Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
She swallowed, unsure of what to say or if she could cope with any more emotional drama right now. She gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Fake it until you make it, right? My motto in life.’
A muscle in his jaw flexed and his brows knitted together with displeasure. ‘You’re wrong.’
‘What?’ The vehemence in his voice startled her.
‘You’re wrong. You’re not fake. You’re beautiful, resourceful, funny and most of all kind. You don’t need to pretend you’re fine when you’re not – you can just be yourself. I know who you are, and you’re perfect.’
Wobbling on her heel, she took a step back, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. She opened her mouth to speak, but a male shriek from the doorway startled them.
Joseph and Richie stood in the doorway. Well, Joseph mainly, as Richie appeared to be passing through on his way to the garden, phone in hand as always.
‘LADY! You are an artist. Thank you, you beautiful angel! Thank you!’ Joseph exclaimed in a rapid fire of gasps and screams. ‘Come, you gorgeous, beautiful, talented lady! Come, come!’
‘Oh… okay,’ said Ellie, shaking her head as if awakening from a dream. The wedding planner rushed her out of the room as if she were the president, but she glanced back at Alex before she left. ‘We’ll talk later, okay? Like, hold that thought.’
Alex grinned, obvious relief relaxing the tension in his shoulders, and he gave her a salute. ‘I sure will!’
The wedding planner pulled her out of the kitchen, his heels clattering on the marble like castanets as he continued shouting, ‘Come, you beautiful lady! Come! Show them how magnificent you are!’
The wedding ceremony decorations were beautiful, and pink… very pink. But Ellie admired Savannah’s commitment to the theme.
Liam waited beneath a baby-pink gazebo on the pristine beach.
As well as the pink silk draped over it to create shade, the wedding arch was also decorated with more hastily draped garden foliage and tropical flowers.
Ellie was relieved and proud that they looked so good.
After sorting out the bouquets, Joseph had quickly set her to work on the rest of the flower arrangements.
Again, most of the delicate peonies and roses hadn’t survived transport, but there were just enough to keep the bride’s original theme alive.
She had to admire Joseph’s ingenuity; he’d called the new theme fusion and it actually worked. When the guests arrived on the beach, they all commented on the unique aesthetic and stunning arch and Joseph answered with the wisdom of a prophet, ‘Fusion, darling.’
The wedding planner, who’d she’d become quite friendly with over the course of the morning – probably because he still called her beautiful lady every five minutes in his gorgeous Bahamian accent – had whispered to her, ‘Use enough swagger and people will believe anything!’
Didn’t she know it. Her whole relationship with Alex was based on her ability to swagger, and to lie. And not just to Alex’s family; she was beginning to lie to herself, beginning to think there might be a future for herself and Alex if only she had the courage to grab it.
She was on dangerous ground, but she wasn’t sure whether it was better to run and hide, or give in and allow herself to fall.
She peeked at Alex, sitting beside her on the front row of the white-draped chairs with pink bows. The tropical breeze lightly fluttered through his dark hair, and as if sensing her looking, he turned towards her and smiled softly.
They stared at each other quietly, the sound of the ocean the only whisper in the space between them.
She couldn’t bear it. Had he really meant what he’d said earlier? That she was perfect?
‘Liam looks nervous,’ she said, for want of anything better to say.
Alex glanced at Liam, who thankfully did look nervous – he kept adjusting and readjusting the peony on his white linen suit.
‘He’s going to destroy it if he carries on fiddling with it,’ she whispered.
To her surprise, Alex stood up, walked over to his brother and rested both palms on his shoulders.
He then murmured something quietly to him.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but by Liam’s immediately relaxed shoulders and deep inhale of calming breath she knew he’d said the right thing, whatever it was.
It was so damn sweet.
A band of twelve musicians began to play a romantic song that she instantly recognised as a slowed-down version of Liam’s first Oscar-winning action film’s theme song. And… was that Hans Zimmer conducting them?
Considering it had been an action film, the instrumental version was surprisingly poignant. The tender notes swept around them, building up the anticipation of the bride’s arrival, until the wedding guests were swaying to the melody.
