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“You look stunning,” he said with a warm smile.
“Thanks Dad. I guess we better get this show on the road, eh?”
I could see my bridesmaids standing off to the side with their respected groomsmen. Everyone was ready and waiting on me. We might as well get this over with.
“You ready?” he double checked.
“Completely.” Liar.
He turned and gave a nod to the others, and they all got into a line. Once they were ready, they opened the door and the music began to play. I stood with my right arm wrapped around my dad’s left as we waited for our turn to go. My heart was pounding in my chest. This should have been the happiest moment of my life, but I was dreading every second of it.
When it was our turn to walk, I followed my Dad’s pace and kept my eyes glued in front of me. I didn’t really care who was here. Most were business associates of our fathers. I only had a few friends, and they were all in the wedding party. Everyone else were just business people that mine and Adam’s fathers wanted to show off in front of. Again, I wanted a small and intimate wedding, but that would never be allowed by our fathers.
By the time we arrived at the altar, I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. My father pressed a kiss to my cheek before he, literally, handed me over to Adam. My eyes locked onto Adam’s, and I could see he was proud, but it felt more like he was proud of himself and not having me as his wife. There was no love within his eyes. Women have said that their soon to be husband would get misty eyed and the love within them oozed out of them.
There was none of that with Adam. It was as if he was standing up here with a stranger. I had thought he loved me. That even though I fell out of love with him, he still loved me. Standing up here, though, I knew that was all a lie. He didn’t love me. I knew that my father would say that I was being dramatic. That Adam did love me; he just didn't show it in the traditional sense. But that was all a lie. When you loved someone you listened to them. You didn’t ignore them when you got home. You didn’t flirt with other people in front of them. You didn’t make passive aggressive comments about what they were doing and how they were doing it wrong. There weren’t even displays of affection. I couldn’t remember the last time he kissed me. Adam just loved what I represented. Wealth, prestige, and bragging rights. It was like we were performing a business deal, nothing more.
What was I doing?
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of …” the priest started, but I tuned him out.
I should be paying attention. I should be hanging off of every single word he said, but I couldn’t seem to do that. Despite my resolve, I turned and allowed my eyes to scan the crowd. Just as I suspected, I didn't know anyone personally here. I had seen a good number of them, but that was through photographs around my parents’ house or at various conferences. A few Christmas parties, that type of thing. Never in a personal capacity.
Suddenly, my heart stopped, and my stomach dropped out at the sight of the one person I never expected to see again, Liam.
This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be here. Why would he be here? And why was he sitting on my side of the church? I had only met him that one night. I didn’t even think he remembered my name. There was no reason for him to be here. None at all. He didn’t look all that interested either. His eyes were wandering around the church and not on us.
I couldn’t help but look over at Jeremy who was standing next to the other groomsmen. He was so adorable in his little tux as he held the white velvet pillow with our rings on them. He had been so nervous about dropping them. I had tied them onto the pillow so he wouldn’t have to worry. He was standing there, trying not to fidget; he had no idea that his biological father was sitting not a hundred feet from him.
“Jasmine,” I heard Adam softly whisper, but there was a sharp tone to it.
I snapped my attention back over to him and a quick glance at the priest told me I had missed something. Something important. Shit, how long had I been trapped in my spiraling thoughts?
“Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health. In good times and bad. For richer or poorer. From this moment on until death takes you,” the priest repeated.
I do. That’s all I had to say. Just two words. I do. Come on, say something.
“I …” my eyes trailed over to Jeremy for a moment. Almost begging me to say I do. “I don’t,” I returned my gaze back over to Adam’s now shocked face. “I’m sorry. I don’t love you. I can’t do this.”
Dropping my bouquet, I went over and picked up Jeremy before I turned and began to run as fast as I could in this monstrous dress down the aisle and towards the doors. I couldn’t do this any longer. Not when I didn’t love him. Not when he didn’t know the truth about Jeremy. And not when Jeremy’s biological father sat there watching, having no clue that the ring bearer was his own son.
Liam
Well,thatwasthemost interesting wedding I’d ever been to. When Francis told me that his only child was getting married, I knew I was going to have to attend. I had never met his daughter despite the fact that we had been best friends since early childhood. Honestly, it’s a weird friendship. We were really close growing up, and then we both went to different universities and we grew apart. But where most would accept that they were no longer friends, we still kept in touch. We would speak once a month and visit whenever we were in each other’s town. It was almost as if we were grandfathered into each other’s lives. Like we couldn’t divorce each other because the other knew where the bodies were buried.
I never expected to be sitting in the hard ass pew, andshewalked in of all people, Jasmine. I could have sworn her name was Stacey. Or Kristy. Definitely had an ‘ee’ sound on the end. I really didn’t expect for her to do a one-eighty and leave her poor fiancé standing up at the altar like an idiot. I had to assume she ran with her son and not some random kid.
The whole day had been odd for me. It had been a few years since I had seen Francis in person. We often would meet up when we were at the same functions or if we both happened to be in the other’s town. Typically that was me in Miami and not him out in Newport. When he had called to tell me his daughter was getting married and invited me, I knew I couldn’t really say no. He hadn’t been there for my wedding to Ellis, but that wasn’t on him. We had decided to slip away and elope one weekend. We didn't invite anyone, and when we returned, we had a reception just to make everyone else feel better. I had invited him to the reception, but he had already promised to be at the launch of one of his newer client’s product line. I understood, and it didn’t truly matter if he was there or not. Our friendship was stronger than a missed spontaneous party.
I had been fully prepared to spend the day watching the happy couple express their love for each other. Even though my own marriage had gone up in smoke, I was prepared to be happy for them. Mostly for Francis because I could tell how much he loved his daughter and was excited for this.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I approached Francis where he was standing outside.
He looked like he was ready to explode. Not that I could blame him. The wedding looked expensive, very extravagant, and now it was all for nothing. He had a daughter and grandson out there somewhere. He had a future son-in-law devastated. At least I had to assume he was devastated. I didn’t see where he ran off to after Jasmine ran out.
“I have never been so embarrassed before in my life,” he seethed, and it was not how I thought this conversation would be going.
“These things happen. Did you know she was having second thoughts?”
