Chapter Twenty Six
Finn
I woke up in my bed hours later. The kink from sleeping in the car had turned my neck into cement, and I groaned. I couldn’t have been hungover from two glasses of champagne, but I was. My head throbbed, and my stomach roiled. I picked up my phone to see nothing from Ryder or Miles, or anyone.
Maybe it wasn’t the booze? My chest ached worse than anything else, and that was all Ryder. I missed him and needed to talk to him. Instead of thinking about that until I spun out again, I had to get up and get ready. It was already past four in the afternoon. I needed to focus and get dressed.
What would I wear? Not my best man suit, that was for damn sure. I wanted to put on jeans and a tee just for Bree’s reaction. But was that the best way to show Miles he wasn’t alone, and that we all loved him? I opted for slacks and a button-down, no jacket.
The church’s gray stone interior was cold and empty. The colorful afternoon light through the stained glass cast the darkness in deep reds, dark blues, and uneven greens. It was early, so none of the guests were there. Or anyone else. I sat in the last pew and waited.
What if Ryder didn’t show up? What if he was done with Miles, his family, and me? What if he got on a plane and moved to Mozambique to become a doctor without borders?
“Bro, what the fuck are you wearing?”
I hadn’t heard Tyler walk in, and he startled me. I glanced down at myself, then back up at him. “Do I look bad?”
Connor came up behind him. “Holy shit, you’re not ready?! What the fuck?”
Tyler said, “You look fine, but why aren't you in your suit?”
“I’m not in the party anymore. I’m only here to support Miles. Not the marriage.”
Connor’s face contorted in confusion. Tyler laughed, saying, “Hooooly shit, bro.”
Jason walked in with the rest of the Groomsmen. “Where’s Miles?” No one answered him. “Why are you wearing that?” His eyes drooped. “This is going to be a shit show, isn’t it?”
“I haven’t seen Miles since last night. He didn’t ride over with you guys?” I said.
Jason’s head fell back, and he sighed. “Miles said he needed to pick up some stuff, and was gonna grab you so you could ride over with us. That was this morning. I thought you guys were running late, or he was getting cold feet, or whatever.”
Both Beckett boys were missing? That didn’t bode well for anyone. Maybe Miles needed some time to go over all the shit we talked about the night before? Or maybe…
Miles’s parents and sister arrived. Mr. Beckett saw me, saw what I was wearing, and gave me a small nod. Mrs. Beckett asked, “Did you find Ryder?”
“No. I figured he’d show up here.”
She exhaled. “And I’m guessing Miles didn’t come to pick you up?”
“Nope.”
Connor said to Lena, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the Limo with the girls?”
She laughed. “Dodged that bullet by a mile.”
Tyler said, “Wait, you’re out of the party, too?”
“Oh God, yes.” She laughed. “If I was ever in it. Spoiler, not really.”
“This is gonna be good,” Tyler said, laughing. “The groom is missing, and the wedding party is shrinking by the minute.”
“Ryder’s phone is on, which is a plus,” Lena said.
Connor said, “So is Miles’s. That just means they’re ignoring us.”
“Maybe we got through to him last night,” Mrs. Beckett said to her husband.
“Don’t get my hopes up,” he replied.
The priest walked out and greeted us, followed by an older couple I didn’t know, meaning the guests were arriving. The priest told us to wait in the church’s basement and said he’d let us know when the bride arrived.
The basement looked like the setting of countless AA meetings.
Low ceiling, green and beige linoleum floor, wood paneling, and a small stage.
The circle of blue plastic chairs helped, too.
We sat and waited. When the priest told us the bride was about to arrive, and that the groom should go make himself scarce, no one told him Miles wasn’t there.
Instead, we left to wait on the church’s little back patio.
We didn’t see Bree, but I caught a few women in dusty pink bridesmaid dresses slinking down the stairs. None of them looked happy, or at least not like they were about to walk down the aisle for one of their besties.
As we got closer to the start time, the patio got quieter.
After calling Miles for the fourteenth time, I texted, “Where are you, man? At least let us know you’re okay.
