40. Chapter Fourty
Chapter Fourty
Addie
T he best part about being naturally bossy—I mean a leader—is during big days like today. I was absolutely made for being in charge. I’m going to make being maid of honor my bitch today. There will not be a single hair out of place. These bitches are going to make me earn the title, too. It’s been like herding feral cats all day.
“Isla, I know it is your big day and all, but if you do not sit the eff down and let the nice lady do your hair, I’m gonna throat chop you.” My grin is forced, but she does as I ask.
“Ugh, rude. I just have a lot of nervous energy. I need to move.”
“Twiddle your thumbs, tap your foot, or something, I beg of you.” There’s a strict schedule for getting ready. Being late to her own wedding doesn’t seem to stress her out, but she’s five minutes away from giving me literal anxiety hives.
“Mrs. James. Can you come give your daughter some company while you get ready?” Isla’s mom pops her head out of the bathroom with a broad smile on her face.
Her skin is as smooth as butter, and it makes me want to ask what her skincare routine is. She’s over fifty and doesn’t look a day over thirty-eight. I guess when you’re extremely unproblematic and the most chill person ever, you don’t age. Ugh. If that’s the case, this day alone will have me looking thirty-eight by the time I wake up tomorrow
“No problem, hunny bunny.” She smiles at me, patting my cheek as she walks by.
Watching her hug Isla as she walks up behind her makes me miss my mom. Badly. I haven’t been home since I moved. I promised I would come visit once my sister's baby comes, which, crazy enough, could be anytime now. Time flies when you are having a quarter-life crisis. Maybe I should take Sam home? I ponder that thought. My mom would love him.
Focus, Addie. It’s go time.
“Has anyone seen Liv? I have texted her three times.”
“I’m literally right here,” Liv says, walking in and slurping on a smoothie. The sight makes my stomach rumble. That’s what I forgot to do this morning: eat. I made sure Isla ate before I came down, but I didn’t. “Also, I brought a round of smoothies.”
My mouth waters as I walk to her. “I’m not trying to be dramatic, but I literally have never loved you more.”
“I’ve been a bit hormonal, and this is my offering of apology. I promise to do my best to keep the mood swings at bay. Not tears, though.” She points to her bag and the giant box of Kleenex on top of them. “I came prepared. So, if anyone else wants to blubber like a baby at my little brother marrying the love of his life, feel free.”
Liv sets everything down and goes and hugs Isla, carefully avoiding the curling iron the lady has in her hair. “And I could cry over the fact that I’m finally getting a sister. And if we’re lucky, we might be able to add this one to our crazy train.”
“Wow, I can’t wait.” Sarcasm peeps through my voice. But in reality, I love that. I grew up in a big family, and having this one in front of me, I am luckier than I ever could have thought possible.
“Okay, everyone start getting ready before I have to go crazy on you.” Mostly, I’m talking to Liv and Mrs. James. I know I can get ready in no time flat. Anna, Cal and Sam’s mom, is getting ready in her room, but I’m sure she’ll stop by at some point, too.
“If I have to keep my crazy at bay, so do you,” Liv says. A chuckle rises up from me.
We move around the room, and time flies faster than I thought possible. I watch Isla’s mom slip her into her dress and tears fill my eyes. My girl is really getting married today. Her skin is glowing, slightly sun-kissed from yesterday. Her lashes are dark and make her blue eyes look striking. Cal is one lucky son of a bitch.
We make our way down to the beach. With the nerves I have, one would think it was me getting married. The hotel did a great job of setting up for the wedding. They have a little wall for us all to hide behind. I peek my head around to look at the sitting area. Everything looks perfect. The pink flowers pop against the cerulean blue of the water.
Isla did a hell of a job planning this shindig. Maybe I will have her plan mine when the time comes. However, with me being crazy organized and Isla having flair for utter chaos, it doesn’t seem like a good idea. Should probably just stick to her being my emotional support person.
I feel a little tug on a strand of my hair and whip my head back to see the boys have joined us. My eyes roam over Sam. Hot damn. He looks good in a suit. Well, khaki slacks and a white dress shirt. His tan skin peeks out of the undone buttons at the top. I get why Isla banged Cal in a closet. A man in a suit is just one of the finer things in life. If I thought we had time, I’d probably sneak off and get railed behind a tree.
“Well, don’t you look dapper,” I say, wrapping my hand around his neck and bringing his lips to mine.
“I could say the same thing about you.” He adds one more peck to my cheek.
I pull back and dip back into my maid of honor duty. I snap my fingers to grab the attention of the group. “All right. Tyler, you’re with me. Liv, you’re with Sam. Everyone remember their cues?”
The monotonous yes from the group gives away how sick of my shit they are. I only made them practice twelve times last night during dress rehearsal. If they would have gotten it right the first eleven times, we wouldn’t have had to take so long.
I make my way over to Isla at the back of our little herd. Her hair is perfectly pulled back into a messy updo, with curls framing her face. Her satin dress perfectly frames her body, and it looks even better now than it did when we went shopping. She’s standing with her dad, whose sandy blonde hair is filled with little speckles of gray.
