Third Chances - Epilogue
Rob
My phone buzzed in my pocket. The conversation died around me when I saw Daphne's name flash across the screen. Finally. I thought she'd be here by now. I walked over toward the windows to get farther away from the party as I answered my phone. "Hey, gorgeous. Where are you?"
"I'll be there in a few minutes. My taxi got stuck in traffic."
I'd just spent a whole week alone with her. Getting to know every inch of her body. All her nervous ticks. Especially the way her voice hitched when she wasn't being completely honest during all our truth or dare nights. "Traffic, huh?"
She laughed. "Fine, you caught me. I delayed leaving my apartment for the longest time. Are you sure it's okay that I'm coming? It's their rehearsal dinner. That’s a hugely important event in their lives. And I wasn't really invited..."
"Daphne, James specifically told me I could invite you. You’re my plus one." Now. And for forever.
"But what about Penny? I don't want to impose on..."
"She's going to be thrilled to meet you." I glanced at Penny and James talking to the caterers. Penny was going to love Daphne. "What kind of best man would I be if I invited someone to the rehearsal dinner that wasn't wanted?"
"A pretty bad one," she said with a laugh. "Speaking of which...did you finally finish your list?"
I had a pretty long to-do list regarding the wedding. Nothing that James and Penny necessarily requested for me to do. But as the best man...things that I needed to do. "Checked off everything and then double-checked it."
"Hmm...so all the tuxes have arrived?"
"Check."
"What about the rings? Have you lost them yet?"
I laughed. "Of course not."
"And no one's going to crash the wedding?"
I thought about Isabella, James' ex-wife. And all she'd done to try to ruin this wedding already. But the security team was well aware of her. She wouldn't be getting anywhere near this wedding. "It's all taken care of."
"Well that's good. I went to a wedding once where the priest said, 'Speak now or forever hold your peace,' and someone actually spoke. I thought stuff like that only happened in movies. The bride ended up running off with the guy. It was a complete mess."
Oh. Fuck. "Daphne, I have to go."
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just gotta make a quick call. See you in a few minutes.
" I hung up before she could respond. Because there was one thing that hadn't made it onto my list. At least..
.one person. A certain person that James had recently gotten into a fistfight with.
And there was no telling what kind of shit he might be planning.
I pressed on Tyler's name in my cell. It rang a few times before he picked up.
"Hey, Rob."
"Tyler."
The awkward silence stretched between us. I knew I was the one that called and should be talking. But I was hoping he'd just confess to whatever dumb thing he was about to do.
"Don't you have a rehearsal dinner to get to?" Tyler asked. "Best man duties and all that?"
I looked out the window at the wedding venue in the distance. Part of me expected to see him setting fire to the big tree outside the restaurant. "That's why I'm calling. Best man duties, just like you said."
"Okay..."
"I heard you went to see Penny." I couldn’t believe I almost didn't check in with him.
My list of silly best man duties had gotten in the way of what mattered.
And I knew that Tyler loved Penny. He'd been in love with her for years.
And he was about to lose her for good. Desperate times called for desperate wedding destroying measures.
"Yup," Tyler said.
"Care to share what you two lovebirds were talking about?"
"Lovebirds? Really? Look, Rob, as riveting as this conversation is...I'm in the middle of dinner."
"Then let me cut to the chase. Did you or did you not try to break Penny and James up this morning? You know…the day before they're supposed to walk down the aisle?"
He didn't respond.
"What the fuck, Tyler?"
"The fact that your brother punched me in the face kinda hinted at the fact that they were already broken up. And since everyone blamed me anyway...yeah I went to go see her. I needed to see if she was okay."
"No, you went to try to convince her to run away with you."
Tyler sighed. "Maybe that's what I intended to do. But you're standing at their rehearsal dinner right now, aren't you?"
"No thanks to you," I said.
"I told her to get back together with James this morning."
I couldn’t believe my ears. "Wait. You what?"
"She loves him. Not me."
I could hear the hurt in his voice. He wasn't about to ruin James and Penny's wedding.
He was...bowing out. He'd given up. I turned away from the window and looked back at Penny and James.
They were happily talking to one of his old college buddies.
Tyler had lost. And I actually felt bad for him. "I'm sorry. I thought..."
"That I'd try to break up my best friend's wedding because I'm in love with her? The only reason I even considered it was because I thought Penny was miserable. I hated seeing her upset. I just want her to be happy. And James makes her happy."
"So now I feel like an ass." I tried to laugh it off, but it didn't work. "I was calling to threaten you. If you take one step toward their ceremony, yadda yadda, I'll kill you. All that jazz."
"Not necessary. I'm not attending the wedding. I'm not even in the state anymore."
Now I felt guilty and concerned. "Where the hell are you?"
"All that matters is that I left. And I'm not coming back."
"Not coming back to where? Penny and James' apartment? New York? The country? What are you talking about?"
