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“No…no, of course. You’re right,” I say.
She looks up into my eyes. “I mean, just not now. Later, like your note said. After Rosie and Drew’s wedding. There are things to talk about,” she tells me. I can’t find my voice because I feel like I’m about to burst with emotions. We both remain frozen, just looking into each other’s eyes.
“Awwwwwkward!” Tyler’s booming voice echoes through the sanctuary as he walks through the door, Jasper trailing behind him. “Hey, Jasper, did you bring that knife I told you to bring so we can cut the tension hanging in the air?” Jasper shakes his head. Abbey’s cheeks redden.
I shoot daggers into Tyler’s head. “Ty, shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you,” I warn him.
Abbey turns to Jasper, “Are Rosie and Kelsea here?”
“Yep, they’re…” he responds, but is cut off by Rosie, Kelsea, my parents, and Drew walking through the doors.
“Oh good, everyone is here,” my mom exclaims. As she passes, she pats me on the cheek. “Hey, Mom,” I greet her. She keeps walking toward the front of the church.
As the rest of the crew walks by, each of them fails miserably at trying not to figure out where Abbey and I stand right now.
“Hey, bro,…Abbey,” Drew says as he walks by, an eyebrow raised in my direction.
Rosie’s right behind him, “Hey, you two…I…I’m so glad to see you both.” Rosie grabs Abbey’s hand and pulls her away.
Kelsea looks at me with a disappointed expression then rolls her eyes.
“Okay, everyone, let’s lineup here in our places,” my mom instructs. “I promised Rosie’s mom I would make sure this goes smoothly since their flight was delayed, and they don’t get in until later this evening.”
“Shouldn’t we all practice walking down the aisle, too? I mean, Jasper and I are both escorting Kels, but I think we’ll be fine,” Tyler suggests. We all look at him because he is being so helpful. Then he continues, “Parker and Abbey are the ones who may need to work on their timing. Make sure they’re able to stay in sync.” If we weren’t in a church and in front of our parents, I would take that smug look off his face with my fist.
Everyone looks at me, but I keep my composure. Drew steps in for me. “Tyler, cut the crap.”
“Oh honey, that is a wonderful idea,” our mom claps her hands together, oblivious to the real reason for Tyler’s suggestion. I glare at him. He grins at me, knowing I can’t do a thing to him because our parents are there.
“Mom, I think we have it,” Drew says. “Yeah, let’s just go over the vows,” Rosie chimes in.
Mom agrees, and everyone moves into their places. I watch Abbey in her silence. This is harder than I thought it would be. I have no idea what she is thinking—about the note, about us. Rosie leans over and whispers in Abbey’s ear, and she nods her head, a smile forming on her face.
“Okay, the priest should be here any moment,” Drew informs everyone.
As if on cue, Father Jerome walks through the doors just above the altar. “Hello all, sorry I’m running a bit behind,” he greets us, walking over to where Drew and Rosie are standing. “Rosie…Drew, so nice to see you this evening.”
“Hello Father, nice to see you, too,” they both say in unison. They briefly smile at one another then give him their attention.
Father Jerome smiles and looks around at everyone gathered. “It’s nice to see all of the Nallen family and you, Abbey. We don’t have much to do here. We just need to ensure we all know our places and the timing. Rosie and Drew went over all the details with me at our last meeting.”
Mom speaks up, “Father, I think everyone knows their places. Is there anything you feel they need to know about the ceremony specifically?”
Smiling, he replies, “No, just follow my cues and wait patiently for ‘you may kiss the bride.’ Other than that, I hope your shoes are comfortable for standing.”
Everyone laughs, and I feel some of the tension leave my shoulders.
ABBEY
The last twenty-five minutes have crawled by while we all discuss the ceremony and how things will flow tomorrow. My stomach has been in knots all day, and now that they’re wound so tight, I’m not even sure if they’ll ever come loose.
As I look around the church, Rosie and Drew are still talking over a few things with Father Jerome. Rosie looks a little pale, but she reassures me she is fine. Mr. and Mrs. Nallen are huddled next to one another in a pew, talking quietly.
Tyler, Jasper, and Parker are all deep in conversation. Ty has obviously let go of harassing Parker about last night. A smart idea because I’m certain the only thing holding Parker back from killing his brother was the fact that we were all standing in a church. Kelsea sits quietly next to me, filing her nails. Surprisingly, she hasn’t asked me anything about last night. It’s one of the things I like best about her, Kelsea knows when to let things lie. She isn’t nosey or into drama. It’s refreshing.
Parker keeps glancing in my direction, his eyes full of regret and concern. I try not to look at him too much to avoid making things uncomfortable for everyone. Who am I kidding? I’m trying to keep things comfortable for me. I have so much to say to him, and my promise to focus on this wedding is hard with him so near.
Suddenly, Rosie excuses herself. It’s nothing that creates a scene, but there is something about the look on her face that captures my attention. When I look at her, she makes eye contact with me, and it’s obvious something is off. She seems even more pallid than she did earlier.
