Where feet may fail

22 - The wedding

🎶 Us -James Bay 🎶

6 months later

The day has come. Abby and Zeke's wedding day. 

In the past six months, a lot happened. I finally got over it all. Well almost over it all. After having a really good conversation with Josie and going back to therapy I finally got over my trauma. I finally got over my rape and I can finally move on from that. 

I don't have nightmares anymore, I don't need those stupid pills anymore. Josie and I also decided that we both needed more space in order for our friendship to keep working. We were getting older and you could tell, so I got my own place in New York of all places. 

It was a dream come true, truly. And now here I am, back in Morro Bay after 6 months. 

Right now I'm in the dressing room with the girls, getting ourselves and Abby ready for the wedding. Helping her put on her dress I can feel the excitement beam off of her. I'm so happy for her too. The MUA did her make-up beautifully, I can't wait for Zeke's reaction. 

The girls and I did our make-up ourselves and we're all wearing matching Bordeau red dresses. In the style of the theme of the wedding.  While the hair stylist finishes up with Abby, I tell the girls I'll be right back, needing to go to the bathroom. 

I quickly do my thing since I don't want to leave Abby alone for too long. But on my way back I walk past the guy's room and I hear distressed voices. I stop to hear what exactly is going on when I hear someone say, "Zeke, you cannot do this do Abby. You love her, man," A cold wave washes over me as I hear the words. Zeke is getting cold feet. 

Without another thought, I burst into the room. I don't care, I'm not the bride anyway. 

Walking in I watch the room's eyes turn to me. Zeke, Ryker, Isaac, and Enzo all look at me in shock. My eyes connect with Enzo's and I immediately look away. I take a deep breath and focus on Zeke. 

"Zeke, you can't walk away from this wedding. You'll only regret it," I say and he shakes his head. "Skylar, please go back to Abby. She'll need you," He says softly, making me want to slap him in the face. 

"Fuck no," I walk closer to him. He's sitting on a chair, his head hanging low. I decide to crouch down in front of him, so he has no choice but to look at me. "Do you love her still?" I ask him, and for a while it's silent. "Of course," He then silently says. 

"Then what is the problem here?"

"What happens when she'll want more from life? When she realizes that there are other, different men from me out there? We've been together basically our entire lives, she must get bored one day," He states, secretly breaking my heart. My eyes fall on Enzo, who's standing behind Zeke. 

"What about you, aren't you afraid you won't get bored?" I ask Zeke, keeping my eyes on Enzo. Zeke doesn't even notice, being in his own complete world. "Of course not, it's Abby." I look at Zeke again. "Then don't you think Abby will feel the same way about you? Don't make choices for her that she can make herself. She chose you, right now that's all that matters," I promise him, and for the first time he looks at me. 

"I cannot even put into words how excited Abby is right now, nor how beautiful she looks. And there's only one way for you to find out just how beautiful she actually looks," I go on and he slowly nods. I shoot him a soft smile while standing up. I look at the guys and give them a nod. 

"Make sure he doesn't run off anywhere, I'll see y'all at the isle," I tell them while I take my leave. On my way out my eyes once again catch Enzo's. My breath hitches but I cover it by quickly looking away and getting out of there. 

☼☼☼

The ceremony was beautiful. Obviously, I cried. How could I not have? This is everything I ever dreamt of, it's the same for Caily and Rachel. The four of us married to the first loves from high school. And one already succeded, the other two soon enough too. And then there's me. 

I'm sitting at the bar, staring at my red wine. In the background, I can hear people laughing and having fun. I did too for a while, but forcing a smile is totally exhausting. 

"Skylar?" I freeze as I hear the familiar voice. This entire night I've been successful in avoiding him. But the one moment when I zone out and he finds me. 

I slowly turn around to meet eyes with Enzo. "Enzo," I state as I look at him and he nods. "You want to dance?" I stay silent for a while, the request catching me off guard. "I-" I take a deep breath. I feel like I can't breathe all of a sudden. 

"Okay," I say softly and he gives me his hand. I carefully take it and he leads me to the dance floor. In the background, I can hear 'Us' play by James Bay. I swallow hard as we get into the dancing position. He carefully places his left hand on my waist while holding my hand with his other. 

His eyes are on me the entire time, making me feel hot. I gaze past him while letting my right hand on his shoulder. And so we slowly begin to sway back and forth. We're incredibly close to one and other, I can almost feel his breath against my skin. 

We silently just dance for a while until he decides to break the silence. 

"I missed you," I close my eyes as I fight back my tears. How come that I was good for six months, but the minute I'm back in his arms, that's all down the drain? 

"Enzo I don't think I can even put into words how much I love you," I begin to say and I can hear him let go of a breath in relief. "But what started as a sweet young love story, turned into a tragedy," I continue, still not looking at him. Instead, I let my head rest on his shoulder, getting closer to him. He, in his turn, holds me closer like he's afraid I'll run from him. And he isn't wrong. 

"I'm absolutely crushed about how our story turned into this, but there's sadly not a lot we can do about it. I used to blame you for what had happened but I know now that that was incredibly unfair of me. You couldn't have known, neither could I have. The only thing we can do is accept the past and..." I swallow back my tears while he keeps silent the entire time. Holding on to my every word. 

"And move on... From everything," With tears filled in my eyes, I finally work up the courage to look at him. His eyes are filled with hurt and heartbreak, making my heart ache. 

"I cannot begin to tell you have devastated I am about our story, how this didn't work out," I frame his face with my hands, wiping away a tear of his, rolling down his cheek. "But too much has happened," I say, my voice breaking. 

"Skylar-"

"Please, don't," I say as I embrace him. My arms around his neck, and his around my waist. "Please don't make this harder than it already is," I softly beg him while tears start rolling down my cheek. 

He holds me tighter and inhales deeply. When he exhales he slowly nods, while we slowly start to sway again. I hadn't even realized that we had stopped. 

We hold each other tight the entire dance, the entire song. Secretly knowing that once the song's over, so is this moment with each other. And while I don't really want this moment to end, I know it has to. 

And that's while I hold him even tighter. Cherishing these last moments with him, before I truly start to move on.