“Chase, we can’t do it out—”
I turn and stare her down. Her playful smile falls at my expression. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s fucking wrong is I’ve spent this entire wedding watching my best friend get married.”
Her lips tip up. “Yeah, kind of the purpose of a wedding.”
“Yeah, whatever. I’ve watched it, and all I could think the whole time was us being up there.”
Her eyes grow wide. “What?”
“All the things they said. The way they both looked at one another. It felt like…”
“Like what?” she asks.
“They didn’t even look comparable to how I look at you. And hopefully how you look at me. And if that’s how they look, how would we look up there?”
Her intake of breath scares me. But for some damn reason, I can’t shut up. “I want to see us there. I want to say sappy shit to you to make you cry. Well…you’d probably make me cry—but fuck…” I start to panic.
Bridge grabs my waist and pulls me to her. “Hey…” her voice sooths me. “I think weddings are a beautiful way to let others see how happy someone is, but they don’t define their true happiness or love. I think that inside, two people know what they stand for.”
“And what do we stand for?”
“Forever. We stand for forever.”
Don’t fucking cry. Remember, you have a set of balls she actually enjoys.
I breathe in slowly, pulling myself together. It felt like eons ago when I was a complete idiot and didn’t have someone so perfect in my life. How crazy is it the way love truly changes a person? I hate to think of my past. The person I was. I can’t take it back, but going forward, I’m a one woman show.
“Listen, you don’t have to say all this sappy stuff just to get me to dance with you. All you had to do was ask.”
Fuck, that smile.
“My bad. How about we save this conversation for another time and you whisk me onto the dance floor?”
I dip down, placing my lips against hers. The most heavenly place in the world. “Lead the way, Angel.”
“Damn, I’m a lucky man.” Levi, smiling like an idiot, stares at Hannah on the dance floor. It seems like yesterday Hannah was running around with her messy pigtails, annoying the shit out of us while we tried to watch sports. Now, she’s a grown woman, making my best friend the happiest guy.
“I’m happy for you, man.” I slap him on the shoulder. “Good to see Kip finally okay with you two. Therefore, so am I.”
Levi throws his head back and bellows out a laugh. “Phew. I was worried, since I just married her and all…”
I shrug, taking a swig of my beer. “What can I say? I’m a reformed man and in love. I seem to have a different view on things.”
Levi pats me on the shoulder, humor in his tone. “Good for you, man. You sure as hell have come a long way. You know, I should actually be thanking you for today.”
“Why?”
“If I remember correctly, it was your idea to set me up with a random in the supply closet at Kip’s wedding—”
“What are you girls talking about?” Ben walks up.
“When Chase set me up in the closet,” Levi replies.
Ben busts out laughing. “Rebecca was so pissed. Didn’t she slap you?”
“Hell yeah. But that was the least of my worries.” There he goes again, giving his wife googly eyes. Back when I was a shitty guy, I tried setting Levi up with one of Kip’s wife’s bridesmaids at their wedding. He’d been going through a nasty break up, and I just wanted to do my man right. Little did I know, Kip’s little sister tricked us all and ended up in the closet that night instead.
“Well, it all worked out. I mean, maybe not for Rebecca—”
“What are you all laughing about?” Kip walks up.
“Your wedding when Levi—”
Levi cuts Ben off. “When I drank too much and barfed in one of the center pieces.”
“Gross, man. You know, Stacey spent a lot of time picking those out.”
“And I spent a lot of time vomiting in one.”
The DJ switches up the song, and the girls go wild, shaking their asses to the music. Man, how times have changed. We’ve all come a long way. Well…except for Ben who, like the old me, refuses to settle down. And who also looks plastered.
“Dude, who’s that chick?”
We all look to where he’s pointing.
Ben’s eyes light up, and he takes a step forward. Levi presses his hand across his chest. “Uh…not a good idea, man.”
“Why not? She looks like a great idea to me.”
“Seriously, dude. Not a good idea,” Kip agrees.
Ben pushes Levi’s hand away. “Fuck it, I’m goin’ in.” He walks off, swaying through the crowd.
“You think he knows who that is?” Kip asks.
I shrug and drink my beer. “Too late. Let him figure it out.”