Chapter 34
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
ANGEL
I jump out of my truck and use the two seconds it takes me to walk around the cab to gather myself. My palms are sweaty, my stomach is practically cramping. I think I might throw up.
But I won’t. Because Rhys needs me to be strong for him.
I asked him to come to the wedding with me. I told him to dress however he wants. I need to protect him against whatever fallout might follow.
Holding the door handle, I take a deep breath, then pull it open. Rhys gazes down at me, looking like a queen sitting on her throne. His dress is dazzling, but it pales in comparison to his own beauty. Dark, smoldering eyes and glistening, pouty lips. His hair is blond today and it falls in perfect curls around his face.
When I first laid eyes on him in his apartment, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Because no human could look like that, right? He has to be an angel.
I take Rhys’s hand and hold him steady as he steps down. I close the door behind him and we stand there, shielded by my truck, and gaze into each other’s eyes.
Rhys is my life now. He is my future. I don’t care what happens today, I will do whatever it takes to be with him forever.
“Ready?” he finally asks.
I nod and hold out my elbow. He slips his hand inside and I place mine on top of it.
Then we walk.
The entire neighborhood has shown up for this wedding. Every single person I’ve known since I was a baby. And the second we round the bed of my truck, all eyes zero in on us—or rather, on Rhys.
I don’t blame them. He’s a vision. Stunning. How could you not stare? But not all the gazes are as appreciative as mine.
Beside me, Rhys holds his head up high. His posture is ramrod straight, and he struts like he’s on a catwalk. Part of it is a defense mechanism, a shield. I can tell now that I know him so well. But I’m still proud of him for showing up, for being unapologetic, for being bold.
I love him. I couldn’t be more honored to have him on my arm.
I see Nico’s wife, Ariana, wrangling their two kids across the parking lot. She stops in her tracks, an expression of shock on her face when she sees us. Then she hurries the kids into the church like they’re trying to flee the boogeyman.
I grit my teeth. Of all the people at this wedding, I was sure Nico and Ariana would be safe. Rhys’s hand tightens on my elbow when he notices her reaction. I hate that he saw it.
But then, before we manage more than a few yards, Nico appears in the open doorway of the church. He scans the parking lot and the instant he sets eyes on us, he breaks into a smile. Ariana must have rushed inside to send him out.
“Ricky! Angel!” He marches toward us, arms held wide like he’s welcoming old friends back home.
Rhys lets out a shaky breath, releasing some of his tightly coiled tension.
“Holy shit, baby bro! You look like you’re going to the Met Gala. You know you’re in Staten Island, right?” Nico teases as he pulls Rhys into a hug.
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I dressed up. If I don’t bring the fabulous, who will?” Rhys is all sass and confidence. There’s no hint of anxiety and I can’t help puffing up my chest in response. He’s an amazing performer. He’s gonna nail this.
“Angel, my man.” Nico gives me a bro hug and we slap each other on the back. But when I pull away, Nico doesn’t let go. “You treating him right?” He growls at me in full big-brother mode.
I smile with a joy so deep and uncontainable, it just shoots out of me. “Yeah. For sure.”
“Good. Glad to hear it.”
When Nico releases me, Rhys isn’t where I left him. He’s been enveloped by a group of women about our age. They’re all gushing over his dress and his hair and his makeup, and he’s holding court like the queen he is.
Nico and I stand back, letting Rhys have his moment.
All around us, guests are still making their way from their cars to the church. Most of them stare, but I’m almost glad they do. Let them see how many people we’ve got on our side.
Mama and Sabrina pause on the sidewalk, halfway between our group and the church’s entrance. Sabrina turns to say something to Mama, but Mama shakes her head and turns toward the church.
Pain stabs straight through my heart at the sight. Things have been tense between us. I don’t like it, but I also don’t know what to do about it. Sunday dinners have been awkward with Sabrina trying to fill the silences. And when I tried to talk to Mama about it one time, she shut herself in her bedroom again. She isn’t happy about me dating Rhys, but I’m still holding out hope that she’ll come around.
Sabrina beams as she approaches us. “I should’ve known. It’s always the quiet ones you need to watch out for.”
My ears heat at her teasing, but I hide it by taking Jonah from her arms. She’s got my nephew dressed in a mini-suit, complete with a mini-bowtie, that is utterly adorable.
