Page 78 of Midnight Wishes

With every step Alex took towards the bride and groom’s table, Sarah felt her focus honing in on him, until he was cast in sharp, glorious relief, warm lights making his hair and eyes glint and his skin glow.

And to the delight of the room, he opened with a flawless Peter Cook impression that surely only he could pull off without sounding utterly ridiculous. ‘And that mawage has felt like a painfully long time coming,’ he continued.

Unsurprisingly, his speech wasperfect. As perfect as the charming, supportive big brother look he’d been sporting all day. A knife-edge balance between teasing the bride and groom, and achingly sentimental as he shared anecdotes from their childhood. Moments where everyone but the two of them could see how in love they were. As much as Sarah knew he was happy for them, she couldn’t help thinking back on that night in the bar—when he’d revealed so much of himself to her, including the jealousy he’d felt throughout his adolescence.

‘Erik spoke about how privileged he is to love his wife. But I don’t think either of them realise what a privilege it was to watch them fall in love. Erik, you are the best little brother I could have asked for, and it brings me so much joy to see you this happy.’ A crack of emotion broke through Alex’s composed presentation voice, and something passed between him and Erik before Alex cleared his throat and continued, ‘Abby, you are the annoying little sister I certainlydidn’task for’—a short burst of laughter rippled through the guests as Abby flipped him off—‘but I love you anyway, Squirt. And even if it took him an inordinately long time, I’m glad this idiot made it official. Because it has been a beautiful thing to watch two of my favourite people find their perfect match in each other.’

Sarah would have missed it if she hadn’t been staring at him. Was sure everyone else missed it, transfixed as they surely were by the soft kiss she saw Erik place on Abby’s cheek in her periphery. But in the moment Alex saidperfect match, his eyes flickered briefly to hers, just as they had during theI dos. And while her heart still slammed in anticipation of what she was about to do, that one look gave her hope. As did the slight brush of their skin as he handed her the mic after his speech. The flex of his hand as he let go.

Alex worked hard to be in control of his body at all times. If he’d wanted to keep his fingers away from hers, he would have. And she let herself believe that he’d touched her because he needed it too.

‘When I met Abby eight years ago, I knew I’d found a friend for life, and there was no doubt in my mind that I’d be at her side for every major milestone in her life, including her wedding. And when I first met Erik a year or two later, I knew he’d be the one marrying her, despite their deeply misguided protests.’ As she spoke, she let her eyes slide away from the happy couple until they rested on Alex, pointedly not looking at her. ‘The quote “Love is friendship caught fire” feels particularly applicable here, in the face of a couple who segue so effortlessly between playful moments and sharing the barest parts of their souls. Who see and accept each other so fully, in the parts they choose to show the world and in the insecurities they try to hide.’

She had spent an hour with Abby, writing and rewriting, until they found the perfect words that could be referencing the couple of the moment, but more importantly, said everything Sarah needed Alex to hear.

‘It feels so appropriate that our best man opened his speech quotingThe Princess Bride, and it’s not just because the bride has an unnatural obsession with it, probably brought on by the fact that these two are a real-life Westley and Buttercup. More importantly, to most people, that kind of fairy tale love feels like just that. A story made up to soothe children in their sickbed. But these two have brought the kind of love into my life that I didn’t think was possible.’

Look at me,she urged.

Instead, Alex’s jaw ticked as he took a swig of champagne, still staring at the flickering candle in the centre of his table, and Sarah turned back to the bride and groom, hoping that he hadheardher. ‘Abby, if I have to share you, at least it’s with someonewho looks at you like you hung the moon. Erik… You’re lucky I like you, I guess.’

On Sarah’s journey back to her table, Abby intercepted her for a tight hug.

‘He wouldn’t even look at me,’ Sarah whispered.

‘Oh, he’s looking now,’ Abby whispered back. ‘You did great, hun.’

Sarah resisted the urge to try to catch him as she returned to her seat and picked at the trio of mini cinnamon buns served for dessert, her ice cream melting into a puddle around them. But she chanced a peek when Erik and Abby began their first dance, waltzing quickly to a song Sarah knew only from how often it blasted out of Abby’s bedroom.

And that first trip in Alex’s car.

Alex was already looking at her, and there was no mistaking the raw wanting on his face now. He turned away quickly when she caught his eye, but she’d seen it. So when the next song began, a slowed-down, string arrangement of the song they’d danced to that night at Neon, she sauntered towards his table. She felt slightly bad about using her best friend’s wedding to get a guy back, but since Abby had suggested each step of the plan and deeply encouraged it, Sarah supposed it was okay. She’d smiled when Alex had spoken about two of his favourite people finding their perfect match in each other. Because Abby had said almost exactly the same thing two nights before.

Alex sat alone, lifting a bottle of champagne to top up his glass, both his parents and Abby’s having vacated their table in favour of the dance floor. ‘Want to dance?’ Sarah asked, when she came within a few steps of him.

His eyes swung back to her, champagne now frozen in mid-air. ‘No, thanks.’ Alex stood, chair scraping as he did. ‘I’m sure you’ve been practising, but I don’t think you can flamenco to this song.’

She’d hoped he would say yes. That holding her close and feeling her skin might make him amenable to listen to her as she made her act of contrition. Hoped, yes. But not expected. So when he glided smoothly from the room, one large hand still wrapped around the neck of the champagne bottle, she followed, making a quick detour past her table to collect the parcel she’d stashed there earlier.

Chapter 38

ALEX

Still | Niall Horan

‘Alex.Alex.’

Sarah’s voice followed him into the garden, only a minute after he’d made it out the dining room without his mother noticing he was ditching the wedding.

Being happy for his brother could exist in tandem with feeling slightly ill at the celebration of love.

He sped up. No chance she’d be able to catch him in heels.

‘Alex!’

When he turned, he found her mere steps away from him, shoes in one hand and what looked like a dark book in the other.

‘What, Sarah?’

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