Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
KENNETH
My laptop is set up on a folding chair, angled so the camera captures the front row of empty chairs in the media room. I'm early—fifteen minutes before Claudia and Becka's virtual elopement ceremony is supposed to start—and I'm second-guessing everything.
Inviting Royce was impulsive. After they gave me that mitt a couple days ago, I found myself hopeful there could be more than animosity between us.
We've been working together for a bit now, and lately there's this tension that I can't quite name. It crackles in the air when we're alone, that makes my stomach flip when they smile at me, that keeps me awake at night wondering what if.
I’m sure it’s one sided. There’s no chance they want me in that way.
Besides, we're professionals. Colleagues. And I'm leaving the team in a few weeks anyway, so whatever this is between us probably doesn't matter.
Except Claudia texted me two days ago.
Claudia: Bring your person to the ceremony! Weddings are romantic. Who knows what might happen?
I'd stared at that message for a full five minutes before typing back.
Kenneth: I don't have a person.
Her response was immediate.
Claudia: The way you talked about them at the party says otherwise. Invite them, Kenneth. What's the worst that could happen?
I casually mentioned it to Royce yesterday while we were reviewing game schedules, trying to sound like it was no big deal.
"Hey, so that friend I mentioned from my parents' Christmas party?
She's getting married this weekend. Well, eloping.
It's virtual. I'm invited to watch, and I thought.
.. if you're free... you could watch with me?
I feel weird attending a wedding alone, even virtually. "
Royce had looked up from their tablet, surprise flickering across their face. "You want me to attend a wedding with you?"
"It's not like a date or anything," I'd rushed to clarify, even though part of me desperately wished it was. "Just two colleagues watching a friend get married. Moral support. You can say no if it's weird."
"It is weird." They'd smiled, that soft genuine smile that made my heart do stupid things. "But I think I'd like that. What time?"
Now here I am, waiting, wondering if I made a huge mistake. What if this pushes things too far? What if Royce realizes I have feelings for them and it makes everything awkward? What if—
A knock interrupts my spiral.
I turn to find Royce standing there in dark skinny jeans and a soft baby blue sweater that makes them look unfairly attractive. They're holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses.
"I figured if we're attending a wedding, even virtually, we should have a drink to toast with," they say, stepping inside.
"That's... really thoughtful." I take the champagne, trying not to focus on how the simple gesture makes me feel absurdly happy. "The ceremony starts soon."
"Perfect timing then." They take in the laptop setup and chuckle. "How does this work exactly?"
"Video call. There will be a few other friends watching. Other people who couldn't make it to the actual location. Claudia and Becka are in Vermont, apparently. Found a justice of the peace willing to officiate on short notice and they couldn’t resist a winter wedding."
Royce settles onto a chair beside me—not too close, but close enough that I can smell the scent that is forever etched in my mind as them. "Tell me about the happy couple. You mentioned Claudia helped you at your parents' party, but I don't know the full story."
I busy myself with opening the champagne, grateful for a task to do with my hands. "Claudia's family and mine run in the same circles. Old money, high expectations, the works."
"How did you meet at the party?"
"We were both being hounded by our respective parents to mingle, to meet potential partners. You know how these things are." I pour champagne into both glasses, handing one to Royce. "We agreed to pretend to be interested in each other so our parents would back off."
Royce's lips quirk into a smile. "And it worked?"
"Brilliantly. We spent the whole night together, acting just interested enough to keep our families satisfied but not so interested that they'd pick a wedding date.
I have no doubt they discussed plans for the future though.
" I take a sip of champagne, remembering.
"She told me about Becka, her girlfriend—well, almost wife now.
How they'd been together for years, but her family refused to recognize or understand their relationship. "
"That must have been hard for her."
"It was. Still is, I think. But she's choosing herself now. Choosing love over expectations." I glance at Royce, finding them already looking at me with an expression I can't quite read. "It's brave."
"It is," they agree softly.
The laptop chimes, indicating someone's joining the call. I set my glass down and click to accept, and suddenly the screen fills with faces. Claudia and Becka are in the center, beaming, with a handful of other people in smaller windows around them.
"Kenneth!" Claudia's voice comes through the speakers, bright and excited. "You made it! And is that your person?"
I feel my face heat. "This is Royce. Royce, Claudia and Becka."
"Lovely to meet you both," Royce says smoothly, like they didn't just hear Claudia call them my person. "Congratulations."
"Thank you!" Becka chimes in. She's tall and blonde, with kind eyes and a smile that matches Claudia's wattage. I can also spot the muscles my friend mentioned. Holy biceps! "We're so glad you could both join us. The justice of the peace should be here soon."
The next few minutes are a flurry of introductions and other friends popping into their camera frames, everyone chatting and laughing. It's intimate in a way I wasn't expecting.
