“Please don’t.”
“But I could because I know you don’t think I’ve changed, but I have. I promise you that—because of you. Your love fixed me, it did, and I love you, Jensen. I’d fall apart without you.” His eyes drifted closed as Wells sent her another death glare that she promptly ignored as she started to sing along with the song, taking ahold of Jensen’s hand. When a grin tugged at his lips, her heart sang for him. “I can sing loudly.”
“Stop,” he demanded, shaking her hand out of his. “Not here.”
Pouting, she looked at where Alex was kissing his mom and then his dad before taking Wells’s hands, coming to the altar. She understood that this was neither the time nor the place to try to convince her husband not to leave her, but she didn’t like that she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Yes, he said he wasn’t leaving her, but did he say it because he meant it, or because he just wanted her to shut up?
Reaching out once more, she laced her fingers with his, and when she saw his shoulders fall, so did hers. Was that good or bad? She didn’t know, and when he glanced over at her, she gazed up at him, needing some reassurance. Just a simple squeeze, a kiss on the palm like he always did, or maybe even an actual kiss. Anything, but he just held her gaze, his eyes so damn unsure, and it was killing her. She couldn’t lose him.
The minister began the service. “Alex and Wells’s love story is like the 1996 Céline Dion Falling into You CD as they have told me. And knowing that, I know there is no reason ever to stop a love like this. Yet, I have to ask. Is there anyone here who feels this union should not take place? If so, please speak up at this time.”
Wells was tense, sweat on his brow before he looked back at their dad. But the problem was, he didn’t have to worry about their father.
Nope, he needed to worry about her.
She raised her hand, and Alex’s eyes widened as she said, “See, I don’t think it shouldn’t take place, I was just wondering if we can take, like, an intermission?”
“Wren,” Jensen snapped, and she held her hand up.
“Quick, I can’t do this. Really, it’s killing me—”
“Wren,” Wells said through tight lips. “Are you having a baby?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then shut up, and let me do this.” She went to say something, but he snapped his fingers at her. “No.”
She looked to her mom and dad, and they were both glaring at her. Feeling unsure about herself, she snapped her mouth shut as she crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled, “I’d let you ruin my wedding if you needed to fix your marriage.”
“’Cause that makes no sense at all.”
“This wedding is awesome,” Vaughn said then, and the crowd all laughed, while Alex looked as if he was going to have a hissy fit.
“What is the problem?” Alex asked.
“She’s having an issue. It’s fine. Please go on,” Wells said, waving off Alex’s question before taking his hand once more.
“Are you sure?” the minister asked.
“Yes, please,” Wells asked, and she didn’t miss that he was sweating. She couldn’t help but think that Wells didn’t want to do this. But he was doing it, so she really needed to shut up and let him. It just didn’t feel right. Something was off. She wasn’t sure if it was her issue or if it was Wells and Alex, but she had this feeling in her gut that was driving her mad.
“Okay, wonderful. No objection to this beautiful union—”
“Actually, there is.”
The voice was deep.
Very deep, and very sexy.
For a second, she thought it was Jensen, but it wasn’t. When Wren’s gaze fell on the tall, very handsome, dark-haired man with beautiful turquoise eyes who rose from the back row, she gasped loudly as Jensen muttered, “Holy shit.”
As he turned, his eyes wide, Wells’s mouth fell open as his ex-lover, Matty Haverbrooke, made his way down the aisle. Alex’s face flushed with color as he glared at Matty and then at Wells.
“Wells.”
But Wells wasn’t listening as Matty stopped midway, his eyes on Wells. “I’m sorry, I am. And I don’t mean to do this, but I can’t let you marry him.”
“Oh, snap,” Vaughn said before shaking his head. “I knew I should have brought popcorn.”
“Jesus, shut up,” Jensen muttered, but then he noticed that Brie was eating a pack of peanuts from her purse.
Those two were meant for each other.
When Wells let go of Alex’s hand, Wren’s eyes widened even more as Alex yelled, “What? What are you doing?”
It was apparent that Matty wasn’t sure of himself. He was nervous, his eyes wide and his shoulders back. Wren felt awful for him, but even she couldn’t miss the way Wells’s eyes had lit up the moment he saw him. “I know I did you wrong. I’m young, I’m stupid, but, Wells, I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t do this. I can’t do life without you. Please. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but don’t marry him.”
Everyone in the audience was gasping. Hell, she was too! Holding her breath, she looked back to her brother. She knew how much he had loved Matty, but she also knew how broken he was when Matty wouldn’t come out of the closet for him. When Jensen looked over at her, his eyes wide, hers mirrored his as she whispered, “What the fuck?”
“Right?” Vaughn asked, but Alex wasn’t having any of it.
“No, we love each other. Get out of here! Someone remove him.”
But Matty wasn’t paying him any mind, his eyes locked on Wells. He looked pained, but still, so in love. It was tragic but beautiful at the same time. “I was wrong, I was so wrong. I let you go because I was a coward, and I swear to you, no more of that. I want to be with you, in and out of the closet. I want to love you because you came out of my dreams and made them real, Wells. You are everything I want and everything I need. I beg of you, don’t marry him. Give me another chance, please.”
Wells wasn’t moving, nor was he speaking; he was just staring into Matty’s eyes as a hush moved through the room. When Wren looked at her parents, both of them were gaping at the two men with wide eyes and open mouths. Everyone was pretty much stunned to silence.
Well, everyone but Alex.