"I'm moving to California. I need a fresh start."
"Look, I'm not planning on threatening you anymore. You can stay in the city. I just thought it would be best if you didn't come to the wedding."
"That makes two of us. There's nothing left for me in New York."
"Are you okay, man?"
There was another long pause.
"Yeah," he finally said.
But it didn't sound like he meant it. I waited. It was the least I could do to hear him out after I'd called him to yell at him unjustly.
"Actually, no," Tyler corrected. "Not really. I just lost...everything."
"Look, Penny's cool. I get why you wanted to be with her. Hell, I'm pretty sure I was hung up on her without even really knowing it. But there's someone else out there for you that'll be a hell of a lot better of a fit. Trust me, I know."
"That was oddly encouraging when the reason you called was to threaten me."
I laughed. "I can threaten you and still be your friend."
"So...how do you know that exactly? That someone out there is a better fit for me?"
"Because I'm in love, man!"
"I’m pretty sure you were single the last time I saw you. And since I’ve known you. So are you in love with yourself? Or..."
I laughed. "I met someone during James' bachelor party. Re-met someone. Finally met. It doesn't matter how you put it. She's my forever. I can tell."
"Isn't that a little fast?"
"You know me, I do everything fast. There's no other way to live. Plus, she is... everything." I felt bad as soon as I said it. Tyler had just confessed that he thought he just lost everything. "Anything I thought I felt for Penny wasn't real," I quickly added. "Not like this."
"That's great," he said. "I hope that's true for me too. But today it just feels like I loved and lost. And I'm in the middle of God knows where in Pennsylvania in a shitty diner where they don't know how to properly fry comfort food. Fuck my life," he said with a laugh.
"James was right. You are a good guy."
"James said that? About...me? Before or after he punched me in the face?"
"Before." I laughed. "He kinda forgot about it during that incident. In his defense though, he thought you’d run away with Penny. And also, he may have said you were a good guy when he'd had too much to drink."
"Huh. I always thought that James hated me. But in his defense, I probably would have punched me too."
I laughed. "I should stop hiding in the corner and get back to the party," I said as I saw Daphne walk into the apartment. She looked as beautiful as ever. I was one lucky man.
"Have fun."
"You too. Road trips are the freaking best. And California has way more beaches than New York. Think bikinis for miles. You'll be fine. And you'll find someone else."
"Enjoy the wedding."
I tried not to think about the fact that he didn't agree with me.
If Daphne knew everyone here, I could have left her to fend for herself for a few minutes while I helped Tyler feel better.
But she needed me. And I had a feeling Tyler would figure it out.
I'd already given him the best advice I could.
I found my person. He would too. "Thanks for not being an ass.
And for making my best man duties super easy. Later."
"See you around, Rob."
I went over to save Daphne. At least she was talking to Penny and James now instead of standing alone.
Penny laughed. "Rob is certainly full of surprises. Always good though."
"Stop freaking Daphne out," I said. I grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. And she melted into me. It was a feeling I was becoming all too addicted to. God I adored her. "Hey," I whispered. "You look amazing."
Her face flushed.
"I see that you've met my super annoying soon-to-be little sister," I said.
"Annoying?" Penny's eyebrows raised. "Thanks, Rob."
"I'm just kidding. You know you're my favorite sister.
And definitely sexier than Jen. You know.
..since Jen is actually my sister and that would be disgusting if I thought she was sexy.
But it's still okay if I think you are." I winked at her.
"Speaking of which, Daphne, you have to come meet my real sister, not the fake one. "
Daphne laughed. "It was really great meeting you, Penny," she said.
"You too."
"And you have a lovely home." Before she could say anything else, I whisked her away.
"She's so nice," Daphne said. "I didn't feel unwelcomed at all."
I kissed the side of her forehead. "I told you that you were invited."
"I know. I'm sorry. I was just so nervous to meet everyone."
"You have absolutely nothing to be nervous about. Everyone's going to love you. Hell, Penny and James already do."
"Speaking of Penny and James...did you fix whatever you needed to for their wedding? It seemed urgent."
"Yeah. I thought Penny's ex might try to speak during the 'speak now or forever hold your peace' bit that you mentioned."
"Oh. Yikes. But you fixed it?"
"I didn't need to. He already left town. He bowed out more gracefully than I thought he would. I feel bad. I think he really loved her."
"I can't even imagine how that would feel." She looked up at me like she couldn't imagine ever losing me.
And she had nothing to worry about there. I wasn't going anywhere. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"But maybe they weren't the perfect fit, you know?" she said. "He'll find his missing piece."
I pulled her into my side. I hoped Tyler would find his missing piece too. But it was hard not to smile when I’d already found mine.
***
Tyler is heartbroken after Penny married James. Will Tyler find his missing piece on his road trip?
Keep reading to find out in Missing Pieces !