“Hi Jo-Jo!” I say in that silly voice people use with babies.
“’ncle ’ngel!” He grabs my face with spit-covered hands, and I grimace but bear it.
Jonah is a good distraction, but not quite enough to keep me from monitoring the parking lot. Mario shows up with a girl I don’t recognize. She looks curious, but his face is shut down in a frown. We’ve only had minimal exchanges at work since I came out to him. It sucks losing one of my only friends, but I don’t regret doing what I did .
Rhys and Nico’s parents arrive and it takes them a few moments to realize it’s their son in the center of all the excitement. Mr. Gallo tries to go into the church, but Mrs. Gallo drags him toward us instead.
My heart races as the women around Rhys part as if they’re the Red Sea and Mrs. Gallo is Moses. Rhys’s posture stiffens when she stops in front of him. Mr. Gallo stands behind his wife, arms crossed, glowering. The parking lot descends into silence as Rhys’s mom gives him a thorough once-over.
Rhys stays perfectly still during her examination. I’m this close to stepping between them when Nico stops me with a hand on my arm.
“Just wait,” he whispers.
“Hi, Mom,” Rhys says, his intonation not giving anything away.
“That’s some outfit,” she replies.
“You like it?” He strikes a pose.
She sighs like she’s giving up on a naughty child and shakes her head with a resigned expression. “You look good,” she finally concedes.
Then she turns her gaze to the people standing around him. The women all look terrified. Nico and Sabrina both stare her down. When she finally gets to me, it takes every ounce of courage I have not to look away.
I love her son. I’ll protect him. Even from her, if I have to.
She breaks first, heaving another heavy sigh. Then, with one last glance at Rhys, she says, “I’ll see you inside,” before walking away. Rhys’s dad doesn’t even look at us before following his wife inside.
Air rushes back into the little bubble that formed around the group. Sounds of traffic in the distance filter through again. We all breathe a sigh of relief.
“Guess we should all find our seats,” Nico says, leading the way.
I hand Jonah back to Sabrina and hold out my arm to Rhys. He takes it and presses himself into me. “You okay?”
He nods with a bittersweet smile. “Yeah, I think so.”
I hold Rhys’s hand through the ceremony. The priest drones on about love and respect and devotion, and all I can think about is how much I want to repeat those same words to Rhys.
I can already imagine it. Rhys in a spectacular wedding gown with flowers in his hair. The sunlight would make his skin glow and his eyes sparkle. He would be radiant as we dedicate our lives to each other.
I want that. I want to marry him, to be his husband. I want to build a house for him and create a life together. Maybe we’ll even have kids? I don’t know how he feels about kids. But I can see him braiding their hair and putting on home fashion shows.
It’s all very domestic and I know Rhys isn’t a domestic kind of guy. But maybe…?
Clutching my hand, Rhys gazes toward the front of the sanctuary where the bride and groom are exchanging rings. His eyes are wet with unshed tears and there’s a longing in his expression that makes me wonder.
After the ceremony, the guests linger in the sanctuary as the photographer calls up various groups of friends and family for pictures. Rhys and I find a dark corner and I draw him to me, his back against my front. I slip my arms around his waist, and with his heels on, he’s tall enough for me to dip down and rest my chin on his shoulder .
He sighs and melts back into me. “Would you ever want to do that?” he asks in a quiet voice that travels the short distance between us.
I breathe in his floral scent, letting my eyes drift shut as I bask in his presence. “Hmm? Do what?”
“That.” He nods toward the front of the sanctuary. “Get married.”
I still, then open my eyes and straighten. Rhys turns to look at me over his shoulder. My stomach is doing that fluttering thing I’ve only ever felt around Rhys. It’s nervousness and excitement. It’s anticipation for something I know will be scary but also amazing.
“Do you?” It’s a cop-out question, but I need to know.
Marriage always seemed inevitable for me, even though finding a girlfriend felt impossible for such a long time. I don’t need marriage to be happy with Rhys, but if that’s something he’s open to, then I would jump at the chance to put a ring on his finger.
“No,” he says with a softness in his eyes, and my stomach drops. “Not before. I never understood the point. But now…”
I gulp. “Now?”
He turns fully in my arms, sliding his hands up my chest and around to the back of my neck. My heart thumps like a drum in my chest, so hard and loud I’m sure he can feel it.
“Now that I’ve found the right person? It makes all the sense in the world.”