” As soon as it said delivered, I sent, “Your mom is really worried. Ryder is still missing, and now you? Just fucking call me, man.”
Mr. Beckett said, “We’re officially late. The church is packed, and there’s no groom. Someone will have to tell the bride. Any takers?”
“No chance, Mr. B, sorry,” Tyler said.
Jason said, “I’ll do it.”
My phone buzzed. I almost ignored it. My hand shook, and I was about to announce that I’d gotten a message from Miles. But I read it first.
“I’m not coming. Weddings off. Come to Ryder’s.”
I read it twice, then three times. My heart raced, and I laughed through unshed tears. We’d gotten through to him. And Ryder was okay? Or Miles was there waiting for him? I didn’t know.
I couldn’t think of a response, thumbs frozen above the screen, but only for a second. Then blistering clarity rang through the noise, and I knew what I had to do.
First, I replied to Miles, “Are you with him? Is he okay? Does Bree know?”
Then I said, “I’ll tell her.”
Jason shook his head. “No, man, it’s okay. I’ll go. She’ll freak out when she sees—”
“No.” I held up my phone. “I was the best man. It’s my duty.”
The six of them leaned in to read it. “Fuck yes!” Mr. Beckett said and high-fived Tyler. Mrs. Beckett hugged Lena, Connor’s mouth hung open, and Jason slouched, fluttering his eyes.
“What now?” Jason sounded like he’d just sat on the couch after a long day. “Finn, you go tell her. Do you want me to tell the priest, and he can tell the guests?”
Mr. Beckett said, “Yes, please. Diane and I need to make some phone calls. We can meet back at our place.”
Jason nodded. I pulled in as much air as my lungs would allow. “Okay, wish me luck.”
“Oh, I’m so coming with you,” Lena said. “I’ll keep my mouth shut, but there’s no way I’m missing this.”
No one stopped her, and we walked back into the building.
The petty child inside me couldn’t wait to deliver the news.
He wanted to run down there and say something like, “You got dumped, you disgusting bigot!” But I was a mature adult and wouldn’t stoop to her level.
The devastation of being left at the altar would be enough.
I got a message heading down the side stairwell from Miles that read, “He’s fine. I’m with him now. I don’t know what she knows, and I don’t care. Fuck her, man. Seriously. I’ve been crying for hours. She ruined my fucking life.”
Ryder was okay. Miles was hurt and reeling, but he saved himself at the last minute. Fuck Bree was right. My stomach fluttered. It had only been a little over a day since I saw Ryder, but knowing that I would again soon reminded me of the rainbow joy I’d felt the day before.
The basement had transformed in the fifteen minutes since we had left it. Not so much the furniture, or walls, or floor, but the mood. For so much dusty pink, it was very dark.
“I already fucking TOLD you, Alissa. GOD! Why are you all acting so fucking STUPID today?!” Bree’s voice bounced off the wood paneling. “Where’s Bell? WHERE THE FUCK IS BELL!? I need to PEE!”
Bell looked worse than she did the night before, dragging herself off one of the blue chairs to attend her sister. “The bathroom is upstairs. Someone might see you.”
“That’s not my problem, it’s yours! Make sure I don’t.” Bree shook her head. “You know what? Forget it. I’ll do it myself. Like I always do. Now I know why Mom calls you a mistake.”
No one had noticed us. It was a big, open room, and we were standing right there. I guess when you’re attending Bree, she isn’t the center of attention, but gravity.
“Should we…?” I looked at Lena.
Lena had her phone out and was recording as inconspicuously as she could. “Huh?”
I chuckled. “Never mind.”
Nut up or shut up, right? “Hey Bree, can we talk?” I said, approaching her orbiting, fidgeting, unsettled bridesmaids.
Her eyes landed on me. “What. The. FUCK. Are you wearing!?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. Can we go over there for a—”
“What is she wearing?!” Bree lost it in real time. “I’m gonna fucking cry. You fucking assholes just want to ruin my day. MY day! After all I’ve done for all of you!”
