Page 130 of On the Line
Would she still taste the same? Make the same noises when she came? Love the same movies, take her coffee the same, get takeout from the same Chinese restaurant up the street from her building every Friday night if she wasn’t on the road?
Well, the answer to that last one was probably no, considering she had moved.
And why had she moved?
When it came to Lexie, he was greedy and wanted everything. Neither time nor distance had lessened the hold she had on him. If anything, that year and those two thousand miles only made him realize that he should’ve spent that time fighting for her, begging for her to stay in his life no matter how hard it would get with half a country and three time zones separating them.
Mitch truly had taken the coward’s way out when he left the way he did, and he would spend every minute of the rest of his life making it up to her if she’d let him.
Upon conclusion of the ceremony and the seemingly endless few hours spent taking pictures, having Lexie’s body pressed against his for half of them, it was finally time for speeches and dinner.
And Mitch was a live wire. He was almost grateful not to have Lexie’s heat pressed into his side any longer; he needed a moment to collect himself, cool himself off, and urge his dick down before he made a fool of himself.
Brent and Berkley let Lexie and Mitch choose between them who would speak first, and Lexie gave Mitch one look before shaking her head.
Guess that meant it was his turn.
He stood in front of the group that had gathered under the tent, which included several of Brent’s teammates of past and present, Berkley’s former law school classmates and current colleagues, some Warriors’ brass, and Brent and Berkley’s extended families.
Raising his champagne flute, he tapped a fork against the side, and all sets of eyes turned his way.
“Good evening,” he said. “Most of you here know me, but for those of you who don’t, I’m Mitch Frambough. Former Warrior and Brent’s best man.
“Six years ago, after a few seasons in Columbus, my contract expired and I received an offer from the Warriors. Turns out, signing with Detroit was the best thing that would ever happen to me. I jumped at the chance to play for such a storied franchise, and after two seasons with the Ice where offense was hard to come by, I was excited by the prospect of coming to Detroit and playing with this stud named Brent Jean.”
Mitch looked over at Brent, who was blushing, Berkley laughing softly next to him. She whispered something in his ear, but Mitch pressed on.
“If you know Brent, you know there is no better guy to have on your side in any situation. Whether it’s down two goals with less than five minutes to play in an elimination game, or when you’re dealing with life struggles off the ice. He’s the most loyal friend I’ve ever had. And it should come as no surprise to anyone that he and Berkley found each other. To know them is to understand that they’re two halves of a whole. They complement each other, picking up where the other falters, and have always loved each other through even the most difficult of life’s trials. They’ve given me hope, and allowed me to believe that true love is a possibility, and soulmates do exist.”
He caught Lexie’s eye then, and she quickly turned away, taking an exaggerated swallow of her champagne.
Turning back to Brent and Berkley, he said, “I know it wasn’t always easy, and you two went through a lot to get here. But none of us ever doubted you would reach this day. I am so happy for you both. I love you guys. Congratulations.”
He raised his glass in the air. “To Brent and Berkley!”
The crowd echoed the sentiment, and Mitch returned to his spot at the head table, Lexie brushing past him to take her turn.
Lexie cleared her throat, then said, “When I first met Berkley, I hated her.”
Berkley barked out a laugh, as did Amelia and Kimber, the four of them in on some joke from that first week of college when they’d all met.
“How could I not? This beautiful, tiny little thing who had her entire life figured out at eighteen. It was exhausting to be around, truthfully.”
She glanced pointedly at Logan and Jessica. “You two grew up with her. You know.”
Berkley’s siblings nodded in agreement, and the crowd laughed.
“But…to know Berkley is to love her. It’s funny that Mitch cited Brent’s loyalty as one of his best qualities, because the same can be said of Berkley. Our freshman year of college, Berkley and I took an English class together, and one of the units that semester was dedicated to Shakespeare. When I look at Berkley, I’m reminded of a quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is fitting because this wedding is a midsummer night’s dream. The quote is, ‘though she be but little, she is fierce.’ I think of Berkley whenever I hear that quote. She is the best, most loyal friend I have ever had. The one who will go to bat for anyone she cares about in any situation, consequences be damned.
“And trust me, we’ve damned those consequences a time or two,” she added with a wink in Berkley’s direction, who laughed through her tears.
“I’ll admit, when Brent first expressed an interest in Berkley, I was hesitant to let him anywhere near her.”
“You scared the shit out of me,” Brent said from next to Mitch, and the crowd laughed.
“These two…that first year, they went through the ringer. But to come through it on the other side in one piece, more in love than ever? They’ve proved to me, and everyone here, time and time again that they’re the real deal.”
Lexie paused and took a deep breath. “Berk. Brent. I love you both dearly. There aren’t words to express how happy I am that you’ve found each other, and I’m so excited to stand by your sides as your future unfolds. For starters…I’m expecting a niece within a year.”
