So Be It // o. maatta

Chapter One Hundred-Nine

Chapter One Hundred-Nine: Alex's POV

"Alexandra middle name Neal," Beau stated, very firmly. "You cannot do this."

I looked innocently up to Beau, with just the slightest hint of a shit-eating grin. "Can't do what?" It was June third, the big day. The day I became Mrs. Alexandra Maatta.

Beau huffed, completely beside himself. "You cannot wear fucking Converse with your wedding dress. I simply forbid it."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "They're my babies, Beau. I'll wear these shoes until the day I die."

"Wear those and that day will come sooner rather than later." Beau growled. The weird thing, and I mean really weird thing about Beau was that he went from loose, fun-to-be-around, Californian surfer-dude that got banned from IKEA from singing in the midst of a display, to this uptight, nun-like bitch, who needed everything to be perfect.

"Is that a threat, or a promise?" I teased, to keep him going. Once you got Beau pissed, there was no stoping him. Once antagonized, that kid slayed everyone within a five mile radius.

He slumped down in his chair, and winced. Frankly, it looked like the kid was seemingly having menstrual cramps.

"Are you alright, Beau?" I teased, lightly.

He opened his mouth, and raised a finger, like he was preparing to scream his lungs out, before his hand dropped to his side, and he closed his jaw. Apparently, he underwent a change of heart.

"You know what, Alex?" He whispered, seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough, which, by Beau Bennett standards could've been something so sophomoric as figuring out what 'that's what she said' meant.

"I don't care what you wear. It's your wedding day. You should be happy, and comfortable, and able to wear whatever you damn-well please."

I was stunned by his sudden personality shift, but didn't question it.

"Alex, I just want you to be happy, really," He continued on with the bright tone, fitting his nickname, Sunshine. "And if wearing Converse makes you happy, then look like a social outcast, and wear Converse." To which, he genuinely grinned.

After seeing his beaming smirk, I couldn't help but smile along, too. No matter how much I poked fun at him, Beau Bennett really was a sweet guy, with a heart bigger than one could fathom.

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Olli's POV

I'll admit, coming back from the bathroom to find James Neal sitting on your bed is weird. Really weird. Really fucking weird.

Just a couple hours removed from the ceremony, I was still at home, drinking water by the gallon, as a way to calm down. It may sound weird, I don't know, but as an athlete, and a person, I found drinking water very soothing. So, since I was a nervous wreck, I was gulping down any water within eyeshot.

It was after my second trip to the restroom, when I creaked the door open, and my eyes landed upon by fiancé's brother, causing me to stumble backwards.

You see, I knew they had reconciled, and I knew he was attending the wedding; I just didn't know he was going to be on our fucking bed.

On the surface, I pretended to be happy for Alex in that she had her brother back, when really, I hated the idea of James around her, again. The guy was a no-good, total dick, that barely deserved to be let around regular people, let alone someone like Alex. I had such a distaste for the man, I couldn't even describe it.

"James? What do you want?" I tried to sound polite, for Alex's sake, but it hardly worked.

He seemed alarmed with the hint of annoyance in my tone. See, that was another thing about James: He couldn't imagine someone didn't like him. He was so brash, so stuck-up, he genuinely believed everyone held him on a fucking pedestal.

"I want to talk for a minute, Olli." His voice dropped, and his eyes pleaded with mine. I honestly didn't think what I had said was that angry, but now, seemingly, he was treating me as if I was on the verge of a psychotic break.

Not waiting for me to respond, he picked back up again, talking. "Olli, I know I was really shitty to you. I know I made your rookie season misera-"

"Don't flatter yourself." I cut in. "You didn't ruin anything. I found a way around your pettiness. I mean, look where I am, James! In an hour and a half, I'm marrying the love of my life, against what everyone says! And you know what? In five short months, I'm going to be holding my baby with her. Really, you didn't ruin my rookie season, or anything. You only ruined yourself." And before I could get out another word, Robert was calling up the steps, yelling that it was time to go.

One last time, I shot a sugar-sweet to James, before turning on my heel, and strolling to the door, feeling more proud of myself than I ever had.