41. Halle
CHAPTER 41
HALLE
“ M arried?” Quinn repeats. “You guys are getting married now ? Like before the new year?”
My brothers exchange a glance. Casen sports a smug smirk.
“Yes, that’s what I said. We’ll go to the courthouse in a few days and do it. I want you guys there with me.”
“You can’t wait until the new year?” Quinn groans.
Why is he so hung up on the new year? We haven’t even made it to Christmas yet. “Um… I wasn’t planning on it?”
“Pay up.” Casen holds his hand out.
Grumbling, Quinn pulls out his wallet and slaps a few bills into his twin’s palm. The boys might not have proper jobs yet, but they’ve been doing odd jobs for the neighbors to earn money to buy Christmas gifts.
“Why are you two—” I gasp. “Wait, did you place bets on this?”
Casen laughs as he shoves the money into his pocket. “Sis, we saw the writing on the wall from the get-go. I had a feeling you two would be standing at an altar before the year was over. This one”—he tosses a thumb at Quinn—“thought you’d hold out a bit longer.”
I blink at them, mouth still open, flabbergasted. “I honestly can’t believe either of you right now,” I mutter.
Quinn shrugs, resting his elbows on the dining room table. “It was obvious from the day Caleb helped us move in that he was interested in you. And you tried to hide it, but we could tell you liked him too, and if you haven’t noticed, Halle, you don’t like very many people.”
“ That’s what led you to thinking we’d get married now ?”
“Well”—Casen scratches his chin—“you are, so it’s not like I was wrong. Why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad.” I cross my arms. “I’m offended. There’s a difference.”
“Offended that I was right?” Casen gives me a confused frown.
Head dropped back, I groan. I should know by now that there’s no reasoning with my brothers. “I just can’t believe you guys thought we’d end up married that fast.”
“Again, you are,” Casen reiterates.
I swallow past the lump in my throat and inhale a deep breath. I’m glad now that Caleb agreed to let me talk to them on my own while he tells Seda. He’d never let me live this down.
Focus fixed on the table in front of me, I clear my throat. “Do you think I’m making a bad decision?”
“No,” they answer in that synchronized tone that always jars me.
I snap my head up, my breath catching. “Why?”
“Because,” Quinn answers, “Caleb looks at you like you’re the only thing he needs in the world.”
“Like he’d jump in front of a bullet for you,” Casen adds.
“It’s really soon, though, isn’t it?” I press them.
They look at each other and break into identical shrugs.
Casen clears his throat. “When it’s the right person, why wait? Do you have any doubts about him? Do you think there’s someone else out there who’s better for you?”
My stomach twists at the thought. “No.”
“Then marry the guy.” Quinn breaks into a smile.
“You guys are really okay with this?” I push. “You don’t care if I put the house on the market after it’s fixed and we make this move permanent?”
They make eye contact, communicating in their secret twin way.
Quinn is the one to answer. “We don’t care. If you haven’t noticed, this place is a lot nicer.”
“Fast Wi-Fi,” Casen adds.
Quinn snaps his fingers. “Thicker walls.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s going to be important,” Casen muses.
I roll my eyes, my cheeks heating. “Oh my God.”
“What?” They blink at me innocently .
“You guys are truly okay with this?” I’m not fishing for an excuse to back out. I’m just shocked they’re so chill about it.
“Yeah.” Casen taps his fingers on the table. “You’re happy and that’s all that matters to us.”
“If we thought Caleb was a bad guy, we’d tell you.” This from Quinn.
“He makes you smile,” Casen says softly. “Most people don’t do that.”
His words hit me solidly in the chest, pushing me back in my chair. “I don’t smile?”
“You do now,” Quinn says, tone just as quiet as his brother’s. “But for a long time, you didn’t. I think Caleb makes you feel safe, the same way you’ve always made us feel safe.”
Talk about a stab to the heart. I have to fight the urge to rub at my sternum. “You guys feel that way about me?”
It’s hard, this role I’ve slipped into, where I’m their sister but also their authority figure. I’ve always taken care of them, but before Mom went to prison, I was careful not to step on toes. I didn’t want to lose that sibling relationship, but I didn’t have a choice.
“Yeah, Hal,” Casen says, his irises dark, swimming with sincerity. “You’ve always looked out for us. We know how much you love us and how far you’d go to protect us. We might not always say it, but we love you, and you deserve to have your own life separate from us.”
There goes the pain in my chest again. “I don’t want it to be separate,” I whisper.
Quinn laughs, shaking his head. “I guess it’s more like two worlds becoming one, huh?”
I nod, giving a watery smile. Ugh. Leave it to my brothers to make me cry. It’s not something I do too often. I’ve always had to keep my wits about me. I’ve rarely ever had time for a breakdown.
Once they start, I can’t seem to stop the tears. The two of them get up and wrap their arms around me, only making me cry harder.
“I love you, guys.”
“You’re going to let us walk you down the aisle, right?” Quinn asks, rubbing my earlobe between his thumb and forefinger like he did when he was little.
My responding laugh is punctuated by a sob. “I’m not sure there’s going to be much of an aisle. We’re just going to the courthouse.”
