Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Yup. Yup. Yup.” Scarlett nods her head. “I’m sure it did.”
Dustin smiles, it makes his puffyish face look worse. “I need nature, you know? You know how you just need the outdoors?”
“Every day.” Adrian.
“All the time.” Scarlett.
“Yup.” Me, I got nothing.
Dustin yawns again. “Anyway, I’ll just go finish up real quick.”
He walks off.
Adrian crosses his arms. “In three, two, one—”
“Holy mother of God!” Dustin shrieks.
I nod. “There it is.”
He comes running out of the bathroom and nearly hits the door. “What fresh hell is this? What sort of outdoors am I experiencing? This isn’t normal.”
No, no it is not.
He pats his face. “I need my pills, I need to find my pills!”
He runs out again.
“So,” Scarlett says. “Safe to say, Dustin is most likely out.”
They both turn to me.
I glare. “Guys, I’m not going to be a groomsman.”
A knock on the door sounds; it’s vigorous, angry. I stalk over and jerk it open, only to see Rob on the other side. “Um, hi, look man, I don’t normally ask for favors, but, I’m sure you’ve heard about last night and we need a groomsman and you’re probably the only person who can fit into the tux and I um…” He looks down at his shiny black shoes. “Do you think you could possibly just stand in for us? I would really appreciate it and owe you huge.”
Like he could afford me.
I look over my shoulder. Scarlett’s face is pale. It’s like a repeat of her wedding, the chaos, the confusion.
I grab the garment bag from him. “I’ll be there in five.”
He sighs in relief. “Thank you. Addison’s been crying all morning, with the whole allergic reaction then this. It’s been a rough few hours.”
“I bet.” I want to strangle him. Cheater assface. “I’ll show up, but it’s only because Scarlett would want that for her sister.”
He jerks up, his face sad. “I know. I know she would.”
“Don’t be an ass,” I add. “To Addison, to Scarlett, whatever, just don’t be an ass, Rob.”
He actually chuckles. “I’m working on it.”
“Work harder.” I smile. “I’ll be there in five.”
“We’re at the lobby waiting for family pictures.”
I hang my head. “Seriously? I have to be in pictures?”
He just shrugs and walks off.
I shut the door and turn.
Dustin, Adrian, and Scarlett are all staring at me in shock. I get ready to say something when Scarlett runs up to me and pulls me in for a hug, the garment bag stands between us. “That was so nice despite the horribleness, thank you.”
“Well.” I pull back and hold up the bag. “At least we’ll be chaos free as long as Adrian doesn’t shit his pants at the altar.”
Dustin laughs. “Well, he did have the shrimp so…”
“Really? Now?” I roll my eyes. “Let me just change into what will possibly be an entirely too big or small suit and we can all head over.”
I manage to fit into the suit in record time and take a look in the mirror, I literally will have to adjust my junk in the blue trousers, but I figure people will be staring at Addison anyway.
I walk out of the bedroom and nearly run into Scarlett. She adjusts the collar of my white shirt and looks down. Hell, if she does that long enough, I’ll have even more inches to adjust.
“I like it.” She smiles up at me. “I’ll only kiss you once. Promise.”
I want to ask her to kiss me more. To stay with me. Instead, I just lean down and kiss her first. “Dibs.”
“On my mouth?”
I rub my thumb across her lower lip. “On you.”
Her eyes well with tears. “Deal.”
This is hard.
This will get harder.
We hold hands and walk with the guys to the main area for the ceremony, pictures are being held after which means I’ll have to stay later but guests are already arriving at the small venue outdoors. It’s beautifully surrounded by vineyards and flowers. Around a hundred and fifty white chairs are placed near more orchids and roses lining the aisle to the different shaped candles in front. Honestly, I’m shocked it’s so simple and pretty.
Not at all like Addison.
The minute we make it through the crowd of guests arriving I see Addison, her swelling’s gone down and she’s wearing a simple white gown that has white overlay lace all over it with tiny pieces of pink petals stuck into the bottom. It’s scrappy and really simple, yet again, not expected. Her hair’s hanging over her shoulders and she has a halo like flower thing on her blonde head.
She sees me and beams. “FINALLY!”
Adrian leans in. “Why does that ‘finally’ make me feel like you’re about to lose a testicle?”
I cringe. “Right?”
Dustin holds up a hand.
I slap it away. “No forms needed.”
He clears his throat. “It’s always good to check.”
I roll my eyes and approach Addison. “All right, so where do you need me?”