Chapter Twenty Nine
Ryder
My mom wasn't a huge drinker, but could put away half a bottle of Chardonnay, or more, if the occasion called for it. My brother’s zombie wedding was, apparently, just such an occasion.
“RYDER! Oh my goodness!” My mother hugged me so tightly I couldn’t see the venue my parents had paid for until she let me go.
It was stunning. Miles was right. She may be a malignant narcissist, but Bree had good taste.
“You scared us half to death!” my mom said.
My dad was behind her and pulled me into a hug before I could respond. “Don’t do that again.”
“I won’t. Promise.”
Finn had been standing beside me. My dad hugged him, too. “C’mere, Finn!”
And when he was done with him, my mom had a shot, too. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you two together,” she said, a palm on each of our faces. It was then that I realized how much chard she must’ve already had.
“Uh, yeah,” I said, pulling my boyfriend away from them. “Let us grab a drink, then we can chat.”
“Okay, hon.” She gave us one last smile.
I may have just set myself on a path to let those I love handle their own stuff, but there are some things that no one should have to handle alone, like their boyfriend’s bliss-and-wine-drunk parents.
We didn’t make it to the bar. My sister and her boyfriend, Spencer, headed us off at the jump.
“Hey,” she said, a pre-pout already on her face.
“Hey.”
“You found him,” she said to Finn.
“I did.”
Lena looked up at me. “I’m really sorry. Not just for running my mouth, but also for being nasty about it. Forgive me?”
“Still pissed, but we’re getting there.” I smiled and rolled my eyes. “You know what? If you didn’t spill the beans, Finn and I might not be here right now.”
“Great! Because I’ve had so much to tell you and no Ryder to tell for like two days!”
“Can I at least order a drink first?”
“I thought you were joking?” Finn asked. “There’s no way I could drink again if I were as hungover as you.”
“I was going to get a Sprite.”
“Oh. Then, by all means.”
“Wait wait wait, watch this first. Trust me, you’ll wanna see it.”
Spencer said, “Yeah, man. You don’t wanna miss this.”
“Both Lena and Spence’s seal of approval? The soda can wait.” I chuckled.
Lena handed me her phone, already playing a video. It looked like some kind of shitty auditorium, but with women in light pink walking around as if it were a funeral. Then I heard, “Where’s Bell? WHERE THE FUCK IS BELL!? I need to PEE!” In a shrill so unnerving it would haunt my nightmares.
I watched the whole thing. It was only a few minutes, but it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. Seeing her behave that way was not at all surprising. None of it was. Not to me, at least.
“Better than it could’ve gone. No one was bleeding.” I handed her phone back. “You should tag my friend, Rickie. She knows all about Bree and would love to see that.”
“Who’s Rickie?” Lena asked. “And what’s her handle?”
“I think she tagged me in a bunch of stuff from last night.”
Lena hit me. “Last night, like you weren’t a missing person?”
“I wasn’t missing. I was with her in New York. She actually helped me a lot.”
Finn laughed. “Along with a drag queen named Caressa Mae.”
“Okay, what? Who? How?” Lena laughed so hard she coughed.
“It’s a long story.” Finn laughed. “But better told with a drink. I’ll get you a Sprite, babe. Be right back.”
Lena’s face burned as her smile grew too big for her face. She had opened her mouth to say something when our brother got on the mic. “Excuse me, everybody, can I have your attention for a second?” Miles said.
He was buzzed already. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be fucking shitfaced at my zombie wedding.
When the ballroom quieted down, Miles continued.
“I just wanted to say thank you all for being here. This isn’t the way I had envisioned this day, or this speech going,” the crowd laughed, “but this is much, much better. I’m sorry for the confusion and whatever drama you all might have had to hear or been party to.
Just know that I chose myself, my family, and my future today.
A real future. So, uh… thanks for being here. ”
Miles had many redeeming qualities, but Toastmaster was not one of them.
“I just… Sorry to spring this on you, but if you’re okay with it, I’d like to ask my best man, my older brother Ryder, to come up here and say a few words.”
The blood drained from my face and filled my ears.
That rush of everyone looking at me, expecting me to perform, banished the sting from my eyes.
