CHAPTER 38 Walking Down The Aisle
June 4, 2011
Cecile arrived in New York a few days ago for a summer internship her university in France had facilitated through an alliance with NYU. She wasn’t staying with me, since the program included housing in NYU’s dorms, but I felt bad that I couldn’t hang out much with her because I was busy helping Lily with all the final wedding details.
Cecile told me she’d bumped into Tobias in the lobby when she came to see me the day she arrived, and I’d never seen her so nervous. He didn’t know she was coming, as she asked me not to tell him. She hadn’t seen him since they broke things off in December, but she missed him very much, that I knew. Cecile had been doing a shit job pretending otherwise.
When she arrived, we video-chatted with Sophie, who told us Ren would visit her in Paris for the summer. He had recently graduated from Columbia and would start job hunting in London since his two brothers worked and lived there. It would be an easy transition for him to move there. At least now, Sophie and Ren would be in the same time zone.
I missed Sophie, but I was looking forward to hopefully spending some quality time with Cecile in New York after the wedding frenzy was over, if our schedules allowed it.
The big day was finally here.
Nina, Zara, and I organized several hair and makeup stations for Lily and the rest of her bridal party at Nathalie’s penthouse. The men were all gathered at Joel and Lily’s apartment. Lily’s mom was with us, too, and she was so emotional from the moment she arrived. I had to make sure we had enough tissues on hand, especially after her makeup was done so that it wouldn’t get ruined.
Nathalie couldn’t stop smiling. She was ecstatic and kept saying she couldn’t believe her firstborn was getting married. Sivert had arrived a few days ago and was downstairs at Joel and Lily’s with the rest of the men.
Lily looked breathtaking when we were done helping her get dressed. She was going to wear three dresses, all from different designers. An Enzio de Luca for the ceremony and official photos. One for the first portion of the reception. And then another short, fun one for when the party started.
Her first look was stunning. It was a tiered, off-the-shoulder gown with ruffles and florets. It was bohemian but elegant. A delicate ribbon in the same creamy white tone cinched her slender waist. Her hair for this first look was half-up, half-down, and done in loose, lustrous caramel waves.
Lily’s natural beauty was enhanced with flushed cheeks and glowing skin in subtle tones of warm honey and soft peaches. Overall, her look was elegant and wildly romantic.
After getting dressed in our beautiful, customized gowns in assorted soft, muted shades of lilac, amethyst, and lavender, we helped Lily into her dress. Once everything was perfect, Joel arrived at the penthouse for the first look. Haute Magazine had the exclusive on the wedding, and a photographer had been documenting everything, aside from the photo and video crew Lily and Joel hired for their personal archive.
It was time for the official bride and groom photos. Lily had been upset about the order of things. She wanted Joel to see her for the first time when she walked down the aisle, but the photos were set to be published the next day on the magazine’s social media and digital platforms. The magazine needed enough time to edit and prepare the article, so logistically speaking, it couldn’t wait until after the ceremony. She’d let it go a few weeks ago and promised herself she wouldn’t let anything ruin her big day.
Zara and I accompanied Lily and Joel on their photoshoot, which took place on the rooftop where the ceremony would take place. The space was adorned with beautiful arches made of wisteria and white orchid blooms, which served as the perfect backdrop for the shoot.
We observed from afar as they posed for the photos and made sure to be ready in case Lily needed help with anything.
“I did something that might piss William off,” Zara said, twisting her fingers in front of her stomach as we watched the photoshoot from the near distance.
“Why?” I frowned. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t talk much with Zara, so I wasn’t up to speed with her personal life, but I cared about her.
“You remember Moira, right?”
“Yes, of course I do.” I liked Moira. All I knew about her was that she’d moved back to New York to get a fresh start after her breakup, but this was a few months ago. William and Moira texted sporadically to catch up and talk about food, recipes, etc. But we hadn’t seen each other since she came to my place to cook for me when William was in Vancouver.
“She’s my date for tonight.” Zara sighed. “And I don’t think William will be happy about it.”
“Oh.” Zara invited Moira to Nathan’s birthday the day we met, but I wasn’t aware they had stayed in touch. “Why would William disapprove? They’re friends.” William hadn’t mentioned anything about this matter, so I was clueless about why he would disapprove.
