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“Hello.” Although I’d braced myself for what I was convinced he was about to say, I decided to preempt it. “If you’re intending to break up with me, can we please wait until after the reception?”
He looked shocked. “Why on earth would you think I’m breaking up with you?”
“Because I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“I had an epiphany during the toast when I tried to imagine Brian or Sasha finding someone else if anything were to happen to one of them. I realized that kind of love—maybe it does come around only once in a lifetime.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You are completely on the wrong track here. But that’s my fault. Last week was difficult, but I should’ve—”
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. You said you needed time, and it’s pretty clear when you avoided me during the reception that you still aren’t ready and I’m telling you it’s okay because I understand it now.”
“Jules, stop. You definitely do not understand.” His frustration was showing. “First, I was late showing up to the reception because I went with Haylee and Josh to decorate the bridal suite after the ceremony on the beach. Which sounds a whole lot fucking weirder than it was when I say it out loud. Basically, Haylee wanted to do it, she roped in Josh, and he begged me to come, too, so he wasn’t the only one tossing rose petals on the bed.”
A smile tugged at my lips at the thought of them making the wedding night hotel room romantic.
“As you’re probably imagining, it was ridiculous for Josh and me to be helping, but obviously it’s for our friends, and Haylee asked. Anyhow, when I arrived back here, I ended up having to go way over to the far side of the lot to find parking. Then, when I came in to the reception room, I got waylaid into a conversation with Josh’s mom. I haven’t seen her in a while. After that, Catherine and Will. Before I knew it, you were up there giving your speech, and I hadn’t had any time to talk to you. Then when I got tied up with photos, you disappeared. But I was not avoiding you.”
“I guess that explains where you went.”
“As for last week, I should’ve called, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. I had a lot going on, which I want to tell you about. But maybe not now because it’s a lot. Especially since Brian told me they’re cutting the cake in ten minutes. Is it okay if we talk later? Promise you won’t take off on me?”
“I won’t take off, but maybe you could give me a clue about the ending of this talk. Because the last few weeks my mind has been going through this pinball game of emotions. I mean, the silver ball gets launched and is high at first, but bam—It goes right, then left, pinging around to we’re good, we’re great; oh, no, it’s moving lower and we’re not so good now because you need time, but how much time before the ball goes down the hole because I can’t save it with those flapper thingies—? Ping, ping, ping.”
I was making hand gestures to illustrate my words when he cut me off with a kiss. “God, I fucking love you.”
I pulled away in shock. “Wh-what did you just say?”
He cupped my face, letting every one of his words sink in. “The peek at the ending is that I love you, Jules.”
“But Sarah is the love of your life.”
He sighed. “She was the love of my life, but that is not my life any longer. Although twenty-something-year-old Mark loved Sarah more than anything, I’m no longer him. Instead, I’m the man standing before you. A different person than I was all those years ago with a different life. And the man I am now loves you more than anything.”
“But—” I didn’t mean to argue with him; however, I was having a hard time believing this turn of events.
“But nothing. You are the love of this life. And instead of just filling a void in it, you give me the reasons to live it.”
My eyes instantly filled with tears.
He reacted to this as every guy does. He panicked. “Whoa, whoa. Jules. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Hey. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
I swallowed past the ball of emotion in my throat and shook my head. “I love you, too. But during my toast, I thought—God, I thought I was letting you go tonight because I finally got it.”
“No. It’s me who finally got it. I’m only sorry it took me this long and that I made you doubt my feelings for you. And I certainly didn’t want to make you cry at our friends’ wedding reception.” His thumbs wiped my tears.
“These are happy tears. I promise.”
He looked skeptical. “Yeah, well, happiness is sort of running away with your mascara, so you’d best take a minute to fix it before we go back in there and everyone thinks I made you cry.”
A giggle escaped my throat. “Afraid of being punched by the groom?”
He grinned. “Um, to be honest, I’m more afraid of the bride if she sees you with a splotchy face.”
We both smiled at the thought. Sasha wasn’t called fierce around the office for no reason.
“So how about we return to the reception and talk more later?”
