27. Ryder
27
Ryder
I settle into my seat on the bride’s side of the church, close to the wall. When you’re tall and famous, you learn early on to avoid sitting in the front or in the middle. A surreptitious glance around reveals that Everly isn’t here, and I tap my foot in agitation. Where is she?
Twisting, I survey the room but then remind myself bridesmaids are in the ceremony, so she’s likely with the others lined up somewhere outside of a door. Seconds later I hear the opening notes to “What a Wonderful World” and the groom begins escorting his grandmother in. It looks like I arrived just in time.
Four months! She’s more than four months pregnant… and she didn’t tell me . I clench my fists and resist the urge to vocalize my frustration. Honestly, I’m almost as mad at myself for not piecing it together sooner. I’m crazy about Everly. She has become my world, and all I can think about is building a life with her. And I didn’t notice!
I feel like such an idiot. Why didn’t I check the condom when I took it off? Did it break? I shake my head. There’s no telling now.
We’ve had two nights together. Two over the moon, heavenly nights of sheer bliss together. I shake my head. This is nuts. After the Clippers game, I was so hyped about the win and having her back in my arms that I couldn’t have cared less that she’d thickened. I’d noticed, but let’s be honest, the woman is insanely beautiful, and I couldn’t care less. I only hope now that I wasn’t too rough…
Looking to the front, I see a pair of brown eyes staring at me. I squint back at the curly-haired toddler peeking over his mom’s shoulder and, despite a fair amount of irritation, find myself cracking a grin at the sticky-cheeked dude. He’s got half a cracker left in his hand, and crumbs dot not only his mouth but for some reason his hair as well.
When he twists around to plop himself down on his mother’s lap, I focus on relaxing my fingers one by one and lowering my shoulders. I know for a fact that Everly was single all summer, so unless she found someone else after our night in Phoenix, that baby is mine. How long does it take a woman to realize she’s pregnant? I’ve heard stories about girls who went through an entire pregnancy without knowing what was going on, but Everly’s not a na?ve kid. I don’t know when, but I’m willing to bet good money she’s known for a while now. Where is she?! I twist in my seat again, and finally the doors at the back swing wide.
Rachel stands at the front of the line with one arm entwined with that of a groomsman. The music changes, and then they’re walking. A few seconds later, another bridesmaid steps through the doorway with a second groomsman, and then after what feels like an eternity, the one I’ve been waiting for finally appears.
There are no words to describe what the sight of her does to me. I see her, and somehow all the noise quiets inside. Chaotic emotions and jumbling thoughts fall into order because there’s a new priority in front of them all. I search her face, wishing I could hear her thoughts, wishing I was the one beside her, touching her.
She’s walking in on the arm of the last groomsman, and she’s holding herself stiffly, her bouquet gripped close in front. I know it means nothing, but I’m not fond of seeing her on another man’s arm looking like they’re some kind of couple. I suppress a subconscious growl. She hasn’t seen me yet, but her eyes are wide, and she looks pale. That bastard had better not have said anything to upset her.
She’s almost to the front of the room when she spots me, and the look on her face is so panicked it’s almost comical. An initial look of trepidation is quickly followed by a wince, a wave, and a small smile. I’ve never seen her like this. Something is off, and I’m torn between worry about her condition, anger at the fact that she’s been walking around with my baby and hasn’t said a word to me about it, and the urge to laugh.
The ceremony begins, and I sit there staring at her back and plotting. She’s so close! I pieced it together two nights ago, and the moment I realized she was pregnant I became desperate to see her.
I had already been selected for the All-Star team, so I’ve been traveling all week. It just so happened that the day I returned she’d been on a trip to Austin for her new job, so that’s when I’d taken the time to visit my parents. I shake my head, wondering how much longer it would have taken for me to find out about the baby if I hadn’t seen Becca. It’s perplexing to think about. I mean, did Everly ever plan to tell me? I purse my lips and ball my hands into fists again at the thought that maybe she doesn’t see me as the one she wants to be with long-term. What the hell, Everly?
My nighttime epiphany was just as life changing as our first night together in that hotel in Phoenix, AZ, but my reaction was the complete opposite. After pacing the floor for an hour I’d broken down and texted her in the middle of the night, but then she’d called the next morning, oblivious to my line of thought and had reminded me that she wasn’t free for breakfast because she was flying out for the wedding.
Rachel had invited me a long time ago, but I hadn’t planned on attending, but that’s all over now. I booked a flight for the next day to get here. Now, after all the travel I sit, waiting again and ready to burst. When the ceremony finally ends, the attendants go through their procession and the officiant announces that they’ll be doing photos. The rest of us can make our way to the reception in the building next door…and wait some more. Great. Just great.
I head to the reception and forty minutes later am finally rewarded.
“You’re here!”
I turn at her voice and stop to stare.
“Everly.” My mouth is suddenly dry. She’s so beautiful in that dress. Her skin is glowing, and her hair is loosely pinned back. I’m suddenly in awe of her, the mother of my child . I realize belatedly that she’s still got her bouquet and is hugging a cardigan to her stomach. Taking it in stride I bend down to press my lips to hers, a stolen moment in the midst of the crowd. Lingering there, my lips move gently over hers with one hand raised to her cheek. Stepping back, I’m gratified to see a dazed look in her eyes. If ever there was any doubt in my mind that she wants me, that look quells it.
“How are you, Curves? You doing alright?” Moments ago, I had a million things to say to her. But now that she’s here beside me, I just want to hold her and take a few minutes to breathe the air around her. She smells amazing, and I trail a finger down her wrist.
“I’m doing good.” She nods a little too eagerly, a bit of tension still showing in her shoulders. “I’m so glad Aunt Sharon is in the clear, so this is really a day of celebration for so many reasons. I wasn’t expecting to see you today. It’s such a surprise, a great surprise.”
I smile as I take her hand in mine and then relax back into my chair. She’s clearly nervous about seeing me, but I’m not going anywhere. Oh, yeah. We’ve got an important conversation, Curves, and you’re not ducking out of it.
For the next hour we do a funny dance. I watch her. She babbles. I offer her a drink. She stammers as she asks for water. I invite her to the dance floor, and she makes a dash for the bathroom, always holding something to her belly, always hiding what I can now see is clearly a baby bump.
When we finish our meal Everly announces she wants to speak with the bride, so I stand and snag her hand.
“I’ll go with you.” I stare down at her as she sinks quickly back into her chair and uses her free hand to adjust that damned cardigan over her stomach for the hundredth time this evening, and that’s when I decide that I can’t take it anymore. Reaching out with my other hand I still her motions, pinning her fingers lightly to her abdomen.
“Everly, I came here tonight because I didn’t want to spend another night apart from you.”
Her already big eyes widen, and I see worry creasing her brow. Without thinking, I place my thumb there in an effort to smooth the small worry lines as I lower my voice and let her see my heart in my eyes.
“You’re my girl, Ev. All I want is to be near you…Will you let me do that?” Something akin to shame washes over her features, and the next thing I know she’s crying. Leaning in close, I wipe gently at her cheeks. She turns her face into my palm, and I watch as her expression crumples.
With a worried glance across the room, I catch Rachel’s eye and see the thunder on her face when her eyes fall on Everly. She scurries closer to us as fast as her heels will allow and then hisses in my ear, “There’s a door to the lawn right over there.” I stand and hug Everly to me, turning to shelter her as much as possible as we walk carefully in the direction Rachel indicated. Just as we step outside, Rachel snags my arm and hisses in my ear.
“Ryder, I love you to death, but you fix this right now or I swear to God I will make you pay!” And with that, the door slams shut and we’re alone.