
The scene is gorgeous, breathtaking even, but I only have eyes for Luke. A gooey warmth bursts inside my chest, admiring him as he stands near his brother. We haven’t talked about marriage yet, but I wonder if he would ever consider it. The idea of it hits me with an intense wave of longing, making my breath hitch and fingers clench.
I could make him my…husband.
“You’re thinking about putting a ring on it, aren’t you?” Caleb asks, grinning at me like the Cheshire cat.
I smirk. “Son, I think I’m going to make him your step—”
He gasps, a look of horror flickering across his face. “Don’t you dare say it,” he hisses.
Amusement swirls through my gut and I bark out a laugh. I pause when the delicate, soft keys of piano music begin to drift across the open space, sending goosebumps along my arm. A hush falls over the guests, many of us turning in our seats as the bride appears. I smile, listening to the guests murmur their awe and appreciation. Maddison is dressed in a form-fitting, white gown, the lacy sleeves leaving her arms bare. The V-neck dips down between her breasts, her curly brown hair spilling down her shoulders. She holds a simple bouquet of white flowers as she smiles, radiating pure joy.
A gasped breath, followed by a ragged sob breaks the silence. All heads swivel toward the altar where Jax, dressed in his own black tuxedo, is swiping at his wet eyes. His lips are trembling, and he sort of staggers, almost as if he can’t decide whether he wants to run toward her or just collapse right where he is. Then he seems to remember himself, remaining where he is but sending Maddison an awe-filled expression as though she hung the moon and the stars in the sky just for him.
Luke smiles affectionately, stealing my attention.
“Told you he would cry,” a smug female voice whispers behind me.
Turning my head slightly, my lips twitch as a black-haired female, streaks of purple flashing under the fairy lights, holds out a palm. The man next to her sighs, reluctantly placing a crisp-looking bill into her waiting hand. She catches me watching, sending me a wink before stuffing the money down her bra. I turn back to the ceremony, huffing out a quiet chuckle.
Everyone watches in quiet awe as the bride makes her way down the aisle, and then the groom is clutching her hands in his own trembling ones. They pledge their love for each other: vowing to hold, cherish, protect, and love one another until death do them part.
While everyone else’s attention is enraptured with the bride and groom, I can’t take my eyes off the best man.
“Get a room,” Caleb hisses, shooting us a disgruntled expression and sidestepping just in time to avoid the elbow I aim at his ribs.
