Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
CALEB
Noah: I’m sending Mase back to you, enjoy xx
I laugh, knowing full well he likely would too. BecauseMase was stressed as fuck when he came back from his walkwith Aspen, but it takes away from my nerves so I’m all for it.
Aspen comes over and presses up against my leg.
“Soon girl, very soon.” And I’m glad I’m not in my suit yet either because I’d rather not be covered in fur, at least until after our vows that is.
There’s a knock on my door before it opens, and Mase enters.
“You know you’re meant to wait for a response before walking in, I could have been wanking myself off.”
He pauses mid step, and I can’t contain my laughter.
“You’re an arsehole.”
“Mate, you want a drink?” I ask.
His lips part as he looks at the time.
“Mase, believe me when I say this, you need to calm the fuck down. Whether it’s an herbal tea or a whiskey, pick your poison.”
He scrubs his hand over his face. “Shit man, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
I clap him on the back as I walk past him. “I’m going to have a whiskey. Do you want one?” I ask instead of saying how I thinkit’s obvious to me, but maybe today is not theday.
“Yeah, fuck it, why not.”
Aspen jumps up on Mase, almost knockinghim over.
“I just saw you twenty minutes ago,” he says, running his hand through her fur.
“She can sense you’re stressed,” I say, handing him a crystal tumbler.
I tilt my head towards the sofa over by the bay window.
“I have breakfast rolls incoming, in the meantime drink that and take the edge off.”
He sits down and drops a newspaper on the table. He is probably one of the only people I know who still reads a physical newspaper.
He takes a sip of his whiskey, puckering his lips. “Nice.”
I raise abrow. “Would you expect anything less?” I ask.
His lips crack a smile at that. “No, it’s why I know you’ll never let Jessica go without. And I know she’s not a child and is capable of looking after herself, but I am glad she doesn’t have to. I’m glad she has you and Noah. It makes up for me not being there for her when she needed me the most.”
I sit forward. “You know that wasn’t you, right? It was all on that wankstain.” I refuse to even say Jessica’s ex's name.
“Yeah, but she’s my baby sister. It’s an unwritten rule that I should have protected her, and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself.”
I get it, I still kick myself over him taking Jessica.
“She’s better for having you—both of you,” Mason continues. “I know I may have come across as a bit of an arsehole at first, but I think I was shocked.”
I nod in understanding. “Mase, I know, and it’s in the past. You’re one of the least judgmental people I know, but you know I’d lay down my life for her.
Noah would too, without a second thought.
” My voice catches on the last few words.
Noah’s diagnosis is one that makes me wish more than anything he didn’t have to suffer.
Thankfully, the knock at the door interrupts us and I place my tumbler down.
I open the door and take the tray of breakfast rolls from Autumn. “Thank you, and you’ll ensure Noah, Jessica, and the girls get theirs too?”
She smiles “Already delivered.”
“You’re the best, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she says, leaving me with the food tray. I kick the door closed behind me with my foot.
“Did you see that?” I ask Mase as I place the tray on the small table. “She knocked, waited, and I answered.”
He flips me the bird but he’s smiling, at least he doesn’t look as stressed now.
“Eat up,” I say and grab myself one of the rolls and a plate.
Aspen perks up, but I shake my head.
“I’ll save you some bacon, so long as you don’t beg.” Noah and Jessica might fall for that, but not me.
Okay fine, I do, but just not when either of them are around to see it.
This dog has had me wrapped around her paw since we picked her up from the foster carer, but I’ll deny it if anyone asks.
Mase shakes his head, but I ignore him in favour of my loaded breakfast roll, the smell alone has my stomach grumbling.
I give Aspen the piece of bacon I saved for her, then wipe my hands with a napkin, ignoring Mason shaking his head.
“So, what has you so stressed?” I ask. “It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain brunette.”
His jaws tighten. “You have no idea.”
I arch a brow. “I’m listening.”
But he just gives a shake of his head. “You don’t want to know,” he says, sitting forward, placing his plate on the table, and tossing Aspen a piece of bacon.
He grabs his tumbler, swirling the amber liquid.
“Really, because she seems to have your balls in a vice.”
He laughs at that. “She’s a ball buster, for sure. Anyway, enough about that. Noah asked me to give you this.”
He opens the folded newspaper and hands me two envelopes.
I smirk and go over to the grab mine.
“Great minds,” I say and pass him two of my own envelopes over.
He shakes his head. “You guys are really fucking killing me.”
“Maybe so, but when the shoe is on the other foot and it’s you, I’ll be sure to remind you of all the shit you gave us.”
“You can fuck right off, that so isn’t happening.”
“If you say so. Deny it all you want, but it’s only a matter of time.”
A buzzing has him pulling out his phone and swiping the screen.
“Duty calls,” he says, making his way to the door.
“Make sure you get those to Noah and Jessica.”
Instead of answering, he flips me the bird over his shoulder, and I laugh as the door clicks closed behind him.
I reach for the letters, opening Jessica’s first, not at all surprised we wrote to each other.
Dear Caleb,
Is it time yet, are we almost ready to say our vows? Because I would have married you both yesterday if I could.
Thank you, for being the person who knows what I need before I even know it myself.
For trusting in me long before I began to trust in myself.
For saving me with every word, every touch, every kiss.
You and Noah continue to heal me every day, your unwavering love and support is something I only thought existed in fairytales, but you made it a reality.
The way you both love me is something I will never take for granted.
Today will be everything I could have imagined and more and I know that because of how much I love you.
I can’t think of anything better than standing between the both of you while saying our vows, being between you two is one of my favourite places to be, after all.
Today will be a dream come true. I'm truly blessed and more grateful than you could know.
So, thank you for choosing me, especially when I couldn’t even choose myself.
You and Noah embraced me—us, even though you were already in a relationship, but you’ve never made me feel like I don’t fit, or like I don’t belong.
Some people wait a lifetime for a love like this and never find it.
We’re the lucky ones.
I love you irrevocably.
Infinitely yours, now and always.
Jessica xoxo
I fold the letter and slip it back inside the envelope, reaching for Noah's, and take a deep breath.
Dear Caleb,
Are you as nervous as I probably am right now? I can't imagine marrying two more amazing people than you and Jessica.
We might have fought this, us, in the beginning. I wasn’t sure I was ready for you and vice versa, but the alternative was not an option.
I think that's what frightened me. I knew before I even voiced the words how much you meant to me in such a short amount of time.
We had chemistry that was undeniable, but you broke down my walls. Fuck, you climbed right over them.
It was the all-consuming need to be with you that scared the ever-loving shit out of me, but in the end my heart won out. Because it was already yours, whether I was ready to admit it or not.
And then Jessica came along and completed us in a way I never could have imagined.
I wake and fall asleep with theknowledge of how loved I am.
It's something neither of you ever fail to show me.
I am truly blessed every day.
Today adds another chapter to our story, because Caleb, it’s far from over and this is just the beginning of the best chapters of our lives.
I love you, now and always.
Yours,
Noah x
I smile and fold the letter and slip it into the same envelope as Jessica's.
Imagining the future, ten, twenty, thirty years from now, when we're old and grey, sitting around reminiscing over all the wonderful things we've done together, as we look at the most special keepsakes and these will be amongst them.
Every word a symbol of our love, commitment, and friendship.
They are my everything.
Today I'll concentrate on the here and now, the present.
I won't obsess over what’s to come. What’s out of my control or what the future has in store for us.
Today is about simply being with the people I love the most.