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“Sorry,” I bowed my head, eyeing the white tablecloth. “I’m nervous.”
Hearing my words, my mom turned towards me. “Honey, I told you that I don’t expect you to give a speech. Don’t worry about it, sweetie.”
“Mom, it’s my job as your maid of honor to give a speech, so that’s what I’m going to do,” I steeled my shoulders.
“You always were a stubborn child,” she chuckled, fingering a loose curl beside her cheek.
Trace leaned around me so he could see my mom and squeezed my knee. “She’s a spitfire.”
“You’ve got that right,” she huffed.
“Um, I’m sitting right here,” I pointed to myself. “You realize that I can hear you?”
“You mean…” Trace paused. “…you have ears? That’s shocking.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Wanna sleep on the couch tonight?”
“Come on,” he squeezed my knee, “I’m no good to you on the couch.”
I blushed. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe the things he said, especially when my mom was right beside me. Ugh.
“You’re blushing,” he poked my cheek.
“And you’re about two seconds away from losing your hand,” I snapped.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Is it that time of the month or something? ‘Cause you’re super grumpy today.”
“I’m stressed,” I replied, wiggling in my seat. I had been worried about doing something stupid during the ceremony and now I was worried about my speech…that I hadn’t even written.
The stress of writing it had been too much, so I hoped I could come up with something decent off the top of my head.
If not, I was screwed.
“Allow me to…” he whispered huskily, “relive some of that stress.” His finger trailed up my thigh, higher and higher.
My eyes fluttered closed, but before I lost all sense I smacked his hand away. “Not here,” I hissed.
He sat back and smirked. “Later then. I’m sure I can locate a closet or something.”
“We’re outside,” I stated. “No closets.”
“A tree will work,” he waggled his eyebrows.
“You’re impossible,” I shook my head, turning to my mom, praying that she didn’t hear us. Luckily, she was engrossed in conversation with Nick and Ben.
Our food was brought out, and while it looked delicious, I was too nervous to eat. I merely pushed it around the plate with my fork. It was like there was a clock in my head and I could hear it ticking down the seconds until I made a fool of myself.
When the food was cleared away Ben stood to give his speech, sending my stomach plummeting out of my body.
Everyone listened intently to his speech but I didn’t hear a single word. It was like my ears decided to stop working.
When he sat down, I knew my time was finally up.
I stood shakily, and Trace reached up, putting a supportive hand on my lower back. He was probably afraid I was about to fall.
I swallowed, turning away from the crowd and facing my mom and Nick. After all, what I was about to say was for them and no one else.
Clearing my throat, my fingers wiggled restlessly against my side.