“Exactly,” Zara said. “When Moira moved to New York a few months ago, we started hanging out, and Tobias mentioned something to William about it. So I called him to let him know I liked Moira, and he got worked up about it. He said he didn’t want his friendship with her to become ‘compromised’ if things went south between us.”
Lily asked for water, and Zara rushed to help her and Joel take a few sips from the insulated tumbler. It was a warm day, but at least the reception would be indoors.
Zara returned. “I like Moira, Billie. Like, really like her. But I hate it when William gets in overprotective brother mode.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll talk to him and see if I can get him to relax about it.” I regretted saying the words the moment they left my mouth. It wasn’t my place to get involved, but a big part of me wanted to keep bonding with Zara and improve our relationship.
“You would do that?” Zara’s eyes widened with hope.
“Of course.”
“Thank you so much, sis!” Zara squealed and hugged me. “Can you hold this for a minute?” She placed the tumbler in my hands. “I need to run to the loo. Be right back!” Zara walked away with a massive smile on her face, the train of her soft lilac mermaid dress flowing behind her. She looked beautiful.
I pulled out my phone to check my texts to ensure no one needed anything. People would call me all day, so I would relay any information or message to Lily since she was obviously phone-less. But my messages were empty except for one coming from Cecile.
Cecile:Hey! I know you’re in the middle of the wedding, but I have exciting news to share. I was just informed that my petition to transfer to NYU was granted, and I will be graduating here in New York next spring.
“What!” My squeaky reaction made the few people around, Lily and Joel included, shift their attention toward me. Lily regarded me with concern, and I mouthed sorry, lifting my hand apologetically. I covered my mouth with equal parts shock and embarrassment for interrupting their shoot.
Me:This is so amazing, Cecile! I can’t believe we’ll be living in the same city again. Congratulations!
Cecile:I know, right? Thank you. I’m excited but also nervous about this big change. But I knew I had to do this. I miss him, Billie. I know I’ve told you I’m okay every time you asked, and I am, but not entirely. Not a single day goes by without me thinking about him, of what could’ve been if I hadn’t been so confused back then. But it’s all crystal clear now. I don’t know if there’s still a chance, but when I saw him in the lobby the other day, I saw the same hurt in his eyes from when I called it off in December. So maybe he misses me, too?
Tobias was devastated when he returned from Paris, beyond heartbroken, frustrated, and angry after losing Cecile. He focused on work to deal with the pain since more roles had been offered to him since he starred in that action film that did great last year. But with Cecile back in the picture, it seemed like the peace he’d finally achieved was bound to be perturbed.
I wasn’t sure if he missed her too, so I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to give her any false hope.
Me:I hope things work out between you.
Cecile:God, I’m a mess right now. I wish I could’ve been
his date to Joel’s wedding :(
Me:I’m sorry. I would’ve loved it if you were here too.
Cecile:Don’t mind me. You’re probably busy right now.
We’ll talk soon.
Me: Love you.
Cecile:Love you too.
“Everything all right?” Zara asked as she approached me with a raised brow.
“Yeah,” I replied, putting my phone away. “Just talking to Cecile.”
“Blegh!” Zara stuck out her tongue and brought her index finger to her mouth.
“Be nice.” I let out a weak laugh. Zara was very protective of her brothers, but so was I when it came to my friends.
“She hurt Tobias.” Zara crossed her arms at her chest. “And toyed around with him until she got bored.”
“That’s not what happened,” I assured her. “Cecile loved Tobias.” Still does. But it wasn’t my place to give Zara any extra details.
Zara stared at me with obstinate determination. “She hasn’t proven to be sis material.”
I cleared my throat. “Seems like another sis has arrived.” I jerked my chin over Zara’s shoulder, and she turned around to see Nathan arriving with his girlfriend Vivienne.
“That one is still under strict evaluation,” Zara whispered with a giggle. “You and Lily, of course, are my favorites. For now.” She winked at me. “Do you mind if I?”
“No, of course not! Go ahead.” I waved Zara off and she turned on her heel to walk toward Nathan.
“Natey! You’re looking dashing today, darling!”
Nathan looked classically handsome in his black tux, but Vivienne looked breathtaking. She was wearing a poppy red halter backless dress with a slit in the front and beautiful gold shoes with rhinestones. Her lips matched the color of her dress, and her long, light brown locks were pulled back into an elegant, tight bun, making her look like a graceful ballerina.
