32. Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hudson
The second the ceremony is done, and we’re told to wait in the reception area, I jump up from my seat and rush to the bar. Paul and Andre are right behind me, asking me if I’m okay.
“Just need a drink,” I say.
The bartender comes over smiling.
“What can I get you?” she looks between the three of us.
“Whiskey. A double, please,” I say.
“Same,” Andre says.
“Don’t want to be difficult. Whiskey is fine,” Paul chimes in.
My skin is crawling and I so badly want to leave, but something tells me if I go without talking to Trey, he’ll hunt me down and make everything worse.
“That was—” Andre says, letting out a breath.
“That wasn’t the right way to go about apologizing,” Paul says quietly. “At all.”
“He’s upset,” I say, not sure why I’m defending him.
“Of course he is,” Andre says. “But making a scene in the aisle right before the grooms walk down?” He shakes his head. “What the hell was he thinking?”
“Here you are,” the bartender says. “Do you want to start a tab?”
“Yes,” the three of us say.
“I got it,” Paul says.
“No, I have it,” Andre says, nudging Paul out of the way to hand the bartender his card. “And you can start a tab. Anything they get goes on this.”
“Of course, sir.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, reaching for my glass. I take a mouthful then stare at it, wanting to drink the rest, but knowing getting drunk likely won’t help.
“Well, wouldn’t be a wedding without some fucking drama, am I right?” Alex says from behind us. We turn to find him walking in with Jordan.
“Little ridiculous,” Andre says with a small shrug.
“Well, I thought it was romantic.” Alex grins. “And entertaining.”
Jordan shoots him a knowing glare. “You would.”
“And almost ruining your friends’ wedding?” Paul asks.
“Not cool,” Andre adds.
“I’d hardly say ruined ,” Alex says.
“Okay, enough,” Jordan says. “We don’t need to get involved in whatever is going on.” He looks at me carefully. “Though I would really like to know what is going on.”
I shoot back the rest of my whiskey, then pull the glass from Paul’s hand and drink that too.
“We’re going to need some more of these,” he says to the bartender.
She nods and gets to work on our drinks.
Trey and Mandy come walking in. He scans the area, and when his eyes settle on me, determination crosses his face.
“Damnit,” I say, turning to face the bar. “This isn’t working fast enough.”
“Just breathe,” Paul says.
Despite the fact my heart is racing and this drink isn’t going down fast enough, I can’t get the image of him in his grey suit out of my head.
“Can we talk now?” Trey says.
“Just give him a few minutes,” Andre says.
“No offense, but no,” Trey says firmly.
I get my drink from the bartender, shoot it back, then stand. “Fine.”
Trey’s eyes widen, his mouth dropping open. “Really? Okay. Yeah… uh…” He looks around. “I think we can go back there.”
“Lead the way.” I gesture for him to go.
“I still want to know what’s going on!” Jordan calls out after us.
I follow Trey out of the main reception area and into a darkened hallway. He turns into a room, and I go in there after him.
It’s another event room, this one bigger than the one we’re in. Thankfully, it’s empty and doesn’t look like anyone is expected to be here.
“Okay, what, Trey?”
“I told Alex and Mandy.”
“Yeah, okay? And?”
“And? Isn’t that what you wanted?” His eyebrows furrow as he narrows his gaze at me.
“Are you kidding?”
He frowns, but then shakes his head. “Okay, you’re right.
No. I’m not doing this right.” He shifts his feet, coming closer to me.
“I’m sorry, okay? For everything. For hiding us, for letting the lie about Mandy go on, for not telling our friends sooner.
I’m sorry for all of it. I know I fucked up.
I know I let my own insecurities get in the way, and all I can do is tell you I’m sorry, I’ll do better, and beg you to give me the chance to make it up to you.
” His gaze holds mine in challenge and in earnest.
“Trey—”
“But I also need you to acknowledge that you aren’t perfect either, okay? I don’t think you think that, but sometimes you act like it. I mean, I told you I loved you how many times? And all you did was brush over it like it wasn’t important. You didn’t—”
“Do you think that I don’t love you, Trey?
” I blurt. His eyes go wide. “Do you think I’d be this pissed off and hurt if I didn’t love you?
Did you think, for even a second, that saying that to you could be hard for me?
You, of all people, should have known that it wouldn’t be an easy thing for me.
And I’m not saying you didn’t give me the space, because you did, but don’t go throwing that in my face now . ”
“I… I’m sorry,” he says. Then he steps even closer, and I get a whiff of his cologne that smells so good. His large hand settles on my hip. He leans his face down, his voice full of awe. “You love me?” he smirks.
I groan, shoving him away. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” Now he’s grinning, his hand on my hip heating me through my shirt.
“Put on your charm to make us stop fighting.” His brows raise. “I’m serious, we need to talk about this.”
Sighing, he puts up his hands. “Okay, you’re right.
There is… one other thing I need to say.
” He pauses, taking a deep breath before saying, “I know I’m not perfect and I might not always do or say the right thing.
” I close my eyes to take a breath and open them to see the glimmer of determination in his eyes.
