44. Auden
Storm came after me. It was so hard not to run to him when he barged into the church. Seeing him in a suit, in New Jersey, smiling and watching me the entire ceremony proves that this isn’t some fantasy. This is real. He cares enough about me to leave his life behind and start one here. I’m at a loss for words.
No, not entirely, I feel so utterly stupid for relapsing last night at the thought of losing him. He doesn’t need to know I did that. He’ll never know I did that.
“He came,” I whisper and look over at Millie.
“As much as I want to shoot him for interrupting my wedding,” Millie starts, then squeals. “He’s here!”
I laugh as I glance at him. His fingers are tapping on his leg and he keeps swallowing hard. Maybe he just wants a smoke really badly and isn’t doing it for me.
“Charlotte,” a voice I know all too well says.
A sigh leaves me. Of course, he’s here. Why wouldn’t he be here to ruin this magical moment I’m trying to share with Storm? “Evan.” I nod. “What’re you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Ryan said it was okay that I still come.” He looks down at his feet, rolling back on his heels. “I mean, we have been friends since college. Do you mind that I came?”
“It’s a free country, you can do whatever you want.”
Evan lifts a shoulder. “I think we should talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Evan.”
He studies me for a moment and looks over at Storm. I know that look all too well, those brown eyes are deceiving. Right now they’re telling me he does not like Storm and that this will definitely not be the last time we speak today. Evan glances at me again and continues down the line.
I kiss one last person on the cheek and quickly make my way down the steps in my six-inch heels, jogging to Storm. I’ll risk the ankle twist just to hold him.
Storm’s smile grows when I approach, lunging myself at him in a tight embrace. It feels good to have him in my arms again. “I missed you,” I whisper.
He gives me a wry chuckle and leaves a kiss on my cheek, slithering his hand to my waist when I let go of him. “Sorry I was late.”
“That’s okay.” I can’t stop smiling! “I’m so glad you came.”
I rise on the tips of my toes and kiss him again, looking back and seeing Evan staring right at us as he talks with Millie’s new husband, Ryan.
Storm and Evan are night and day. Evan is clean-cut, a book nerd, and an all-around nice guy. Storm, as nice as he is, has a dark side to him. That rugged angst I’m deviously attracted to. He screams sex, his smirk alone gives me tingles. He’s the right choice for me because he pushes buttons Evan couldn’t even find.
“Okay, quickly, my exes are here and I hope it doesn’t bother you.” I jerk my head in Evan’s direction where Sean is with Ryan. “Evan is the ex who left me recently—we met at Princeton.”
Storm glances at them, smiling when he and Evan lock eyes. There’s this annoyance on his face, but I don’t think it’s jealousy. “Nothing’s going on with them?”
“Nothing,” I say, touching his face softly and turning it to look at me. “I’m yours.”
He sticks his tongue between his teeth. “Oh, baby, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me. I don’t…I never should have let you leave that morning. I should’ve gotten in the car with you, packed some things, and started our life together. Because that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’re doing it, Auden. We’re fucking doing it.”
I laugh, kissing him again and letting our tongues slide against one another as Millie’s shrill voice moves through my ears. “Charlotte!” Millie calls. “Picture time, bring your sexy boy toy.”
I blush, biting my lower lip. “Oh, God, sorry. Millie has no filter, you’ll get used to it,”
“Sexy boy toy, huh?” Storm says, moving behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist as we walk toward the wedding party. “What was I supposed to call myself to everyone? Auden’s sex god? No, Auden’s vibrator.”
“Stop.” I laugh but grow serious for a second as we approach the wedding party. “What made you come after me?”
He turns me around, kissing me delicately. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself without my angel.”
I cover my face and smile. “I can’t believe you came.”
“You’re stuck with me.”
He presses his lips on mine once more as we approach the wedding party.
“Well, well, well, you’re the hunk of meat Charlotte won’t shut up about,” Sean says, putting his hand out. “I’m Sean, it’s nice to meet you in the flesh. And nice touch on storming in right as the priest asked if anyone was opposed to their union.”
Storm grins, letting out a short laugh. “Did I really barge in at that part?”
I blush. “You did.”
He claps his hands and snickers. “Ha! That’s awesome.”
Millie walks up to us, her skin-tight mermaid-style dress glimmers in the sunlight. She looks breathtaking today. That dark brown hair so effortlessly pulled back, pieces in curls surrounding her face, makeup subtly done, and bright red lips to give her a statement. “If you hurt my girl I will kill you,” Millie warns, taking a flower from her bouquet and fixing it on Storm’s blazer. “There.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he says, kissing my hand that is locked with his. “And congrats.”
Today is perfect. I am beyond ecstatic for Millie and Ryan, the sun is shining and there hasn’t been a single thing that went wrong with the planned schedule. We smile for at least a hundred photos before we’re told we can start making our way to the reception hall.
Photos I can’t wait to see. Storm is my future, I’ll make damn sure of it because today, he gave up everything and came back to me.