The boys sit again, and Casen laces his fingers together, laying them on the table like he’s about to give me a very serious talking-to. “Whatever there is to walk down, we’ll go with you. We have to stick together.”
I reach across and take his hand and one of Quinn’s too.
“Yes, we do.”
I should’ve known our simple courthouse ceremony would be thwarted. But honestly, I can’t say I’m mad about it. Salem, Thayer, Cynthia, and Thelma showed up, along with Seda and the boys, of course. For the first time in my life, I’m surrounded by people who care about my brothers and me. That’s worth more than any smidge of annoyance.
Family has always been important to me, and while none of these people are of blood relation, I know they’ll be in my life for the long haul. In the lives of my brothers too.
Since it’s warm in the courthouse, I pass my thick white shawl to Cynthia.
She drapes it over her arm and gives my cheek a tender pat. “Take care of our boy,” she says before disappearing into the room where the ceremony will be held.
“You needed a bouquet,” Thayer says, holding out a beautiful arrangement of flowers. His voice is deep and almost jarring after the soft sweetness of Cynthia’s. “I put this together from my greenhouse.”
Salem watches her husband with stars in her eyes. I fear if they’re not careful, they might have another kid on the way soon.
“They’re a mix of white roses and blue hydrangeas. Caleb said your dress was blue, so…” He shrugs and steps away.
It takes a minute to collect myself and find my voice after such a sweet and unexpected gesture. “Thanks. This is so kind of you.”
Salem waves a hand in the air. “My contribution is cupcakes for after.”
“After?” I ask, looking between her and her husband.
She sighs like she’s exasperated with me. “You didn’t think we’d let you get away without having a reception, did you? ”
My heart trips over itself. “Oh, no. Really, that’s fine.”
Thelma lets out a noise that sounds like a combination of a laugh and a cough. “Get used to the meddling, girl. You’re getting a reception.”
“Oh,” I say softly. “Okay.” As I’m processing the suggestion, a horrifying thought occurs to me, “Oh my God, Caleb’s parents aren’t coming, are they?”
The day we applied for our marriage license, he called to let them know. His mother was none too pleased. I could hear her shrill raised voice through the speaker loud and clear as she told him how foolish he was. Caleb didn’t expect her to be happy, but I don’t think he expected such a nasty reaction either.
Despite her outburst, showing up at the reception sounds like the exact kind of thing she’d do.
Salem wrings her hands. “I didn’t invite her.”
“Oh, thank God,” I blurt out.
With a laugh, she smooths a piece of my hair. “Yeah, she’ll never win an award for mother-in-law of the year. Just remember, her behavior isn’t your fault. She’s miserable and takes it out on the people around her.”
She steps back, and Thayer loops his arm around her waist. It’s obvious in their every interaction that, after so many years together, they’re still sickeningly in love.
I can only hope that’s how Caleb and I will feel ten years from now.
“We’re going to find our seats.” Salem gives my wrist a squeeze as she passes.
The words make me chuckle. Like she’s worried the place will be full. I don’t need a roomful of people, though. All I need is the people who truly care about us.
“Good luck, sweetie,” Thelma says, heading past me into the room.
It’s perhaps the nicest thing she’s said to me.
Naturally, the moment that thought crosses my mind, she ruins it by turning around and saying, “Oh, but dear, do make sure to close the blinds next time.”
Horror washes over me. I cannot believe she’s seen Caleb and me…no, I can’t let my thoughts stray there before I meet this man at the altar.
Is there even an altar?
I suppose it’s more of a symbolic altar?
Down the hall, the bathroom door squeaks open and my brothers step out wearing coordinating suits.
The breath whooshes from my lungs at the sight. They look so dapper.
“When did you guys get those?” I blurt out.
“We told Caleb we wanted to dress up, and he delivered.” Casen adjusts the sleeve on his dark blue suit.
In this moment, they look so mature. Every bit of their almost fifteen years.
“How do we look?” Quinn turns, arms out, so I can see every angle.
“Like men.” I swallow past the lump in my throat.
It’s moments like this that remind me of just how close they are to graduating from high school and going to college.
“Don’t you dare cry and ruin your makeup,” Casen warns as he pulls me into a hug .
Quinn hugs me next. “All right, sis. Let’s get you to your husband.”
Husband.
My husband is waiting for me.
My brothers each offer an arm. I take one at a time, keeping a careful hold on the bouquet from Thayer.
This is so over-the-top for a courthouse wedding, but it couldn’t be more perfect. When we turn and enter the room, my knees go weak. Caleb waits at the other end with Seda at his side. She’s wearing a pink floral dress and tugging on his arm. He bends down so he can hear what she says, his eyes on me the whole time.
I head straight for him, maybe a little too quickly. Maybe I should be embarrassed by the way I can’t get to him soon enough, but there’s no shame in any aspect of how I feel about him.
As he takes my hand and we exchange our vows, the room melts away. It feels like it’s only the two of us as we slide bands onto each other’s ring fingers. When he kisses me, it feels like the promise of a new beginning.
The start of a new chapter.
One I can’t wait to fill the pages of.