“But one thing I do know for sure is that I want this.” He settles his hand on my neck carefully, tilting my chin up to look at him.
“I want you, Huds. And I might not know what the future holds, but I know I want you in it.”
Silence falls between us as I consider his words.
“Are you done?” I ask, my throat getting all tight as he looks at me.
He nods. “Yes.” He clears his throat, running his thumb along my jaw before he drops it. “I said everything I wanted to say. I’d say it all again in different words, but I don’t think it will matter how I say it.”
“It won’t.”
“Then say your piece so we can move on from this.”
I let out a heavy sigh as I shake my head.
“What makes you think I want to?” I say, holding his gaze. “Why are you so confident about us now? Why not then? What’s changed?
“Because now you love me,” he says, his voice warm and smooth, his lips turning up into a stupid grin.
“Trey,” I warn as he closes the space between us, his lips inches from mine.
“Okay, fine,” he groans. “Go on.”
I stare at him, expecting him to lean in to kiss me, but his eyes widen again, this time impatiently, and I realize how much I want to kiss him. How much I really do love him.
“I said what I needed to say,” I blurt out.
“Then why are you still mad?”
“I’m allowed to be mad for as long as I want,” I tell him solidly.
“Yeah, but if you’re not mad at me anymore…” He glances to the side, and I follow his gaze. “We can hide behind that partition over there and I can suck your dick.” He wriggles his eyebrows.
“Fuck, Trey,” I groan, my eyes falling closed, and then I feel his warm breath on my skin. His cologne hits me, and I can’t help but breathe it in.
The alcohol is hitting me now, my body light. It’s probably why I’m not as angry as I was just a short time ago and why I can’t even think about why I’m mad at all.
He told Alex. He told Mandy.
Paul and Andre know.
Jordan probably knows at this point.
All that’s left is Cameron and Austen, who are going to be really pissed that they missed all this drama, but… oh well.
I look back at Trey, and his eyes meet mine.
I grip his hand and pull him after me. We turn around the partition, and Trey slams me up against the wall, working on my belt.
He gets everything off quickly, and then he’s on his knees.
He takes me all the way to the back of his throat, and I groan, my head hitting the wall.
Between the alcohol and his mouth, I relax.
“Trey,” I whisper. “Fuck.”
He moans around me, bobbing his head like he’s on a mission. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten off, so it doesn’t take long for the orgasm to build.
“Are you going to swallow it all?” I ask.
He hums a yes, as I grab onto his hair, pushing him harder so my cock goes deeper.
“I’m coming,” I warn, and it doesn’t deter him. He keeps going, working me through my orgasm and swallowing every drop. My fingers slide through his soft hair. I’m panting when he stands to his feet and kisses me, fixing my pants. I reach for his belt, but he slaps me away.
“Later.” His fingers link with mine. “We need to get back out there and tell the rest of our friends that we’re… together?”
I can’t help but smile. I lean in to kiss him. “Yeah, we’re together.”
He leans in and kisses me, the grin on his face making my heart beat so hard I think it’s echoing in this room. When he breaks away, he straightens my tie for me, and then we walk hand-in-hand back to the party.
Our friends are all standing in a circle, underneath a swath of twinkling lights, talking to one another with alcohol in their hands.
Austen and Cameron stand in the middle; Cameron’s left arm wrapped around Austen’s shoulder, with a glass of champagne in the other.
A warm breeze blows, and Alex’s gaze finds us first. He grins and winks.
Jordan follows next, confusion in his eyes, but then a knowing grin splits his face.
He mouths, “I knew it.” Which makes me chuckle.
“Hey,” Trey says excitedly as we reach the group. Everyone looks our way, then notices our close proximity, and then our hands linked together. Trey squeezes my hand, but he doesn’t let go. He stands there, grinning that perfect, charismatic grin I love so much.
“Well, that’s something,” Cameron comments, chuckling as he takes a sip of his champagne.
“When did this happen?” Austen asks.
“It’s… been a while,” I say.
“Well, if you count the first time , like… fourteen months. Ish,” Trey says with a shrug.
Jordan raises an eyebrow. “The first time ? How many times were there?”
Alex elbows him in the side. “Excuse you,” he says, his grin sly and knowing. Jordan growls and shakes his head.
“What?” Jordan asks.
Alex narrows his gaze at his boyfriend.
Austen hums in contentment. “Doesn’t matter.” He looks up at his husband with the brightest smile and says, “but… two here.”
Cameron smiles back at him.
Alex sighs loudly. “Three.”
Jordan smacks him in the chest.
“What the fuck?”
“Four, dumbass,” he says, rolling his eyes.
Alex’s mouth opens and then closes and he nods.
“So, apparently, we have a pattern here.” Alex chuckles. “Seems you two are the only ones left. Better get on that.” He points to Andre and Paul.
They share a look before looking back at all of us.
“Well, actually…” Paul starts.
“We have something to tell you,” Andre admits, then steps closer to Paul and puts his arm around his waist.
It feels like the entire room goes silent, but that’s impossible because there’s music and people. It lasts all of two seconds before every single one of us bursts into laughter, tears running down our faces.
This wedding will be one for the books.