Page 180 of Bridesmaid for Hire
He doesn’t bother wiping it.
Doesn’t even shake from the emotion he’s feeling.
Instead, he keeps his eyes fixated on Haisley the entire time, watching her float down the aisle, right into his arms.
And even though my life is a mess, I set that aside for this one special moment—the moment where the couple share an intimate conversation before the ceremony begins.
In my experience, it truly shows the couples’ personality and is one of my favorite parts of the entire ceremony.
Some joke and talk about how sweaty they are.
Some will nervously smile, unsure what to do in front of a crowd of onlookers.
Some will thank the parent for handing over their child in marriage.
And then my favorites are the couples like Jude and Haisley.
Jude steps up to Haisley and takes her hand before cupping her cheek and quietly saying, “I’m so fucking lucky.”
It’s a melting moment. It’s so clear how in love this man is, and he has no problem showing it.
He continues to hold Haisley throughout the ceremony, keeping her close, whispering to her how much he loves her. How beautiful she is.My mind—my traitorous mind—flashes to Brody and the times he told me how pretty I was.
It makes me think about all the times I caught him staring at me, only for him to compliment me and make me feel like I was so incredibly special.
It brings me back to our time in the bungalow, whenever he held me close, kissing my neck, never wanting to let me go.
It reminds me of the softer moments we shared, the almost unnoticeable touches, but touches that I can still feel now. They showed me that even when we weren’t talking, he was still making sure I was near him, next to him, never leaving his sight.
The possession.
The claim he had on my heart…
Damn it.I don’t want to be thinking about him, but it feels unavoidable as the ceremony goes on. With every wave that laps the shore, I’m reminded of the peaceful day we spent in the cabana. With every drop of the sun beneath the horizon, I’m brought back to the way he held me close on the yacht while I wore his sweatshirt. With the breeze through my hair, I’m reminded of the goofy grins he gave me as we walked along the beach.
It feels like torture, knowing that after this ceremony, I won’t be dancing with Brody. I won’t be going back to the bungalow where he’ll peel off my dress and make love to me. I won’t be waking up with him knowing that even though we have to leave the island, it doesn’t mean the end of our relationship, just the start.
When in reality, it’s all done.
Dead.
Completely over.
The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur. My head isn’t in it after my mind started wandering back to Brody, and before I know what’s happening, the officiant is announcing Jude and Haisley as man and wife and they’re kissing.
I’m thrown back into reality by the guests cheering uproariously for the newlyweds. Jude dips Haisley back into a deeper kiss, giving the photographer the most epic picture with the lagoon in the background and the officiant off to the side. When he lifts her back up, he clutches her hand and they head back down the aisle, the bridal party following closely behind.
When it’s my turn, I smile at Hardy as I loop my arm through his and we make our way toward the photo area.
“You doing okay?” he asks quietly as we continue to walk.
“Great,” I say, plastering on a fake smile. “Such a beautiful wedding.”
“Really? Because it seemed like you zoned out over there.”
“Just lost in the words of the ceremony.”
“Also known as daydreaming about someone else.”
