Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Drea
I had been a mess all day. It was finally time to see my best friend get married, and I didn’t know how to handle it. She was more like a sister than a friend.
I usually didn’t gravitate toward dresses, but unfortunately I had to wear one today per the bride’s selfish demands. The only time I would wear one was for very special occasions, usually involving Fallon. It was a simple white dress that hugged my body and stopped just above the knees.
While Fallon got ready, we all sat around laughing and crying until it was time for the show to start.
When we asked her, she said she wasn’t nervous. “I’m so in love with her, you guys. I don’t see my life going anywhere that she isn’t. I’m beyond ready to marry her. I’ve been ready for so long,” she said while her mother touched up her tear-stained makeup.
Penelope and I said our goodbyes, as it was time for us to head to the altar. That thought gave me pause.
This was the first time I’d be walking down a wedding aisle, but would it be the last? Did I see myself taking these steps later down the road? Finding my own person to call home? I never used to want those things, but lately, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
When I walked down the aisle, Mackenzie was there looking gorgeous in her long white V-neck wedding gown.
“Damn, you clean up rather nice there, Wildcat,” I teased.
She rolled her eyes at the nickname, but there was no real irritation behind it. “You don’t look half bad yourself. I have to say, I’m shocked you’re in a dress. It’s been what, a few years?”
“Since Fallon’s birthday at Pinstripes. The things we do for that woman, right? Don’t get used to it, though.” I turned to face the crowded venue and instantly lost my breath when my eyes found Blair’s perfect hazel ones.
My friends were polite and welcoming to Blair when we got there, and none of them asked any questions, although I didn’t miss the sideways glances and smirks they sent my way when she wasn’t looking.
I made it a point to prove she wasn’t there as my date; she was there as a friend I sort of tolerated. But Jesus was it hard!
Sitting in the crowd, grinning at me, she looked like an angel in her lace two-piece maxi dress. It had been nearly impossible to keep my hands off her all day.
Kaia was standing on the other side of Penelope, but she seemed to be in her own world, staring off into the clouds, and didn’t catch me drooling over Blair. I couldn’t help it; she was stunning.
“She looks gorgeous, don’t you think?” Mackenzie whispered.
I replied without taking my eyes off Blair. “Yes, she really does.” A warm smile played on Blair’s lips, mirroring the feeling in my chest. I had never seen anything more awe-inspiring than Blair Sterling and her damn smile.
“You know, I’ve never looked at any of my friends like that, Dre. You can’t even take your eyes off her. It’s almost as if you don’t want to look away. How interesting. How is your sex ban going, by the way? Is there something you would like to tell me?”
I whipped my head to see her raised eyebrow. I opened my mouth to say… Well, I didn’t really have anything to say to that, but I was saved when the music started playing as Fallon came into view, her stepdad, Brandon, walking by her side.
She was absolutely glowing in her dress, and I couldn’t stop the tears from coming out. It was a long strapless ball-gown style dress with pockets, freaking pockets! Those were her exact words when she found out, and needless to say, that was the one.
She looked absolutely perfect walking down the aisle. I still couldn’t believe my best friend was getting married.
Of course, I wasn’t surprised when she told me. Besides the fact that I helped pick out the ring, those two were the most perfect pair I had ever seen. But now that the day had finally arrived, it was bittersweet. I was gaining a sister, but I also felt like I was losing one in a way.
I wouldn’t be able to call her at all hours of the day to come over if I needed her. I supposed I could if I really needed to, but I’d feel guilty for making her take time away from her wife. I had to share her now, and it wasn’t going to be easy.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought she looked beautiful. I turned to Mackenzie, who was now looking so brightly at Fallon without a dry eye.
“She looks beautiful,” I whispered.
She shook her head. “No. She’s perfect.”
After the sweetest exchange of vows and a loving kiss, I officially had two married best friends. How fucking surreal!
The wedding was absolutely perfect, and Fallon’s little brother, Caleb, was the cutest little ring bearer, and instead of a flower girl, they had Rylee’s son, Greyson, as the flower boy.
