Loving You; Its A Love Hate Relationship Sequel

'Til Death Do Us Part?

.: Chapter Seventeen :.

"Hailey?!"

The whole chapel stood in awe. James' grip on my hand tightened as we both stared at the woman at the other end of the church. We remained frozen on the spot as she slowly made her way down the aisle, in a long white, silk dress that hugged her every curve. Her fingers ran seductively through the flowers that sat at the end of every pew.

My head turned slowly towards James, and as I observed him his posture turned rigid and firm, his jaw clenched so tight that a small vein began to appear on his forehead. If I wasn't worrying before, his reaction certainly made me.

I gripped his hand back and began rubbing my thumb along the back of his hand in reassurance, but the moment my thumb touched his skin, his grip loosened and he dropped my hand. My mouthed opened to question, but his arm swiftly lifted and he wrapped it around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

Hailey, now halfway down the aisle stopped, and began to laugh.

"Why with all the faces? Can't you guys take a joke?" her eyes raked over the room once again and she swiftly rolled them, "God, it's like I walked into the wrong church. This is a wedding and not a funeral, right?."

Despite her comments, no one dared make a move. Except for Jesse.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" he questioned from beside James, stepping down off of the small stage and into the aisle.

Hailey scoffed and twirled her arms, leaving her fingers flexed, palms up, "Why I'm only the closest friend to the groom! And when I say close, I mean close," she commented, and with her eyes directly on James, she gave him a cheeky wink.

What on Earth did she mean, 'close'? Why was she here? How does she know James? WHY IS NO ONE SAYING ANYTHING??

"James-" I begun, as I stared up at the man I loved in complete confusion and distress. James pulled me in closer to his side and straightened his head.

"What are you doing here, Hailey?" he asked, his voice calm. I'm glad one of us is.

The smile on her face, if possible, grew wider.

"I'm here to congratulate you, boo. You didn't honestly think you could get married without me?" she smirked as she raised a single perfectly plucked eyebrow, "After all, we're family!"

"We're not-" James began but he was promptly cut off.

"Oops!" Hailey squeeked, "Can't be pulling that rabbit out of the hat just yet!"

What does that--

Hailey promptly rushed up the aisle, directly past Jesse -cutting off my train of thought- and sat at the front pew, right beside James' mother. Jesse confused, slowly returned up to the stage and stood on my other side.

"Listen to me rambling on like a mad woman- continue! Please!" Hailey smiled.

She crossed her legs and put her elbows on her knees, head in her palms and eagerly looked towards the stage. I looked up to James once again and he seemed to leave whatever trance he had entered, and released me, only to promptly grab my hand back in his. He turned and grabbed my other hand into his, and he turned to the priest and gently nodded his head.

The priest, with his mouth wide open, coughed and looked back to his bible.

"Ah," he began, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may," he briefly paused and looked to James, to myself, to Hailey and back to me, "Kiss the bride?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What the hell James!"

Jesse paced the small office, fists clenched. James stood near the small window, his back to us, his furious brother and his distraught wife, who is sitting very awkwardly in a small chair in a big dress. Knowing Jesse as the laid back guy he was, seeing him like this wasn't pleasant. Especially on my wedding day.

My wedding day. My perfect wedding day- that just did a somersault through the air, and crashed face first into the dirt.

"Jesse, calm down," I pleaded, "Raising your voice won't fix anything."

Jesse huffed and walked around the desk and to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"It's your wedding day though, Al. This was suppose to be the most magical and special day of your life," he explained. I placed my hand over his and squeezed, giving him a slight smile.

"And it still is, Jesse. I still married the man of my dreams and I refuse to let anything ruin the magic of that."

James turned from the window and faced us, his palms resting either side of him on the window sill.

"I am really sorry, Allie. I hope you realise that," he spoke, his voice solemn.

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him, keeping my eyes on his face until his eyes finally met mine.

"You don't have anything to apologise for, it's not like you planned for this to happen. You do, however, have some explaining to do. How do you know Hailey?"

James' eyes quickly left mine and he pushed himself up off the window, walking across the room. Jesse and I watched on as he began pacing the room. He rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath before he stopped right in front of the desk Jesse and I were hidden behind.

When James' head rose again, his eyes lifted and immediately met mine.

"Hailey and my relationship goes back a really long time. Back to when-" he stopped.

His face turned to one of guilt and pain and he quickly dropped his head again and began fidgeting with his fingers. For a man as confident and cocky as James tends to be, to see him turn so nervous-- well, it wasn't good.

Taking notice of his difficulty continuing, I wriggled up from my chair and walked around the desk, stopping in front of him. I gently placed his nervous hands in mine, and I rubbed my nose sweetly up his, asking him to raise his head. He obliged and rested his forehead against mine, which caused me to gingerly smile at the corner of my mouth.

"I'm not proud of my past," he continued. I took one of my hands and gently caressed his cheek.

"I know, James. And you'll find no judgement from me. Not now," I reassured. He let out a breath of air and raised his head off of mine, locking his eyes with my own once again.

"Hailey and I use to date. A long time ago."

I rolled my eyes, "did you really think I'd be that bothered by an ex-girlfriend? You're THE James Morietti, it'd be almost a disappointment if none of your crazy exes came back to stir up the day," I joked.

Jesse let out a small chuckle from behind us, but James didn't even flinch. If anything, his somber face got worst.

"There's more," he pipped up, "Hailey-"

I raised my other hand and caressed his other cheek, "it's OK," I comforted.

"Hailey is Tom's little sister."

If it was at all possible, Jesse's jaw would have hit the floor. My heart began to pound in my chest and I dropped my hands from James's face and took a step back.

Tom's sister. My tormentors sister. This can't be happening. How could both of our pasts come back and haunt us simultaneously? And within a single person?

Jesse piped up from behind us, "Well, fuck."