“I just… Sorry to spring this on you, but if you’re okay with it, I’d like to ask my best man, my older brother Ryder, to come up here and say a few words.”
The blood drained from my face and filled my ears. That rush of everyone looking at me, expecting me to perform, banished the sting from my eyes. I had nothing planned, having long ago abandoned the idea of speaking at his wedding. But maybe I was never meant to give a speech at his wedding to Bree, instead at his unwedding freedom party.
Miles hugged me before handing over the mic. “I love you, man.”
“I love you, too.”
I put on my most charming smile. “Well, this is a change of schedule, huh?” I opened with a joke and got a good laugh. “This has been awildride, so I don’t really have anything planned. But I guess…” I locked eyes with my brother. His smile said more than he ever could. “I vividly remember being told I’d be a big brother. It was the best news four-year-old me could’ve gotten. I was so excited, and twenty-four years later, I can say I wasmostlyright to be.” That got another chuckle. “Miles is my best friend, and…” I smiled to myself. “You know what? I’ll save the rest for his next wedding.” That got a big laugh. “I’ll just say what he did today was the hardest thing he’llhopefullyever have to do, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.” I clapped with the mic in my hand, and so did some guests. Lena whooped. “Nowit’s my turn to ambush someone. I’d like to ask Miles’s number one male, Finn Carter, up to say some words.”
The crowd didn’t understand the termnumber one male, but some chuckled out of politeness. They craned their necks to where Finn stood, a beer in one hand and a Sprite in the other, wide-eyed, white-faced, and stunned.
Finn composed himself and made his way up to where I stood. I was going to leave after handing him the mic, but he hissed through a smile and gritted teeth, “Asshole.” I laughed, patted his back, and gave him the limelight.
“For those who don’t know me, I’m Finn, Miles’s best friend.” He paused and laughed to himself. “Wait, most of you know me. It’s only Miles’s side.” They laughed. “Miles and his family have meant more to me than I have words to express. I’m so happy he made the right call in the end.” Finn paused, then looked at Miles. “Some of you might not know about the back and forth with who’d be up here giving this speech, or speeches, now, I guess.” He met my eye, swallowed, shifted his stance, and spoke with his whole chest. “But if it wasn't for that, I never would’ve had the chance to get to know Ryder on a much deeper level. I wouldn’t be able to say how happy I am to have him in my life, or how grateful I am to call him my boyfriend.” There was some confusion, and more than a few murmurs. My face and neck burned, but not a tenth as much as my smile. “You’re my partner, and the best thing that’s ever happened to me. From the depths of my being, I love you, Ry. Thanks for everything.”
A thought rushed through me, a memory from well over a year ago. I had imagined Finn’s handsome face above me as I got down on one knee. Maybe one day, but not that day.
There was some more confusion, but it got a round of applause. When he handed the mic back to the DJ, he thanked Finn, Miles, and me, then told us it was time to slow it down before dinner was served. Finn met me halfway across the dancefloor. My arms found his waist, and his mine as we slow danced. His heart beat so fast I felt it in my chest.
I whispered, “What the fuck was that, babe?”
“What was what? I just blacked out for ninety seconds.”
My head fell back in laughter so deep it rivaled his heart rate. When I looked at him, he was smiling, but freaking out a bit, too. He said, “No. I figured that was better than telling everyone individually. I wanted to dance with my boyfriend without answering a million questions.”
“You also just blasted your love for me all over a fragile and very recently single Miles.”
Finn shrugged with one shoulder. “Eh. He’ll get over it.”
We both laughed. Finn was right. When I looked at my brother, he was standing with Lena, smiling at us, then gave me a nod, which I returned.
Soon, other couples joined us on the dance floor. Jason and his stunning wife, Beth, got close enough to us to say, “I just have to say, I knew it! I called it, and my wife said I was crazy!”
“I didn’t say he wascrazy,” Beth said. “But I’m glad I was wrong. You two are adorable!”
“Thanks!”
When we drifted, Finn asked, “Why do I get the feeling that’s gonna happen a lot?”
“Get used to it, babe. After outing us like that, we’re the hot new couple, and we are pretty adorable if you ask me.”
“More than adorable. We’re fucking hot.”
I laughed from my belly, rocking us as we swayed. “I fucking love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” Finn kissed me. I couldn’t imagine Miles’s zombie wedding going any better.
Epilogue
Finn
The Becketts’ front door was littered with balloons and topped with an enormous banner that read, “Congratulations!” I had hung it there a few hours earlier, since Ry and I were part of the setup crew. As I was pinning it to the siding, I had a sneaking suspicion I’d seen it at their kids’ several graduation parties. That wasn’t the reason we gathered that day, however.
Spence, Lena’s boyfriend, had popped the question, and Lena asked to hold their engagement party at her parents’ house. I wasn’t there for that conversation, but I was there for many like it, and I’m sure the Becketts were overjoyed to host. They were fantastic at it.
It wasn't a surprise, but we wanted Lena and Spence to walk into the home already decorated. The backyard was transformed with pop-up tents, tables, a bar tent, and a food tent, too. The pool had floating Ls and Ss hot-glued to foam disks. Everything looked great, or at least, like more work than it was. Then again, there were a lot of people on the setup crew. Many hands, and all that.
It had the desired effect. Lena cried, and Spence looked dumbfounded. Both their moms cried, too.
