She echoed Nikki’s words from when I bought the dress, and I couldn’t pretend that didn’t sting a little. I wished Nikki was here to see it herself, and I wished I didn’t feel so guilty that she wasn’t.
“Are you two ready yet?” Brooklyn’s voice came from the other side of the bedroom door.
“You can’t rush perfection,” Stella snapped back.
“I’m not rushing perfection, I’m rushingyou,” he retorted.
I tried to stifle a laugh as Stella huffed out a sigh. “I guess we have to go now.”
Stella strode into the common area of the suite, the chunky six-inch heels of her fuchsia satin shoes clacking against the tile floor. I followed her, in my less impressive three-inch gold sandals that I had borrowed from my sister (because I’d learned the hard way that size didnotalways matter).
Brooklyn was leaning against the back of the couch in the living room of the suite, wearing gray pants and the navy paisley patterned jacket I had seen in the closet earlier. Anyone else could have worn that and looked ridiculous, but he looked amazing in all his wild, unkempt glory. I smiled so wide I felt my cheeks ache. His face flushed, and he ran his tongue over his bottom lip. He kept opening and closing his mouth, as if the words were on the tip of his tongue but wouldn’t come out. We drank each other in for what seemed like hours.
“Wow,” he whispered. “Wow. I, uh—” He reached down and brushed his fingers over my cheek. “For once in my life, I’m at a loss for words.”
“I consider that an achievement in and of itself,” I said with a soft smile.
He smelled like a sweet mixture of vanilla and sandalwood, and I wanted to bathe in it. Even in heels, I had to lean forward on my toes to kiss his cheek.
Stella made a gagging noise in the background.
“Oh my god, I’m gonna be drowning in this today, aren’t I?” Stella groaned.
“I’m sorry, were you not aware that we’re going to a wedding?” Alec asked, and there was enough upward pitch in his tone to distinguish that he was in fact trying to make some kind of joke.
“You know what? You’realmostfunny,” she huffed, and she and Alec made their way outside.
Brooklyn offered his arm to me. “My lady.”
I took his arm, feeling my heart continue to swell in my chest.
The wedding was held down in the extravagant gardens by the main estate, and most of the sun had set behind us, keeping the crowd cool between the shade and the salty breeze. Rows of white chairs were lined up in front of an altar draped in white tulle and vines of red and orange azalea flowers. The bay served as the backdrop, calm and quiet as night approached.
It reminded me of something my sister would rave about on Pinterest, or something that should be photographed in those wedding magazines that sat in dentist’s offices.
“Weddings are so boring,” Brooklyn muttered as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and lowered himself into a chair. “At least the wedding ceremonies are.”
“Guess it’s a good thing it’s not your wedding,” a deep voice behind us said.
Brooklyn’s parents sat in the seats behind us. His father wore all black and large sunglasses even though it was almost dusk. Brooklyn’s mother put her hand on my shoulder.
“You look fabulous, Natalie,” she offered.
“Thank you.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “So do you.”
She tilted her head in Brooklyn’s direction. “Keeping him out of trouble?”
For a moment, I caught myself wondering how much Brooklyn’s mother really knew, and if she was good at masking her worry. “Of course.”
She gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze before sitting back in her chair.
The wedding ceremony couldn’t have been longer than fifteen minutes. Their friend Kayleigh’s gown was fully adorned with lace, and the train that draped off of her dress was probably five feet long. The officiate was a gangly, quirky kid who tried to crack jokes, but wasn’t very funny. I exhaled, and felt at ease as I leaned into Brooklyn’s shoulder.
I was never one of those girls who fantasized about their wedding when they were fifteen. I didn’t have Pinterest boards of all the dresses and rings I liked, and I never really had any friends I swore would be in my bridal party. But sitting there listening to Kayleigh and Jackson exchange vows, and the smell of the flower petals as they danced through the air filling my nose, I thought maybe I could see myself doing it all. I’d wear a dress, and I’d carry lilacs in my bouquet, and I’d exchange vows with someone I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. Without thinking, I reached down and laced my fingers between Brooklyn’s.
The reception was held a few feet away from the ceremony gardens, up on the main deck of the estate. We were seated at long white tables that were dotted with candles and the same azalea flowers from the altar. Stella and Alec sat across from us, and I lost track of how manyOh my god I haven’t seen you since middle schoolpeople came up to Brooklyn, or how many people he proudly introduced me as his girlfriend to.
“Are you going to sit there and nurse your vodka tonic or are you going to dance with me?” Stella called to me over the table. I opened my mouth to protest, but Stella darted around the table and pulled me up, nearly yanking my arms out of their sockets. I looked back at Brooklyn and mouthedSave me, but he chuckled and shook his head. Stella took me to the center of the deck, which served as the dance floor. Lights danced across the tiles, and upbeat pop music I didn’t recognize thrummed through the speakers. Every so often I glanced back to the table, where Brooklyn and Alec sat alone, talking with their heads almost pressed together so they didn’t have to shout above the noise and commotion.
