“Don’t know. Haven't seen it.”
“Didn’t you get measured and fitted?”
“Yeah, but not for anything my brother picked out.” He held off the laugh long enough for me to get the joke. There was no way Miles picked anything for the wedding. “C’mon, man,” he said.
“You know what I mean. Do you like it?”
“It’s fine. I don’t think it’s necessary for the groomsmen to be in black tie tuxedoes, but Bree does, and that’s all that matters.”
“That’s true for most brides, right?” I laughed. “I love your brother to death, but that dude has no style. He used to take fashion tips from me, and I know fuck all about any of that.”
“Don’t say that. I love the way you dress.” His phone rang, and he let go of my hand to fish it from his pocket. I missed it when he did. “Speaking of the groom.” He answered. “What’s up, bro?”
Ryder glanced at me and said, “Yeah,” into the phone. “Yup. On my way to pick it up now.”
I put my eyes back on the road. Ryder continued his conversation with his brother. “Yeah… Nope, all paid in full.” He laughed. “Not that you’d know, being the groom.” He laughed again. “Yours is free, right?”
Gosh, I wished we could tell him. I had this vision of hanging out with my best friend and boyfriend at the same time. Giving each other shit, laughing, just being comfortable with the two guys that meant the most to me. And since they’re brothers, they’d feel the same way. Just… superb vibes, man. Thinking about it made me all tingly.
“Wait, what are you saying?” Ryder’s tone had changed. “I don’t… no, man…. I mean…” Ryder shifted in his seat, facing the passenger window. He sounded pissed, but holding back.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Miles?” I had already turned the music down, but couldn’t hear both sides of the conversation. “That’s… man, I don’t even know what the fuck that is… Uh huh…. So what?… Yeah… Fuckoffwith that shit, bro. For fucking real.”
I couldn’t get the context, and Ryder wasn't providing any. Just that he was getting more distressed each time he spoke.
“No, no, no, tell me… LISTEN! Tell me if this is what YOU want, Miles?” Ryder said, the most animated he’d been yet.
In the silence, Miles’s voice was small and tinny, but still impossible to make out.
Ryder slumped in the seat, saying nothing for a minute or two. “Okay then… Yeah… Yup… I don’t know… Two fifty, three hundred, I forget… I’ll let you know… Uh huh… Yup, bye.”
He said nothing for a few seconds, just stared at the road ahead after hanging up. When it was clear he wouldn’t explain what just happened, I said, “What the fuck was that?”
“Nothing.” His tone was dead flat.
“Don’t do that. What did he say? You’re clearly pissed off.”
“I’m not pissed off,” he snapped. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”
“Ryder.” I covered his hand with mine. “You’re my boyfriend, right? You gotta tell me what’s going on.”
He flipped his hand to lace our fingers and squeeze mine, but kept his eyes forward. “I’m not in the wedding party anymore.”
I must’ve misheard him. “Wait,what?” I laughed. It had to be a joke.
“Yup. I’ll be attending my brother’s wedding as a guest.”
“I don’t… fuckingwhat? We’re on the way to pick up our suits right now. It’s a week away!”
He took his hand back. “He said if I can’t get a full refund, he’ll pay me for whatever I put out.”
“Are you FUCKING kidding me?” Rage brewed in my gut.
“Nope.”
“WHY? What the actual fuck, man?”
“They want to keep the numbers even. And I’m the one they cut.”
