Never Really Over

Chapter 55

In the movies, and on TV someone always follows the runaway bride, and as Beth tears down the aisle past a blur of faces it strikes her that no-one is following her, and as she reaches the back of the church, she realises that's because all of her friends and family know that she's doing the right thing. It was all wrong.

In Beth's hurry to get out of the stiflingly hot church she does not see her mum clutch her chest and look to Roberto and say, "Thank God". She doesn't see the satisfied smile on Dom's face, or how Keira turns to her fellow bridesmaids and smugly declares, "Told you!". But she does hear the Yorkshire accent she knows belongs to Garbs call out 'yes, Beth!' triumphantly.

Outside the church, John, dressed in black Burberry t-shirt and a pair of black shorts is pacing the steps. He arrived just after the service started, he doesn't know what he's here for, just that when he woke up this morning after night of broken sleep, he knew he had to come.

He's startled by the door as it flies open, then there she is looking more beautiful than he ever thought possible even though her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are wide with terror and there's a sheen of sweat across her brow.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" His hand moves to his head and scratches anxiously at his scalp. Of all the things he had been imagining happening since he arrived at the church, this was not one of them.

"What you didn't have the bottle to!" She says breathlessly. "Stopping the wedding." Despite the stress visible in her face John notices a glint in her eye. That's his girl, a rebel to the very end.

"I was gonna!" John throws his hands up in the air. He just needed to pluck up the courage to burst into the church and have everyone looking at him and there was still the risk of her telling him to fuck off. "Didn't give me a chance did you!? Always have to get in their first."

"Were you now?!" Beth raises a sceptical eyebrow, and then she remembers where they are, there is no time for banter, she has to get away, she can't face anyone yet, besides, there is only one person she wants to be with because she has so much she has to say to him. "Where are you parked?"

"Somewhere I shouldn't be!"

Beth's been telling him for years just to park wherever he feels like, "Who cares if you get a parking ticket!? You're good for it." She'd tell him, but he never listened, because he was the good one, he played by the rules.

John thinks they must look ridiculous scurrying back to the car as fast as Beth's heels will let her, him dressed casually and Beth looking like an angel. He groans as the car comes into view, he has got a parking ticket. "You're paying this," he tells her as he peels it off the screen. "You're a fucking nightmare, you are!" He tells her, "Always getting me in trouble..." he grumbles as he gets into the car, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The air conditioning feels beautiful to Beth. It's a scorching hot day, when Pat had come to her room first thing this morning, she had pulled back the curtains and declared, "It's a beautiful day to get wed!" The blue skies would make for some gorgeous photos, Beth had to admit that but being inside the church had felt like being in an oven with the sunlight streaming through the beautiful stained-glass windows. Her dress fit her like a glove, the endless fittings had made sure of that, but the silk gown felt now clung uncomfortably to her skin with her sweat acting like glue.

She leans her head against the cool glass of the passenger door window and lets herself catch her breath. She hasn't uttered a word since she asked John where he was parked, she doesn't even know where to start. Eventually, she turns to look at him, his eyes are fixed on the road but there's frown lines on his forehead. He's stressed.