At the celebrant’s gesture, the guests rose in their seats. With a brotherly slap to Liam’s bicep, Alex returned to Ellie’s side.
They all turned to watch the bridal party emerge from the garden path. Caitlyn and Keira catwalked down the aisle with the sure-footed gait of women who weren’t strangers to modelling.
Then came Holly in a frothy dress that was meant to resemble the head of a peony flower, which on anyone other than Holly would have looked like they’d fallen into a candyfloss machine.
She was carrying the surprise gift from Liam to his bride, which had arrived with another guest that morning: a fluffy Pomeranian puppy, its fur dyed baby pink.
Ellie couldn’t help but ‘awww’ with the rest of the guests as it wagged its tail cheerfully in Holly’s arms. Holly didn’t seem entirely pleased about carrying the excited bundle of fur, especially when its collar kept blinding her with the sun’s reflection.
Unlike the dog, the collar had arrived with its own security guard – according to Joseph – as it was made with real diamonds.
Jesus, they’re so extra. She couldn’t help but smile about it. Savannah and Liam were as mad as a box of frogs, but they were also loving and sweet. She could only admire and respect their honest and open devotion to one another.
Ellie had to subtly brush away a tear as Savannah walked down the aisle.
A modern-day princess, the ivory column dress fitted tightly over her slim frame.
It wasn’t as fussy as the bridesmaid dresses, or even the dress she’d worn at the rehearsal dinner.
This gown oozed class and sophistication.
A fine layer of lace and crystals embellished the simple low v-neck cut of the gown.
Ellie gave her an excited wave as she passed, and Savannah responded with an elegant wave of her own.
Then the sadness hit her hard, as she realised Savannah had walked down the aisle alone.
Ellie was glad more than ever that she’d helped with her bouquet, so Savannah wouldn’t feel so alone as she walked to meet her husband-to-be, carrying the memory of her mother with her.
The waterproof mascara was working overtime as she dabbed at her eyes for the second time.
The ceremony, like most non-religious weddings, was surprisingly short.
The couple had written their own vows, which were more than a little bit soppy.
But somehow, on a beautiful beach in the Bahamas, the words fitted perfectly.
By the time they walked back towards the house hand in hand, their puppy yapping on its lead in front of them, everyone was wiping away tears, and Ellie was grateful for the pocket handkerchief Alex had pressed into her palm.
‘Are you okay?’ Alex chuckled as he stood and offered her his arm.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Weddings usually set her off; the combination of love, families and her own hopes always made her emotional. She didn’t have a chance in hell at a super-romantic wedding like this.
They walked back to the garden, where the tables and chef stations were set up a lot like the rehearsal dinner barbecue, Savannah and Liam having chosen a more casual set-up over a formal sit-down dinner.
Instead of a hog roast, though, it was steak, lobster and delicious vegan kebabs on the menu tonight.
The decorations and entertainment were also more formal and elegant, fairy lights glittered in the trees, and the silver service gleamed in the light of the large candelabras placed on each table.
Music from the band played from the beach – although this time they weren’t being led by a famous composer.
‘You okay now?’ asked Alex, as they took their seats at the top table.
‘I’m not sure, am I? Has my mascara run? I should probably go up to the room to fix it.’ She offered up her face for his inspection.
To her surprise, he ran a finger lightly over her cheek. ‘Perfect.’
Her heart stuttered and then ran full pelt.
Confused and disorientated, she tried to focus on reality and pull her head out of the clouds.
The day had been a rollercoaster of emotions and drama, but back at home in London this fairytale would inevitably end, and Alex would realise that Ellie didn’t suit this life, or him. ‘Don’t say that. I’m far from perfect.’
His father began tapping a knife against a champagne flute to announce the upcoming speeches, but Alex didn’t look away.
‘You are to me,’ he said, and then turned to watch his father give his speech.
‘We always wanted a big Waltons-style family, but it wasn’t meant to be.
’ Robert paused to look lovingly at his wife, who gave a sad smile in return.
