Page 111 of The Road Less Traveled By

I squeeze my sister's hands as I cut her off. “You’re not them, Liv. You never will be.” I feel a few tears fall as I start to sniffle. “Because you were the sister who made me waffles in the morning when our parents forgot to make us breakfast. You were the sister who helped me with my math homework when I didn't understand why there were letters instead of numbers.”

Liv starts to laugh through her tears as I continue.

“And you were the sister who has been there for me in every way that matters.You, Liv. Not them. You. I know it’s scary embarking on this new chapter, but with Tristan by your side, anything is possible. You two have the love you write romance novelsabout. I’m sure of it.”

She wipes her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup, as she nods. “You're right, Bree.”

I pop my shoulder at her. “Of course I’m right,” I say as I fluff her hair and check to make sure her makeup is okay. “Now, are you ready to get married to the love of your life?”

She lifts her chin high. “Hell yes, I am.”

The two of us exit the bathroom, and when we see all our friends standing in the kitchen, I feel Liv’s tension start to loosen beside me.

Parker, Cassie, and Teags stand by the table, all holding glasses of champagne and staring at my sister as if they know she was just crying. Theo—Teags’ brother—Dom, Harry, and Ethan all stand by the snack table in their suits, looking fashionable as ever.

“Liv, I’m free tonight if you decide to run out on that idiot, just so you know.” Dom smiles at her before Teags smacks him on the arm.

“She’s marrying my brother, you incessant idiot.”

“Livvy knows I was only joking,” Dom says as he heads toward Liv. He wraps her in a hug before I hear him whisper something in her ear that I can’t quite make out. I break off from Liv as all the boys head over.

“Cassie, is everything all set?”

“We’re all good. Just waiting on Liv and we can start. Tristan is worried we’re going to miss the sunset, but I think we timed it out perfectly,” Cassie peeks out the window, and sure enough, the sun is just starting to descend. By the time their first kiss happens, the sun will be setting at the perfect time.

Liv and Tristan wanted a small wedding, so only his family, their friends and significant others, plus Vince and Nico, are here. You can’t really get any smaller than this.

The one thing they requested was that they get married as the sun sets, and all of us cleared our schedules immediately to make August 29th the perfect night for a wedding.

“Alright, boys, she’s going to be a married woman in an hour, so hands off,” Theo jokes. “Bree, what are the pairings for the walk down the aisle?”

“Well, Harry is officiating, so he can walk down alone first. Ethan, you’re with Parker. Cassie, you’re with Theo. Dom, you’re with Teags.” I smile at the end of my sentence, and I turn to see her eyes turn murderous.

She’ll thank me later. I feign innocence as I peek my head out the door and give a thumbs-up to Tabitha—Tristan’s mom. Liv doesn't know this, but fairy lights decorate the entire yard, illuminating the space and creating the most beautiful environment for their small nuptials.

“Okay, one by one, you guys. When the people in front of you reach the three-quarter mark, that’s your cue,” I tell them as I join Liv in the back of our small line. “Can I say one more thing before this gets going?”

“Of course, Bree.”

I say nothing as I lift my pinky to her and smile. “I promise you’re going to live a long and beautiful life with Tristan, and this is going to be one of a thousand amazing days you’ll experience the rest of your life.”

She lifts her hand and locks in the promise with me. “And I promise that when you get married, I’ll say the same thing to you.” She pauses, willing her tears not to fall as she speaks again. “We really made it, didn't we? From our fake basement weddings to the real thing.”

“We made it, Liv, and I could not be happier to walk you down the aisle toward the love of your life. So, let’s go,” I say as I grab her arm. Liv grabs her bouquet off of the table—a sunset mix of lilies, roses, and baby's breath—and I grab my small one before we step into the backyard.

The music changes to an instrumental version of one of Tristan and Liv’s favorite songs, and all the guests rise as Liv and I make our way down the aisle. The bridesmaids and groomsmen are now in the front row, only Theo and Harry beside Tristan as he finally turns around and sees Liv for the first time.

Tears immediately fall from his eyes, and his hand goes straight to his heart, as if he felt it skip a beat. Theo pats him on the back as he offers his brother a small tissue from his pocket.

My eyes wander to Vince, and even he has a smile on his face. He throws a wink in my direction, and I throw a smile back, letting him know I’m okay.

As Liv and I reach the end of the small aisle, I give Liv’s hand one last squeeze as I let her go. Tristan grabs me before I step to the side and engulfs me in a hug, wrapping both his arms around my body.

“Thank you, Bree,” he whispers into my ear.

“Anything for you, bro,” I say with a smile as we pull back. A smile crosses his face before he focuses back on my sister, and I swear, I see his eyes sparkle when he looks at her.

Harry says all the usual things during the ceremony, even a few jokes here and there, and after all of that, my eyes wander to Vince as we get to their vows.

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