I had nothing planned, having long ago abandoned the idea of speaking at his wedding.
But maybe I was never meant to give a speech at his wedding to Bree, instead at his unwedding freedom party.
Miles hugged me before handing over the mic. “I love you, man.”
“I love you, too.”
I put on my most charming smile. “Well, this is a change of schedule, huh?” I opened with a joke and got a good laugh.
“This has been a wild ride, so I don’t really have anything planned.
But I guess…” I locked eyes with my brother.
His smile said more than he ever could. “I vividly remember being told I’d be a big brother.
It was the best news four-year-old me could’ve gotten.
I was so excited, and twenty-four years later, I can say I was mostly right to be.
” That got another chuckle. “Miles is my best friend, and…” I smiled to myself.
“You know what? I’ll save the rest for his next wedding.
” That got a big laugh. “I’ll just say what he did today was the hardest thing he’ll hopefully ever have to do, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
” I clapped with the mic in my hand, and so did some guests.
Lena whooped. “Now it’s my turn to ambush someone.
I’d like to ask Miles’s number one male, Finn Carter, up to say some words. ”
The crowd didn’t understand the term number one male, but some chuckled out of politeness. They craned their necks to where Finn stood, a beer in one hand and a Sprite in the other, wide-eyed, white-faced, and stunned.
Finn composed himself and made his way up to where I stood. I was going to leave after handing him the mic, but he hissed through a smile and gritted teeth, “Asshole.” I laughed, patted his back, and gave him the limelight.
“For those who don’t know me, I’m Finn, Miles’s best friend.
” He paused and laughed to himself. “Wait, most of you know me. It’s only Miles’s side.
” They laughed. “Miles and his family have meant more to me than I have words to express. I’m so happy he made the right call in the end.
” Finn paused, then looked at Miles. “Some of you might not know about the back and forth with who’d be up here giving this speech, or speeches, now, I guess.
” He met my eye, swallowed, shifted his stance, and spoke with his whole chest. “But if it wasn't for that, I never would’ve had the chance to get to know Ryder on a much deeper level. I wouldn’t be able to say how happy I am to have him in my life, or how grateful I am to call him my boyfriend.
” There was some confusion, and more than a few murmurs.
My face and neck burned, but not a tenth as much as my smile.
“You’re my partner, and the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
From the depths of my being, I love you, Ry. Thanks for everything.”
A thought rushed through me, a memory from well over a year ago. I had imagined Finn’s handsome face above me as I got down on one knee. Maybe one day, but not that day.
There was some more confusion, but it got a round of applause.
When he handed the mic back to the DJ, he thanked Finn, Miles, and me, then told us it was time to slow it down before dinner was served.
Finn met me halfway across the dance floor.
My arms found his waist, and his mine as we slow danced.
His heart beat so fast I felt it in my chest.
I whispered, “What the fuck was that, babe?”
“What was what? I just blacked out for ninety seconds.”
My head fell back in laughter so deep it rivaled his heart rate. When I looked at him, he was smiling, but freaking out a bit, too. He said, “No. I figured that was better than telling everyone individually. I wanted to dance with my boyfriend without answering a million questions.”
“You also just blasted your love for me all over a fragile and very recently single Miles.”
Finn shrugged with one shoulder. “Eh. He’ll get over it.”
We both laughed. Finn was right. When I looked at my brother, he was standing with Lena, smiling at us, then gave me a nod, which I returned.
Soon, other couples joined us on the dance floor. Jason and his stunning wife, Beth, got close enough to us to say, “I just have to say, I knew it! I called it, and my wife said I was crazy!”
“I didn’t say he was crazy,” Beth said. “But I’m glad I was wrong. You two are adorable!”
“Thanks!”
When we drifted, Finn asked, “Why do I get the feeling that’s gonna happen a lot?”
“Get used to it, babe. After outing us like that, we’re the hot new couple, and we are pretty adorable if you ask me.”
“More than adorable. We’re fucking hot.”
I laughed from my belly, rocking us as we swayed. “I fucking love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” Finn kissed me. I couldn’t imagine Miles’s zombie wedding going any better.