“It’s okay, Cason. I understand,” I say, because I do. I get what this is, and what it isn’t and I’m okay with that. “We better hurry, they’re all probably holding the bus for us.”
Five minutes later, we’re downstairs being ushered onto the bus. Rider and Jules are in the limo in front of us. Energy and excitement fills the space between us as we head to the chapel, but my thoughts are on Cason, and the way he has casually thrown his arm over the seat and is lightly brushing his thumb over my neck. The soft caress stimulates every erogenous zone in my body, and I squeeze my thighs together.
I angle my head to see him, but he’s in a conversation with Cole about some hockey play they did last season. I get the sense that he’s fully aware of what he’s doing to me though. I take in all the smiling faces, and grin when I see Emily and Liam laughing easily together. The bus stops in front of the chapel, and my breath catches when we enter.
“It’s beautiful. Classy and elegant,” I say, and Cason puts his mouth near my ear.
“You were expecting Elvis?”
I laugh. “No, but I…I guess I just didn’t know what to expect. Although I have to say, my grandmother loves Elvis.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I love my grandmother.” I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly, as I think about Gram. “She’s the only one who never gave me a hard time when I left school.” He frowns at me, and needing to lighten things up I say, “My parents would be mortified if I ever had a Vegas Elvis wedding, but Gram,” I stop and chuckle. “She’d love it.”
“She sounds like she marches to the beat of her own drum.” He nudges me lightly. “Like you.”
“She’s a character. I bet you’d love her.”
“How could I not love her, when she’s just like you?”
My smile falls. Wait, what did he just say?
“I mean…uh.” He tugs on his hair, clearly reading the shock on my face. “I don’t mean I love you. I mean like a friend, yeah.” He shakes his head, and says. “Let me try this again. If I like you, I’d like her, and hey, maybe when you get married you can have it in Vegas. If it makes you and your grandmother happy who cares what anyone else thinks.”
My heart squeezes. “I care, Cason.”
He frowns like that takes him by surprise. “How come?”
I purse my lips and toy with the lace on my dress as I consider my answer. “I’m such a disappointment to my family. I was supposed to follow in their footsteps and when I quit they were all pretty upset with me, they still are, actually.”
His head rears back like I just slapped him, which stops me from telling him about my trust fund. My God, I’ve already said too much as it is. We’re friends, but he’s not my confidant, and he doesn’t need to know about my problems. We’re here to have fun, and I am not going to drag him down.
“Kins, that’s crazy. I—”
He doesn’t get to finish when a middle-aged lady claps her hands, effectively cutting off whatever it was Cason was going to say.
“Let’s all get organized now,” she says, directing Rider to head to the altar. I turn to see Jules enter, and my throat squeezes tight as she stares at her soon-to-be husband, the two sending secret messages to one another.
I step up to Jules and give her a big hug. “You’re beautiful.” She squeezes me, and the music starts. I was originally paired up with Liam, the two of us were supposed to walk down the aisle first, but Cason bumps him out of the way.
“My guess is you want to pair up with Emily,” he says, and Liam gives him a knowing smirk.
I make light and turn back to Jules. “They’re kind of hooking up. Do you mind if I walk with Cason?”
“Actually, I think that’s a much better pairing,” she says with a
grin. Jules never did like my ex, and after we broke up, she was constantly trying to set me up, but I had no time or inclination to date.
“It’s not like that,” I say, and her grin widens.
“Oh, but it’s still early. Plenty of time for it to be like that.”
I roll my eyes, and slide my arm into Cason’s. As we head toward the altar, the scent of his freshly showered skin reaches my nostrils. I inhale to fill my lungs, and the strangest image of Cason standing up there waiting for me, races through me. Wow, where the heck did that come from? Must be all the pumped oxygen in this place. It’s messing with my brain.
We part when we reach the front and turn to watch the others make their way. Emily and Liam come, followed by the others until Jules is standing there with Kane, who’s giving her away. Jules and Rider both come from big families and instead of everyone flying here, they opted to get married with friends and have a big party at home.
Tears fill my eyes as Kane walks her to her best friend and lover, and I have to say, I’m a little envious of them. I catch the way Cason is studying me, and I sniff back the tears, as the two exchange vows. My throat is raw, tight when the two of them leave the chapel married, and we follow them out.