Wait a minute …
“Ballerina …” I gasped, failing to find someone to hold on to after the shocking realization that Vivienne was the ballerina I photographed last year. “I knew I’d seen her before.” I was talking to myself now, unable to fathom how small the world was. My curiosity about how they met was skyrocketing. Her body had changed since the last time I saw her, too. It was curvier, and overall, she looked healthier.
Happier.
After Nathan missed the exhibit where my photo was showcased among a select few of my class, I printed, framed, and gave a copy to him. It was wild to think that a portrait of a stranger he was destined to meet and fall in love with hung on one of his apartment walls the entire time.
I flicked my attention away when Nathan spotted me. He grabbed Vivienne’s hand and walked over to greet me. Her eyes didn’t look as sad as they registered in my photographs. If I had to guess, I’d say Nathan was probably one of the reasons behind that noticeable difference.
After a semi-awkward exchange of polite hellos and nice-to-see-yous, Lily and Joel approached us and greeted Nathan and Vivienne. Ruby Whitman, their wedding planner, quickly interrupted them to let them know the guests were arriving and that it was time for everyone to get ready for the ceremony.
The rest of the Sj?berg family arrived, and my knees almost gave up on me when I saw William rushing to me with that little smirk that liquefied me every single time.
He was freshly shaven, and his tanned skin glowed against the crisp white of his shirt’s collar. He was a few steps away from me, but I could already smell his mouth-watering cologne. When he reached me, a perfect, luminous smile appeared on his face. His hand took mine, and he twirled me once.
“Absolutely devastating,” he said after taking his time surveying me from head to toe. “I cannot wait to rip the delicate fabric of this dress off your body tonight,” he whispered in my ear, pulling me against his chest and kissing my cheek afterward.
“And you look …” I grabbed the flaps of his jacket and shook my head with a snort. Perfect? Exquisite? Beautiful? Handsome? Flawless in the most unfair of ways?
The words to adequately describe William fell short. Meanwhile, everything and everyone around us blurred, time stopped, and I silently thanked God that this feeling of lovestruck adoration was still potent and very much alive between us. And I prayed that this feeling never changed or went away.
“I look like what,” he teased, his fresh cinnamon breath hitting me in the face.
I stood on my tiptoes, pressed a soft kiss on his lips, and said, “Like you’re mine.”
“No one else’s.”
“Everyone, take your places!” A woman from the wedding planner’s staff shouted. The place was filling up quickly, but William wouldn’t let go of me.
“Ready to walk down the aisle with me, Murph?” Nathan said behind me. William’s grasp on my waist became firmer, and his eyes were suddenly darker. Nathan was clearly taunting him with that double entendre, but that didn’t stop a low, possessive growl from forming in William’s throat.
“No need,” William replied with a glower. “She’ll be walking with me.”
“Alright,” Nathan said with a clap. “I’ll give you a minute or two to sort things out.”
“He’s the best man, and I’m the maid of honor,” I reminded William, unclasping his fingers delicately from my waist. “I’m walking with him, and that’s just how it is.”
“This is not how we do weddings back home,” William scoffed.
“Well, we’re in the United States, and this is how things are done here,” I said with a raised brow.
“Why am I just finding out that your ex is walking you down the aisle?” he kept complaining.
“Could it be that someone was late to the rehearsal because they were busy watching the men’s Roland Garros semifinal match with Liam at the venue’s bar?”
“It was only Federer’s best match this year!” he objected with a laugh. “He stopped Djokovic’s unbeaten run, and my gut tells me he will beat Nadal in the final tomorrow.”
Nathan stood at the front of the line, right behind Nathalie and Joel. It was time for me to join him. One of the musicians started playing a beautiful cello piece in the distance, and that was our queue to let us know the ceremony was about to begin.
William turned toward the dais where the musicians sat, and his brow pulled in as he squinted with inquisitiveness. Then, his eyes widened with shock. I was about to ask what was wrong when someone from the staff grabbed me by the shoulders and placed me next to Nathan.
“Nervous?” Nathan surveyed my face, probably detecting something off in my features. But I shook my head with a smile and looped my arm around his as I secretly wondered what or who William had seen to make him react that way.