“Mr. James, a pleasure to see you today. Your only jobs are to make sure she doesn’t bail and to not let her trip. She isn’t wearing heels, but this girl could trip on an imaginary crack. So, stay alert.”
He gives me a little salute, followed by a, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Into positions everyone. It’s showtime.” I make my way to the back, turning to look at my bestie one last time before she becomes a wife. “You look so beautiful and today couldn’t be more beautiful. I love you.” I give her a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Enough with the sap. I can’t cry before I walk down the aisle.” She looks up and blinks her long black eyelashes rapidly to ward off the tears.
“Okay, okay.” I squeeze her hand and turn around. Holy crap, this is seriously happening. My heart fills and swells to the point where I think it is going to burst.
The ceremony goes off without a hitch. The sound of waves crashing in the background makes for a beautiful background soundtrack, while the sun provides perfect lighting and the sky is painted with cotton candy-shaped clouds. The pictures from this day are going to be beautiful.
“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds.”
The crowd erupts, and so do we.
Walking back up the aisle with Tyler, I feel a huge sense of relief. At least if shit goes downhill from here, the ceremony is done, and they are legally married.
Sam finds me as we make our way inside. Since we are all coupled up at this point, we do our grand entrances as couples instead of walking partners.
I have been blessed with the best blood-born family, and my siblings are all amazing. But as I look around, I realize that I somehow built myself a whole other family. Where we love each other not because we have to but because we choose to. Despite our flaws, mistakes, and all else, this group around me has filled my heart in ways I didn’t think possible.
Once we sit, the venue coordinator nods to me, letting me know it’s time to give the speech. Butterflies fill me. I practiced so many times, I probably don’t need my notes for the highlight reel on what to say. However, when twenty people’s beady eyes are staring at you, it’s easy to forget.
“Thank you all for joining us today. A special congratulations to my best friend and soul sister for marrying the love of her life. It brings me so much joy that my best friend has found her person and her other third. Not half, because I own one-third of her heart, and he cannot take that from me.” I turn to mean mug Cal, which makes the room bust out in laughter. “I’d threaten him, but I have it on good authority that he is already afraid of me. Which, who could blame him?”
Settling into the speech, I take one last look down at my notes and drive the speech home. “But on a more serious note, as a best friend and unofficial sister, it’s scary watching your best friend fall in love. Especially when it’s some ‘hot guy’ she met on vacation, her words not mine.” The small crowd laughs.
“But, as it turns out, my best friend has good taste because Cal has shown up for her every single day. It makes me so happy to see her be loved the way that she deserves.” My eyes turn to her and Cal, with his arm draped around the back of her chair, and the contentment is clear on her face.
“Cal, you’re one lucky guy. But you know that. I cannot wait to see where life leads you two, but so long as you have each other, you can get through it all. Here’s to the Reynolds.” I raise my glass and the rest of the room takes a swig.
The night goes on and everything goes perfect, to the point where I am a little nervous, like something has to go wrong. But it doesn’t.
Drinks are had, laughter is echoing, and my Isla is grinning from ear to ear. What a perfect day.
“Can I have this dance?” Sam’s voice fills my ear, his cheek sliding against mine. His hands pull the back of my chair out.
“I guess. Got to shimmy off some of this champagne.” His hand joins mine as I stand. He pulls me to the dance floor, giving me a little spin, before starting the slow dance.
“You seemed to be having a good time today. Are you doing okay with everything?” I say, more of a question, but watching him laugh with his siblings settled a piece of me. It hurt me that he was hurting and so guarded from the people who are supposed to love him the most. I think a little piece of him is healing him in a big way.
“How could I not? My brother is dancing with the love of his life and I’m dancing with mine. Sounds pretty good to me.”
My heart stutters a little. Love of your life is a pretty big claim. But looking at him, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he is mine.
Gone is the asshole I first met. This Sam is my favorite. Not that I don’t love when he is an ass; it’s kind of amusing, so long as it’s directed at someone else.
“He’s done and said all he can to make up for the past. So, I think it’s only fair I give them all a fresh start.”
“Happy looks good on you.” And it does. My thumb rubs where the permacrease used to be between his eyebrows. Everything about him seems a little lighter. He is still rough around the edges, but in a way that fits perfect with mine.
“It’s really nice being in a room with both my siblings and to feel like one of them. Thank you for that.”
“I didn’t do anything. You worked it out all on your own.” My arms tighten around his neck, and the closeness gives me a whiff of his cologne. I close my eyes and savor it. And the moment.
“Nah, you helped pull my head out of my ass, and once it was out, I could see all the good that was around me. I found that everything I ever wanted was everywhere I wasn’t looking.”
“You were doing just fine before me. But I’m glad you think so highly of me. I’m pretty fond of you, too.” His lips find mine, sealing everything I have ever known. I’m going to love this man until my dying breath.
Sam pulls back and spins me around, a laugh falling from my lips.
As I sway in Sam’s arms, laughing while he spins me round and round, I cannot help but smile like a fool. A few short months ago, I thought life was over. I thought I was losing the race and that all was lost. Who would’ve thought that the shattering of all that I knew was necessary for all the pieces to fall right where they should? Me, here with Sam. Sam, finally laughing and enjoying his family again. I guess I wasn’t broken after all, just a little lost.