Page 179 of Bridesmaid for Hire
She wore her robe and slippers and joked around with Margie on FaceTime. She sipped a touch of champagne, ate fresh pineapple, and sat patiently while her hair and makeup were done. And when it was time for the dress, she beamed with joy, knowing she was about to walk down the aisle to marry the love of her life.
It’s everything I love about weddings.
The joy.
The enchantment.
The romance of it all.
And yet, this is the first time I’ve ever attended a wedding where I haven’t felt the same euphoria rushing through the air. I haven’t been carried away by the magic of it all. Instead, I’ve felt dead inside, like the wind has been knocked from my lungs and I can’t take a full breath. I keep looking over my shoulder, expecting Brody to show up. I keep checking my phone, waiting to seeifhe’ll contact me. I keep holding my breath when Hardy walks into the room where we’re getting ready, waiting to see if he has a message for me.
But nothing.
Which confirms my fear.
What happened last night was real.
And that realization splinters me because…I think…I think I was falling for him.
No, let’s be honest, I don’t think—IknowI was falling for him.
Hard.
The moment he told me he wasn’t going to hurt me again, I let all of these built-up, lustful feelings I developed for Brody over the years tumble out and wrap me up like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s day.
I allowed my heart to feel.
I allowed my body to grow familiar.
And I allowed my mind to imagine what could be.
I fell into the idea that this man was mine, that nothing could happen to us, nothing could hurt us. He was mine to touch. To kiss. To lean into for comfort. He was mine to protect and to have when we got back from Bora-Bora. I convinced myself that after such a long wait, I finally could hold his hand and start a future with him.
That…
That, I wasn’t going to be so lonely.
I was going to have a partner in this world…
How could it all just come crashing down in the blink of an eye?
“Maggie, you ready?” Sloane asks as she nudges me with her bouquet.
“Oh yes, sorry.” I tack on a smile and glance back at Haisley, whose eyes are brimming with tears of joy. “You good?” I ask her.
She nods and mouths, “Ready.”
I glance at the wedding planner, waiting for her cue, and when she motions for me to start walking, I position my bouquet right in front of my stomach and make my way around the bend of the bushes, which had been blocking us off from the guests, and onto the sand where the ceremony is taking place.
Jude is standing stoically at the altar in a pair of light-colored khaki pants and a simple white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Bowie, Hudson, and Hardy are dressed very similarly, but their button-up shirts are all pastel shades of blue, just like the bridesmaids’ dresses. Nothing matches, it all just goes and it’s beautiful. The perfect beach wedding in my opinion.
And as I make my way down the aisle, I glance over at Hardy, who has been very kind to me since last night. He gave me space, didn’t ask questions, and made sure to get me to where I needed to be this morning. I told him that was all I cared about, and he went with it.
He nods, and I give him a smile before I move to the bride’s side of the altar, making sure there’s enough room for the twins.
Water softly washes up on the shore behind us, and the bright white sand was meticulously combed for anything out of place at least five times this morning, just to make sure it was in its most pristine condition. The sound of the ukuleles accompanied by the wind floating through the palms above us immerses me in a calming, yet romantic atmosphere that actually brings chills to my arms.
Sloane is next, followed by Stacey, and then, as the music changes to an acoustic version of “Wildest Dreams,” the guests all rise as Haisley appears with Reginald at her side. My eyes land on Jude. I watch as he continues to stand there like the gentle, levelheaded man that he is, but as she approaches, his eyes fill until one solid tear rolls down his cheek.