“But I could because I know you don’t think I’ve changed, but I have. I promise you that—because of you. Your love fixed me, it did, and I love you, Jensen. I’d fall apart without you.” His eyes drifted closed as Wells sent her another death glare that she promptly ignored as she started to sing along with the song, taking ahold of Jensen’s hand. When a grin tugged at his lips, her heart sang for him. “I can sing loudly.”
“Stop,” he demanded, shaking her hand out of his. “Not here.”
Pouting, she looked at where Alex was kissing his mom and then his dad before taking Wells’s hands, coming to the altar. She understood that this was neither the time nor the place to try to convince her husband not to leave her, but she didn’t like that she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Yes, he said he wasn’t leaving her, but did he say it because he meant it, or because he just wanted her to shut up?
Reaching out once more, she laced her fingers with his, and when she saw his shoulders fall, so did hers. Was that good or bad? She didn’t know, and when he glanced over at her, she gazed up at him, needing some reassurance. Just a simple squeeze, a kiss on the palm like he always did, or maybe even an actual kiss. Anything, but he just held her gaze, his eyes so damn unsure, and it was killing her. She couldn’t lose him.
The minister began the service. “Alex and Wells’s love story is like the 1996 Céline Dion Falling into You CD as they have told me. And knowing that, I know there is no reason ever to stop a love like this. Yet, I have to ask. Is there anyone here who feels this union should not take place? If so, please speak up at this time.”
Wells was tense, sweat on his brow before he looked back at their dad. But the problem was, he didn’t have to worry about their father.
Nope, he needed to worry about her.
She raised her hand, and Alex’s eyes widened as she said, “See, I don’t think it shouldn’t take place, I was just wondering if we can take, like, an intermission?”
“Wren,” Jensen snapped, and she held her hand up.
“Quick, I can’t do this. Really, it’s killing me—”
“Wren,” Wells said through tight lips. “Are you having a baby?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then shut up, and let me do this.” She went to say something, but he snapped his fingers at her. “No.”
She looked to her mom and dad, and they were both glaring at her. Feeling unsure about herself, she snapped her mouth shut as she crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled, “I’d let you ruin my wedding if you needed to fix your marriage.”
“’Cause that makes no sense at all.”
“This wedding is awesome,” Vaughn said then, and the crowd all laughed, while Alex looked as if he was going to have a hissy fit.
“What is the problem?” Alex asked.
“She’s having an issue. It’s fine. Please go on,” Wells said, waving off Alex’s question before taking his hand once more.
“Are you sure?” the minister asked.
“Yes, please,” Wells asked, and she didn’t miss that he was sweating. She couldn’t help but think that Wells didn’t want to do this. But he was doing it, so she really needed to shut up and let him. It just didn’t feel right. Something was off. She wasn’t sure if it was her issue or if it was Wells and Alex, but she had this feeling in her gut that was driving her mad.
“Okay, wonderful. No objection to this beautiful union—”
“Actually, there is.”
The voice was deep.
Very deep, and very sexy.
For a second, she thought it was Jensen, but it wasn’t. When Wren’s gaze fell on the tall, very handsome, dark-haired man with beautiful turquoise eyes who rose from the back row, she gasped loudly as Jensen muttered, “Holy shit.”
As he turned, his eyes wide, Wells’s mouth fell open as his ex-lover, Matty Haverbrooke, made his way down the aisle. Alex’s face flushed with color as he glared at Matty and then at Wells.
“Wells.”
But Wells wasn’t listening as Matty stopped midway, his eyes on Wells. “I’m sorry, I am. And I don’t mean to do this, but I can’t let you marry him.”
“Oh, snap,” Vaughn said before shaking his head. “I knew I should have brought popcorn.”
“Jesus, shut up,” Jensen muttered, but then he noticed that Brie was eating a pack of peanuts from her purse.
Those two were meant for each other.
When Wells let go of Alex’s hand, Wren’s eyes widened even more as Alex yelled, “What? What are you doing?”
It was apparent that Matty wasn’t sure of himself. He was nervous, his eyes wide and his shoulders back. Wren felt awful for him, but even she couldn’t miss the way Wells’s eyes had lit up the moment he saw him. “I know I did you wrong. I’m young, I’m stupid, but, Wells, I love you. I love you so much, and I can’t do this. I can’t do life without you. Please. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but don’t marry him.”
Everyone in the audience was gasping. Hell, she was too! Holding her breath, she looked back to her brother. She knew how much he had loved Matty, but she also knew how broken he was when Matty wouldn’t come out of the closet for him. When Jensen looked over at her, his eyes wide, hers mirrored his as she whispered, “What the fuck?”
“Right?” Vaughn asked, but Alex wasn’t having any of it.
“No, we love each other. Get out of here! Someone remove him.”
But Matty wasn’t paying him any mind, his eyes locked on Wells. He looked pained, but still, so in love. It was tragic but beautiful at the same time. “I was wrong, I was so wrong. I let you go because I was a coward, and I swear to you, no more of that. I want to be with you, in and out of the closet. I want to love you because you came out of my dreams and made them real, Wells. You are everything I want and everything I need. I beg of you, don’t marry him. Give me another chance, please.”
Wells wasn’t moving, nor was he speaking; he was just staring into Matty’s eyes as a hush moved through the room. When Wren looked at her parents, both of them were gaping at the two men with wide eyes and open mouths. Everyone was pretty much stunned to silence.
Well, everyone but Alex.