Then the justice of the peace, an older woman with white hair and a warm smile, arrives and the ceremony begins.
It's simple. No elaborate decorations, no orchestrated music, just Claudia and Becka standing in what looks like a cozy Vermont cabin, holding hands and looking at each other like they're the only two people in the world.
"Marriage," the justice of the peace begins, "is not just a legal contract. It's a promise. A choice to stand beside someone, to build a life together, to face whatever comes with courage and love."
I feel Royce shift beside me, their shoulder brushing mine. I don't move away.
Claudia goes first with her vows, and I watch as tears stream down her face while she speaks.
"Becka, for so long I lived my life according to other people's expectations.
I was who they wanted me to be, loved who they thought I should love.
But you—" Her voice breaks slightly. "You made me realize that the only person whose approval I needed was my own.
You taught me that love isn't about fitting into someone else's mold.
It's about finding someone who loves you exactly as you are. "
Beside me, I hear Royce draw in a quiet breath.
Becka's vows are equally beautiful, talking about patience and understanding and choosing each other every single day, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.
When they exchange simple gold bands that catch the light, I find myself blinking back unexpected emotion. This is what it looks like when someone chooses love over fear. When they decide that being true to themselves matters more than living up to someone else's expectations.
It's a trait I respect and envy in equal measure.
"By the power vested in me by the state of Vermont," the justice of the peace says, her smile wide, "I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
The kiss is tender and joyful, and everyone on the call erupts in cheers and applause. I clap along, feeling genuinely happy for them.
"To the happy couple!" someone shouts through the screen, raising a glass.
Guess we aren’t the only ones who decided a bit of bubbly was good idea for the festivities.
Royce and I raise our champagne glasses, toasting along with everyone else. Our eyes meet over the rims, and a spark passes between us. Understanding, maybe, or possibility. Whatever it is, it makes my chest feel tight.
The call continues for another twenty minutes, people sharing stories and well-wishes, Claudia and Becka glowing with happiness. Eventually, people start dropping off, needing to get back to their own lives, until it's just a few of us left.
"Kenneth," Claudia says, her face filling more of the screen now. "Thank you for being here. It means a lot."
"I wouldn't have missed it," I tell her honestly. "You two are perfect together."
"We really are," Becka agrees, wrapping an arm around Claudia's waist. "Now, Royce—take care of this one, will you? From what I hear he deserves someone who sees how special he is."
"Becka," I protest, mortified.
But Royce just smiles, their voice warm when they say, "I'll do my best."
We say our goodbyes, and I close the laptop, suddenly very aware that we're alone again. The champagne bottle is half-empty, and there's a charged quality to the air that wasn't there before.
"That was beautiful," Royce says quietly. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Thank you for coming. I meant what I said—it would have felt weird watching alone." I pick up my champagne glass, needing a distraction. "Plus, you made it better. Being here."
"Did I?" They turn to face me more fully, and we're closer now than we were before the ceremony. Close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in their eyes.
"Yeah." My voice comes out rougher than intended. "You always do. Make things better, I mean."
"Kenneth—" They stop, seeming to wrestle with their words. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"What Claudia said. About choosing yourself over expectations. About being true to who you are rather than who people think you should be." They pause, their gaze intense. "Is that something you're working on? Or have you got it figured out?"
The question hits deeper than I expected. I set my glass down, thinking about how to answer honestly.
"I'm working on it," I admit. "For a long time, I've been the person my family wanted me to be.
The perfect son, the obedient heir, the guy who doesn't rock the boat.
Baseball was the only thing I did to step away from that mold.
Lately I've been thinking about what I want. What would make me happy after I’m done with the team, not what would others think. "
"And what do you want?" Their voice is soft, careful.
You, I think. I want you.
But I can't say that.
Not when I don't know if they feel the same way. Not when everything between us is so complicated with my position on the team and with all the reasons this might be a bad idea.
Instead I say, "I'm still figuring that out."
We sit there for a moment longer. The ceremony, the champagne, the intimacy of sharing this experience—it's all combined to create this bubble where it feels like anything could happen.
But then Royce glances at the time and stands. "I should go. Early meeting tomorrow with the marketing team."
"Right. Yeah. Of course." I stand too, walking them to the door.
At the threshold, they pause and turn back. "Thank you again for inviting me. It was special.”
I watch them walk down the hallway, disappearing around the corner, and I lean against my doorframe with a sigh.
Claudia was right about one thing: Weddings are romantic. Watching two people choose each other, commit to each other, build a life together.
It makes you think about what you want. It makes you think about who you want.
Maybe Gil is right. I have to step up and make myself known. Getting Royce to notice me as more means taking a leap and hoping they’ll jump in with me.