‘However, we have always considered ourselves very lucky and grateful to have Liam and Alex. They have both exceeded our hopes for them, and have turned into fine young men who we are extremely proud of. Both in their careers and in their private lives. And now, we are so pleased to welcome Savannah officially into our family, who we already know and love as a daughter. But I’m sure she won’t be our only daughter for long…
’ Everyone’s eyes flickered to Ellie, and she wondered if she’d spontaneously combust with embarrassment.
‘Is no one going to mention me? I’m actually family, after all,’ grumbled Holly, and Savannah shot her a glare.
Robert continued smoothly, as if he hadn’t heard her.
‘And, of course, we’d also happily adopt Holly and Tony, who’ve both done amazing jobs as maid of honour and best man.
So now, we are delighted to say we have the big family we always wanted.
Dreams can come true and we wish you all the happiness and joy for the future.
May your dreams, like ours, come true, even if it’s not in the way you first imagined.
We love you. Everyone, please raise a glass… to Liam and Savannah King!’
‘Liam and Savannah!’ repeated everyone with a cheer.
Liam gave his dad a hug, and then took the mic for his own speech.
‘Thanks, Dad. We love you too. So, you may have noticed a running theme with our wedding, the peonies and roses hidden amongst all the beautiful decorations. Earlier today we thought all was lost, but luckily we were saved in the end, by one person’s ingenuity – thank you, Ellie.
’ She gave him a dismissive wave, hoping he’d quickly move on.
‘Well, my wife and I…’ – Liam paused at the rapturous applause – ‘thank you from the bottom of our hearts. These flowers mean the world to us. They were Savannah’s mom’s favourites.
Savannah once told me that it would always feel a little wrong to get married without her here.
’ Liam turned to his bride, who looked to be on the verge of tears.
‘I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that I believe she is with us today.
And I’m certain that she loves you, is proud of you, and thinks you are the most beautiful bride she’s ever seen, because that’s how I feel.
Savannah, I love you with all my heart. The only thing that could ever be wrong for me would be to be without you. ’
Savannah, unable to control her emotions a moment longer, sobbed prettily, clutching her little puppy to her chest and staring up at Liam with wide adoring eyes.
‘Oh man, right in the feels,’ whispered Ellie, wiping away her own fresh tears.
Next was a joint speech from Holly and Tony, which was jam-packed with light but embarrassing stories about Liam and Savannah, right from childhood up until last week – she suspected Alex might have helped Tony with some of them.
At the end, everyone was smiling, and stood up to cheer the happy couple with raised champagne flutes.
Alex’s mum turned to Ellie and gave her a warm smile of approval that she would take to her grave. ‘I’ve been meaning to say all day, I love your dress, Ellie. Who’s the designer?’
‘Ellie. She made it herself – as you saw with the flowers, she’s a natural artist,’ said Alex, draping his arm around her in a way that was both possessive and proud. A thrill of excitement ran up and down her spine on a wave of heated longing.
‘Only because I struggle to find clothes that suit my figure,’ she explained, already hating herself for saying it, because it suggested she was some kind of monster.
But she was damned if Holly would be the one to point it out first, which she was about to do going by the way she opened her sour-puss mouth.
‘Well, you’re fantastic! You should go into fashion. There’s a lot of curvy actresses coming into the industry – a change I wholeheartedly agree with. But they really struggle to find red carpet dresses for the Oscars and Golden Globes. You’d make a killing with your designs.’
Ellie laughed. ‘I’m a nurse, not a designer.’
Jessica gave her a firm look that suggested she never gave empty flattery. ‘Believe me, you can be whatever you want to be. I’m not saying it isn’t hard work, but no dream is impossible. And who says you can’t be both?’
NHS staff shortages, lack of money, lack of sleep? But Ellie didn’t bother Jessica with those mundane hurdles. Instead, she gave her an appreciative nod. ‘Thank you.’ She meant it, because it was nice to have Alex’s mum believe in her. When had her own mum believed in or encouraged her?
A quick glance at Alex showed he agreed with his mother.
Ellie had always faked her own confidence, choosing positivity over negativity, but there had been limits.
Not only with work but in her personal life too.
A glass ceiling that she was too scared to smash through, in case she plummeted to the bottom and was forced to start again.
Dare she aim higher, hope for the impossible?