“Can we just—”
“I don’t care. I don’t even care! Get out of my FACE! And get that… skank out of here, too!” She pressed fingers under her eyes to stop tears from falling. “You’re out of the wedding! You both are!”
“Oh, she did—Hi Bree!” Lena waved and smiled. “You look like shit.”
A strangled cry gurgled out of Bree, forcing the tears to fall.
“Bree, calm down,” one bridesmaid said. “He’s the best man, and it’s already past the start time. Maybe something happened.”
“Shut the FUCK up, Gina! I so don’t need your shit right now. God, you’re such a trashy slut!”
Lena said, “Real classy.”
“Shut up! Trying to ruin MY day! Wait until your brother finds out what you did to me!”
Well, I tried. “Bree, Miles isn’t coming. The wedding is off.”
I once saw a video about how supernovae were the biggest explosions in the universe. They were wrong.
“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME? Come over here and say that to my face!” She wasn’t making much sense, but she was very loud. “BELL, call that little bitch right now!”
Lena was no longer hiding her phone, recording openly. But then, so were some of the other bridesmaids.
I thought Bell took out her phone to call Miles, but she held it up instead, also recording her sister’s meltdown.
“What’re you doing?! Call him! Call him RIGHT NOW!
” Her rage turned to a sob. “This can’t be happening to me!
” Bree stormed over to a pile of purses.
“What the FUCK does he think he’s doing?
! He knows better! How can he embarrass me like this?
!” After emptying the contents of three bags all over the floor, she screamed, “WHY AREN’T ANY OF YOU FUCKING WHORES HELPING ME? !”
“If I had to guess, it’s because you keep calling them fucking whores?” Lena said. Some bridesmaids laughed.
Bree trained her eyes on me again. “Where is he?! Tell me where he is RIGHT NOW.” Her voice was gone, and tears smeared her makeup. “I’ll talk some sense into him. He can’t do this to meee…”
“He’s with Ryder, and he doesn’t want to see you. I’m sorry you found out this way, but—”
“RYDER?! That fucking COCKSUCKER!” Bree’s face was already red, but I was sure some blood vessels had burst. “That fucking ABOMINATION ruined my WEDDING!”
The rage from driving her home, plus the sickness at learning how she treated my best friend, turned my stomach. That was the mature adult’s limit. The petty child won.
“You did that all on your own, you fucking bigot,” I said. “And just so you know, Ryder’s my boyfriend. Even if Miles didn’t wise the fuck up and dump your ass at the altar, a cocksucker was always going to be the best man. So keep his name out of your hateful mouth.”
“AHHHHHH!” Bree’s hysteria intensified. She threw a chair, screaming at the top of her lungs, flinging slurs and curses at me, Lena, and everyone else watching.
“What’re her socials again?” Lena asked the several bridesmaids next to her.
“I’ll put them in the group chat,” Gina, the trashy slut, said. “Make sure to tag her on all of them.”
Lena said, “Thanks, babes.”
We left shortly after. Tyler and Connor were waiting at the top of the stairs. Tyler said, “Was gonna say I wish I saw that, but, uh… nope.”
“Don’t worry, I recorded it. I’ll tag you, too,” Lena said, grabbing his arm and walking out.
Jason was standing outside, waiting for us. Bree was still screaming, and while we couldn’t make out her words, we could hear her.
“Went about as well as expected, I see,” Jason said. “The priest is about to inform the guests, and I think your parents are planning on hosting some of your family at the venue. Bree and her family aren't welcome. I’d suggest we get out of here before any of that becomes our problem.”
“I’m gonna head to Ryder’s and make sure Miles is okay,” I said. “If all goes well, should I tell them to head to his parents’ place or the venue?”
“Not sure, man. But I’d say have one, or both of them, call their mother.” Jason said before heading to the parking lot.
Lena hugged me, then followed them. A smile crept across my face as I walked in the other direction toward my car. I was going to see him. Miles needed me, and I’d be there for him until the end, but I was going to see Ryder. And talk to him. And maybe even hug him if all went well.