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Gage managed to remain upright all the way to the altar, and the minute Tayler appeared, Joel watched all the uneasiness vanish from Gage’s face.
Tayler’s father, determined to walk his daughter down the aisle, surprised Tayler by asking Julien to be his “legs.” Then, once Tayler made it to Gage, Mr. Diaz kissed her forehead, and Julien helped him back into his wheelchair.
Several times throughout the ceremony, Joel caught Sydney looking at him, and he’d found himself wondering if she was thinking back to their wedding.
Though they’d barely spoken since Malibu, when she showed up, they picked back up like nothing ever happened. He’d expected her to walk in with someone on her arm, but she came alone, though one of Tayler’s cousins, Kofi, could barely keep his eyes off her.
It wasn’t like he could blame the man.
She wore a dark green, strapless dress that graced her ankles with each step. A high slit and sky-high heels showed off her toned legs, and she wore her hair silky straight with loose curls brushing her shoulders and down her back, between her shoulder blades.
Had they still been together, she would have instead been draped in an elegant deep purple, but that honor was given to Larke, Ari, and Mo.
And Ayesha.
Ayesha wore purple like royalty.
All the bridesmaids and the matron of honor—who was also a new mother—had their hair styled to match Tayler’s jeweled, pinned-up locs. So, soft twists framed both sides of Ayesha’s face, and he couldn’t count on one hand how much they’d discreetly smiled at or waved to each other during the ceremony.
It was his first time seeing her dressed up. At most, she would wear light makeup to go into the office or when they went out to eat with the boys, the whole group, or the few times it was just the two of them. Although both looks were very different, either way, she looked stunning.
When they weren’t giggling like teens hiding a secret, they sent discreet waves to his parents. Archie and Jemma Lattimore had flown in a week prior to the wedding, and by the end of the same day they flew in, Josiah was calling them Grandma and Grandpa. Theo, copying his brother, went with Gumma and Gumpa. With Josiah, Thandie, Theo, Grey, and now, Monroe, his parents, Larke’s, Mo and Ari’s, Julien’s mother, and Tayler’s father were in grandparent heaven.
After the ceremony, they returned to the hotel for the reception. The seating arrangements had kept him and Sydney together, and she’d stroked his knee and nudged his shoulder with hers while the guys went around giving their speeches. They’d spent so long apart and without saying a word to each other, having her near felt more than nice. It almost felt necessary.
Even during their separations and break-ups in the past, they would still talk. They still checked in. Something had felt off, and when Sydney took the seat next to him, the off feeling vanished.
Mo and Ari gave the final speech, and they both made Gage tear up. Once Mo and Ari were done, they would segue into the dance routine.
Joel looked across the table, but Ayesha was staring down at her lap. Before, he’d wanted Sydney as his partner. Now, he couldn’t see himself dancing with anyone else.
Because of Ayesha, Josiah, and Theo, he no longer felt tangential. They’d closed his open-ended loop, and he hoped it was the same for Ayesha. The three of them gave him more purpose when he didn’t think there was more to be found, and he gave them his time, his protection, and the assurance of his promises.
Had his and Ayesha’s friendship blossomed much later, at a time when he could give her everything she deserved, with the way he felt whenever she looked at him, he would have been convinced he was falling in love. But he would never risk their friendship. Having her in his life was more important than life itself.
The DJ announced it was time for the newlyweds’ first dance. Ayesha closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling in steady motions. Joel left his seat, walked to the other side of the table, and crouched in front of her legs.
“Hey.”
She opened her eyes, and he spotted the panic before a word left her lips.
“Joel,” she leaned so close, their noses nearly touched, “I’m going to ruin Tayler and Gage’s wedding.”
“Ayesha—”
“Ruin.My best friends, I’m gonna just...shit on their day.”
Oddly, he wanted to smile, but she was having a genuine panic, so he would save his amusement for later. Also, he now knew her well enough to know that they would eventually laugh about this later.
“Ayesha,” he took both of her hands into his, “breathe for me, honey.”
She looked around the venue. “Do you think I have time to see the boys before I fuck everything up?”
“They’re with my parents. You’re never seeing them again.”
She laughed.