I was even surprised to see Mackenzie’s dad sitting in the crowd next to a sweet old couple I knew as their neighbor’s. The man, Robbie, I believe, gave Mackenzie’s dad a skeptical glare here and there, but her father’s smile never wavered as he watched his daughter marry the love of her life.
After the ceremony, I found Blair and forced myself not to reach out for her. “That was a beautiful wedding.” She smiled sweetly as we walked to the reception, which was inside the venue space.
“Yes, it really was. I’m glad you came with me.” Kaia was several paces ahead of us, and I took a chance during the rare private moment to graze my fingers against hers, just barely.
My heart warmed when she smiled softly at the contact. “I’m glad I could be a part of it.”
When we sat down at our table, I took the opportunity to rub her leg underneath where no one could see. Her skin was so soft, and I wanted to move my hand further along her thigh.
“You look incredible,” I whispered. Everyone else was in their own deep conversations, and Mackenzie and Fallon were making heart eyes at each other and in their own little world.
I was grateful everyone was distracted enough not to notice how close I was to Blair. We were sitting too close for “just friends,” but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Okay, maybe if she was in my lap, but I figured that might’ve given us away.
Kaia was the only one at the table who knew part of the truth, and I suspected Mackenzie wasn’t too far behind. She was annoyingly perceptive sometimes.
Blair blushed as if she had no idea how perfect she was. “Thank you. I must say I could get used to seeing you in a dress. You look very sexy.” She caressed my thigh, and I begged for her to move her hand up a few more inches.
“I much prefer for you to see me out of my dress, darling,” I whispered, causing her to choke on her drink.
The whole table turned to look at us as I started lightly patting her back.
“Are you all right, Blair?” Kaia asked.
Blair nodded. “Yeah, sorry. It went down the wrong pipe, I think. All good here.”
Luckily, that seemed to assuage the group, and they all returned to their conversations while Blair turned back to me and glared. I was barely able to contain a chuckle, so I shrugged. “What?”
“That was not funny!” She tried to sound angry, but the small smirk and the tint of red coloring her cheeks gave her away.
I placed my hand on her thigh and drew dainty circles and leaned in closer, seeing the slight fluttering of her lashes as she tried to keep her composure.
“I wasn’t joking, love. You will see this dress on the floor later,” I whispered with a wink.
She shivered under my touch, and I decided to stop teasing her. For now.
It was so easy to get her going, but I wasn’t immune to my own words. Just picturing how the night would unravel later had me desperate to get her alone.
We sat and watched the couple’s first dance before everyone else joined in. While we were sitting in a comfortable silence, I couldn’t help but graze my fingers against hers. I wanted to hold her as I watched my best friend dance with her wife.
I snuck a glance at Blair and noticed she was doing the same as she returned the favor and linked our fingers together. She was smiling brightly at me, and I couldn’t handle it anymore. Seeing how perfect she looked in her dress and the way she was looking at me forced me onto my feet.
“What—”
“Dance with me, darling.” I held out my hand and she hesitated for a moment.
“Are… are you sure?” Her gaze bounced from all the couples dancing, to the brides, and back to my outstretched hand.
“Baby, my best friend just got married. and all I want is to celebrate with you. Dance with me… please?”
She continued to hesitate, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth.
“Sweetheart,” I started, pulling her to her feet.
“Mackenzie and Fallon are not even on this planet right now. Kaia already knows about us, and Cara is not here. Even if all eyes were on us, who cares? It’s just dancing.
” We both knew damn well it wasn’t, but neither of us had the good sense to admit it.
Finally she nodded, and I led her to the dance floor, trying my best to keep a respectful distance between us.
As soon as she laced her hands around my neck, and mine found their home around her waist, I knew I had simultaneously made the right choice and the wrong one.
On one hand, I knew there was absolutely no way we looked like friends, and a small part of me was nervous about Cara somehow finding out.
But on the other hand… we were like two final pieces of a puzzle, fitting perfectly.
Her body was made for mine, and I felt completely at home.
Okay, Dre, maybe ease up on the champagne!
“Are you okay, love? You seem distracted.” When her eyes connected to mine, she would smile, but they barely latched on because they kept darting around the room.