56. EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
JULIAN
The setting Florida sun creates a vibrant backdrop against the gentle waves lapping at the shoreline of Neptune Beach. A soft breeze carries the tang of the ocean, mingling with the delicious buffet of food.
The reception area is arranged beneath a canopy of string lights. Wooden tables are set up on the sand, adorned with lantern centerpieces and floral accents.
Seagulls squawk nearby, a guest having fed them so now they refuse to leave the vicinity.
In the center of the dance floor are Willow and Oliver having their first dance. Her bare feet are on top of his shoes as he sways them back and forth to “Fire On Fire” by Sam Smith.
For the mother and father dances, they both danced with their mothers. In remembrance of Willow’s father and brother is a surfboard resting near the entertainment stage where people have stuck notes to it, offering advice or simply sharing a memory.
Everyone’s dressed in semi-formal attire, and many have also chosen to kick off their shoes to enjoy the cool touch of the soft sand. No matter the direction I look, everyone is smiling.
It’s been the perfect day, and I couldn’t be happier for my friend.
When the song comes to an end and the next one fades in, people begin to join them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Lily playing with Dean and Phoebe’s son, Finnick while Abigail makes silly faces at their daughter, Harper.
The open bar sits under a small, thatched roof, where Taylor currently chats it up with the bartender named Hannah.
I stand to offer my hand to the woman who has made me a better man in all ways. “Will you dance with me, ma cerise?”
Andrea peers up at me through her lashes, a coy smile on her stunning face as she takes my hand and allows me to lead her to the dance floor. Dressed in a peach-colored flowy dress, she looks to die for.
“Have I told you how positively radiating you look?” I murmur, my mouth pressed to her temple as she loops her arms around my neck.
Her soft laugh caresses the skin of my neck. “More times than I can count. I think it’s all the celebratory drinks in your system.”
“I think it’s you in my system.”
“Julian Havord,” she says, pulling back so that her eyes connect with mine. A light stain of pink tints her cheeks. “If you keep flirting with me, we won’t make it to the send-off for the bride and groom.”
I grin. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
“Behave,” she scolds half-heartedly, poking me in the chest.
“I’ll behave when you make me,” I tease and then chuckle at the exasperated face she makes. “Fine, that was the last one.”
She rolls her eyes, but her smile gives away her facade. “You’re lucky I’m so in love with you.”
“ That I agree with.” I tip her down in one swift movement that’s so sudden, she gasps.
I steal a kiss before lifting her back upright.
She blinks slowly as if caught in a daze and I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“ Tu es la meilleure chose qui me soit jamais arrivée.” You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me .
I can see her slowly put together my words. She’s been taking online courses to learn French, which is why I find it adorable when her response is, “De rien.” You’re welcome .
I laugh at her small vocabulary and find it incredibly endearing.
I try to wipe the frown off her face by spinning her around and stealing her mouth with mine again.
It works because then she’s resting her head against my shoulder and dancing with me until the sun has long since disappeared and stars fill the night sky.
Later, Abigail pulls a burglary and steals her away and as I’m looking around for my stolen date, I spot Willow, Oliver, and their friends dancing around a big bonfire. All except one friend; Taylor Ellison. He’s back at the bar, appearing a little worse for wear.
I give one more look around for Andrea but don’t see her, so I go over to Taylor, who has been uncharacteristically quiet this evening.
“Hi, what can I get for you?” Hannah chirps, planting a welcoming smile on her face. Her hair is dyed a dark blue, standing out.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I say before thinking and then request, “Actually, I’ll take a bottle of water for my girlfriend, please.”
She chuckles softly, turning to reach in a mini fridge. “Here you go,” she says, setting the bottle in front of me.
“Thank you.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” Taylor asks, noticing me. Despite spending the majority of the night at the bar, he appears alert and completely sober. It makes me wonder if he’s been nursing the same rum-and-coke that's been sitting in front of him all evening.
I nod, not being able to stop the smile that spreads across my face at the opportunity to talk about her. “She’s a ballet teacher if you ever want some lessons to add to your resume.”
My joke lands well at the burst of his laughter in response. “You know I never turn down an experience.”
I chuckle. “How have you been? Still taking the modeling world by storm?”
He takes a breath and shrugs. “I’m thinking of taking a break to start my own agency.”
My brows lift. “Really? That’s incredible.”
“You think so?” he asks, his face lighting up at my enthusiasm. “I haven’t told anyone about the idea yet. You’re the first person I’ve tried it on.”
“I’m honored,” I say, pressing a hand to my chest before sliding it into the pocket of my slacks. “If you need any help with anything, let me know. I’ve acquired some new connections recently that I think could benefit you.”
He nods quickly, excited by the idea. “Yeah, for sure. Wow, thanks, man.”
