Page 40 of While You're There
“Good morning, love birds!” Jake announced, shoving up further in between them before lifting both his ink-covered arms behind his head and making himself comfortable in the middle of their bed. “I actually expected to find you in a much more precarious position than this,” he admitted, glancing up and down Tori’s T-shirt clad body before turning to look at Rhett. “Sup, bro? You ready to go? I was told to get your ass up and out of here, and you know Mama Wheeler doesn’t like to tell me anything twice.”
Tori bit down on her lip to hold in her laugh as she shifted into a cross-legged position. She caught Rhett’s eye and mouthed, “I love you,” before setting her sights on the man in the middle of their bed.
“What the hell, Jake? Did you really just barge in here and dent the wall ofmyhouse on my wedding day?”
Everyone was silent for all of two seconds because of her phony outburst.
“You already know?!” Jake pressed off the pillows to join her in a seated position in the middle of the bed. He moved close enough that their knees touched. She could feel the eagerness radiating off her friend, his unbridled joy contagious. He was like a puppy ready to play, just full of energy and excitement and love. But she still felt compelled to give him a hard time.
“I know. And if you want to keep your best man title, you’ll do well to not destroy my property. You have two minutes to get out of this bed and out of my cabin.”
Jake smirked in response to her playful scolding then moved even closer to wrap her in a big hug. He brushed the hair away from her ear before lowering his mouth and speaking softly so that only she could hear him. “Happy wedding day, baby. I love you, and I’m so happy for you guys. Take care of my boy.”
“Always,” she promised, almost choking on the word after hearing the unexpected sincerity of his request. “Now get out of here for real. The sooner you guys leave, the sooner you can come back.”
Jake rose from the bed and punched Rhett in the arm. He made quick work of collecting the garment bags from the closet and grabbing his friend’s toiletries and overnight bag from the bathroom. He was obviously taking his newly minted best man title to heart. “Come on, bro. You heard the lady of the house. We’re out.”
Rhett stood up to leave, his gaze fixed on her as he slowly made his way around the bed. “You know you’re making my dreams come true today, V.”
Tori nodded, reveling in the solidness of his presence as he gently cupped her face in his hands. “Mine too,” she admitted. She looked down at the white sheets before she spoke again.“I can’t believe that we almost didn’t make it. All the times I refused to admit how I felt, all the times I tried not to let you get too close…”
“Hey,” he cut her off. “None of that. Not today. Hell, not ever again. We’re done living in the past. It doesn’t matter how we got here. You know I never gave up hope. I knew we’d get here one day.”
“I love you.”
“See you down there, beautiful.” He kissed her forehead, lingering for longer than usual, offering a thousand promises about today and all their days to come. He straightened up and walked backwards toward the door, not taking his eyes off her the entire time.
Chapter seventeen
Rhett
Therewasn’tanervein his body that wasn’t ablaze. That wasn’t to say he was nervous. In fact, he felt the opposite. Rhett felt better—steadier—more like himself than he had in weeks as he stood by the lake, waiting for his bride. He was just all lit up inside. He felt so alive.
He caught the first glimpse of her emerging from the cabin long before he could really see her. Normally the walk from the porch to the lakeshore took no time at all. But right now, it seemed like miles stretched between them.
Even though he couldn’t make out any of her features yet, he could feel her presence whispering to the deepest parts of his soul. It had always been like this between them—an instant spark, a constant hum. A soul-deep connection that bound them to one another years ago, when he was just a lanky preteen boy with a heart of gold, and she was just a strong-willed girl who would only go soft for him.
Tori’s features came more into focus as she approached. She had one arm woven through her dad’s arm while the other hand grasped a clean-cut bouquet of white calla lilies. The thin gold necklace she was wearing was new, or at least he hadn’t seen it before. Her diamond chip earrings had been a birthday present he gave her when she turned eighteen. He had saved up for three months to afford them, proud he didn’t have to ask his parents for money to buy his girlfriend a gift. He had offered to upgrade them before the wedding, but she wouldn’t hear it. He wasn’t surprised. She had loved him for so long, and the earrings were symbolic of that. The monetary value of the jewelry she wore was insignificant compared to what those earrings represented.
A light shove from behind pulled him out of his head. He turned to glare at Jake, only to find his best friend grinning at him from ear to ear.
“Bro,” he exhaled. That was it. But Rhett knew exactly what he meant.
“I know,” he responded as he matched Jake’s grin, awestruck at the sight of his bride closing in on them.
Come on,V, he silently urged, ready to seal the connection between them that had been written in the stars above a broken fence in Hampton, Ohio all those years ago. Once she was standing by his side, he could exhale.
Tori’s gaze lifted. She was less than ten feet away now, her spine long, her head held high. Her green eyes sparkled as they scanned their friends and family. She still hadn’t looked directly at him.
That’s it, beautiful. I’m here. I’m ready when you are. Let me be your last.
He was okay waiting. He’d waited for her for years. He would have waited even longer if that was what she needed. Hell, he would have waited forever if it meant they would be together in the end.
He knew what she was doing. It wasn’t a taunt or a tease. She was honoring everyone else who had contributed to this day. She wanted others to feel seen. She needed them to know they were appreciated. She would make sure everyone else was taken care of before she’d finally turn to him.
Because once their eyes locked, it was over. This was it. Their beginning. His always end game. Once Tori finally met his gaze, he was never letting her go.
Paul Thompson took the final steps forward, wrapping Tori into a hug before slowly backing away. He looked up and met Rhett’s eyes, his request playing across his features without any words passing between them.
