As the waitress walked away from our table, Jenna turned towards me and was just about to say something else that would either be in the form of yelling and giving me shit or trying to comfort me, when her eyes spotted the ring I wore.
"What on earth..."
"He asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes," I said, wiggling my fingers.
Jenna reached for my hand, gripping it tightly and pulling it towards her.
"My God, girl, that is gorgeous," she said as she continued looking it over. Then she raised her eyes to mine and smiled. "Are you happy?"
"Jenna, seriously, I couldn't be happier. He's everything to me. I mean, there aren't many people who can say they are lucky enough to marry their best friend."
"My God, I have to call Matt," Jenna said, rifling through her purse for her cell phone. "We need to celebrate."
"Hold up. I know Chase wanted to tell Matt, so don't ruin it for him." I giggled.
"Okay, fine." Jenna pouted, putting her purse down.
"We have lots to talk about. I need a dress, and you need a dress," I said.
"We get to shop together for our wedding dresses," we sang in unison.
I could feel the excitement building, and before I knew it, we had been sitting in the coffee shop for over three hours. We had gotten lost in plans and locations and flower choices and honeymoon spots.
"This is going to be so amazing. I seriously cannot wait," Jenna said, laughing.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Chase standing beside me, and Matt trailing behind with a tray of coffees. We had been so wrapped up that we hadn't noticed the time.
"Congratulations, guys!" Matt said, setting the tray down on the edge of the table and passing each of us our coffees.
Chase slid in beside me, putting his arm around me and pulling me into him. "I was getting worried. I called Matt to see if you were over there, and he was the one who led us here." He leaned in and kissed me.
"Sorry about that. We got caught up in wedding plans," I said, kissing him.
“And so, it starts!” Matt laughed.
"We were both afraid of that." Chase chuckled, fist bumping Matt.
We spent the better part of the night talking, laughing, and throwing around ideas. It had been one of the best days the four of us had shared together, and only the beginning of many more to come.
24
Chase - One YearLater
Istood at the altar with my brothers and Matt. The girls had already come down the aisle and had taken their places across from us. The doors opened at the back of the church, and the second I set my eyes on Sophie, I could feel the tears start to form. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and watched as Sophie walked down that aisle, leaving me weak in the knees. She looked absolutely stunning. Once she stood before me, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. I couldn't wait for her to be mine.
After the ceremony, we had partied the night away with our friends and family. It was midnight, and we had just finished sharing another dance when I pulled her into me and whispered that I thought it was a good time to get going. I watched the look in her eyes as she silently agreed with me. We said our good-byes and left the venue.
I rolled over and looked at my sleeping wife. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was only five; the sun was barely up. I slid my arm under her and pulled her against me, listening to the soft moan that escaped her lips. We were leaving for our honeymoon in six hours. Two weeks in Hawaii, just us, no distractions.
"Baby, good morning," I whispered, sucking her earlobe into my mouth.
"Morning," she mumbled sleepily and stretched.
"Are you ready for our next adventure?"
She opened her sleep-filled eyes and looked at me. "What time is it?" I could hear the panic in her voice at the thought we had slept in.
"It's only five. We have lots of time."