“It’s not a problem at all, seriously. I’ll email you all the contact information I have and feel free to use it when you’re ready to.” He’s still nodding, thoughts seeming to buzz around his head rapidly. “And Taylor?”
“Yeah?”
“You should tell your friends. It’s a good idea,” I reassure him for the mere reason he looks like he needs it.
When I first met him, it was for a project I was doing that involved bringing art and music together.
After Willow left and the foundation stole most of my attention, I didn’t have time to plan more events.
Now that my life has slowed down with Elise having everything perfectly under control, I can get back to focusing on other enjoyments in my life.
Taylor opens his mouth to respond, but his words remain caught in his throat as his eyes land on something over my shoulder. His face falls, paling slightly.
“I told him not to come,” Hannah mutters under her breath.
I turn around, searching for the person who’s managed to set them both on edge. Stumbling over to the bar is a man with tousled dark brown hair wearing a shirt he seemed to have barely managed to button. He’s completely wasted and can hardly stand upright.
Once he reaches us, he leans to the side a little as he points a finger at Taylor. “I need to talk to you,” he slurs.
I cast a confused, but worried glance toward Taylor. This guy was drawing attention and on the verge of ruining a perfectly good time.
Taylor’s face morphs into an angry sort of sadness. “Xavier, you’re drunk and not to mention, uninvited.”
He shakes his head, massaging his temples. “Please, Taylor. Just let me say my piece and I’ll go.”
“No, you’re causing a scene at one of my greatest friend’s wedding,” Taylor bites out. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You are!” he yells, nostrils and arms flared. “You’re what’s wrong with me!”
Taylor and Xavier stare at each other for a long, intimate moment and I begin to feel like I’m intruding. I grab the bottle of water and slowly retreat from the scene. On my walk back to my assigned table, Andrea finds me and loops her arms around my bicep.
“What’s going on over there?” she asks quietly.
I rub the back of my neck. “Not a clue. ”
There’s a loud commotion and I turn to see one of the hired entertainers, Arlo, who plays the Cello trying to intervene between the two men. Before anyone can figure out what the hell to do, Xavier’s throwing his fist in Arlo’s face.
Gasps sound throughout the crowd of people and silence swallows the tense air.
“Damn it Xavier, leave right fucking now!” The loud, booming words come from Hannah; appearing so off from her earlier calm demeanor that even I pause.
Arlo stands, dusting himself off as Taylor glares at Xavier.
“What the fuck kind of name is Arlo, anyway?” he sneers, but his retreating steps are a good sign.
Willow and Oliver have wandered over to see what’s going on, their faces worried when they see Taylor involved.
Andrea’s fingers tighten around my biceps when I try to step forward. “You’re staying right here.”
Thankfully, other men step in, including Oliver, to help guide Xavier away, who’s shrugging off every hand that touches him. Once he’s gone, an awkwardness settles into the atmosphere.
Willow looks like she’s at a loss for words, but thankfully Dean is there to rescue her. Grabbing a microphone from the stage, he taps it a few times to make sure that it’s on.
“All right well, for anyone who placed a bet with me about a punch being thrown tonight, you can bring your money up.”
The crowd laughs and Willow’s shoulders visibly relax as she watches her friend.
Dean clears his throat, eyes briefly connecting with his wife’s before jerking his head in the direction Taylor went. Catching the cue, Phoebe subtly follows after him.
“I know I already gave my best man speech, but if you all don’t mind, I’d like to add something about the beautiful woman who’s wearing white.” He lifts a playful brow. “Don’t think we don’t see the bathing suit you’re wearing underneath that dress.”
She covers her mouth, laughing. “It’s true,” she tells everyone and even I find myself smiling now. Oliver surprises her by appearing behind her, looping his arms around her. She smiles up at him as he presses a kiss to her jaw before leaning her back against his chest.
Andrea snuggles in closer to my side and I kiss the top of her head as Dean continues.
“I’m sure most would agree that I’m not the most qualified person to sit up here and give advice about anything, but it just so happens that I know a thing or two about marriage.
So, this is what I’ve got: Just because you say ‘I do’ doesn’t mean the battle is over.
Every day is a choice to love the person you’re with.
You’ll fight each other tooth and nail over the stupidest things like not being able to find the remote or disagreeing on whether to order Italian or Chinese for dinner. ”
He’s managed to capture everyone’s attention, the previous scene forgotten, and the mood lightened again.
“What I’m trying to say here is that though you’ve reached this point, the world will try to keep placing odds against you.
So, keep fighting over the stupid stuff, keep choosing to stay, and always keep remembering why you fell in love with each other.
With that being said, there’s no one better I can think of to beat those odds other than Oliver and Willow fucking Grayson. ”
A flood of people start cheering and whistling as he exits the stage.
The music picks back up and Andrea turns in my arms to look up at me. “Are you up to facing the odds with me, mon chéri?”
My response is immediate. “Pour le reste de ma vie.” For the rest of my life .