Harry and Gray's outfits for the wedding.
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This is part 1 of a 5 part update.
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Baby, I love you
I never want to let you go
The more I think about
The more I want to let you know
Grayson and the rest of the ladies left the house a while ago to go to the wedding venue. All the girls are getting ready there together. While they get ready, since it takes more time for them to do so, all of us guys are staying back at the beach house to pack all of our stuff up. We have to check out of the house soon and everyone is just planning on going back to their separate homes after the wedding.
I'm going to miss this place. But I'm trying to think positive about going back home.
I'm a worrier, though. So it's hard for me not to think up worst case scenario situations about when we do go back home.
I told Grayson that she doesn't have to worry about anything, that I would make sure I don't forget any of her stuff. I just finished packing both of our bags, actually, setting them on the bed now.
After doing so, I take a look around the room and then the rest of the house to double check and make sure that we aren't forgetting anything.
Walking back into our room for one last time, I head to the bathroom to finish getting dressed in my wedding attire.
Just as I finish putting on my muted green dress pants, I hear my phone starting to vibrate on the counter by the sink.
I furrow my brows, wondering who is calling me right now, as I flip over my phone to look at the screen.
My confusion soon vanishes and I find myself smiling when I see that my mum is facetiming me.
I instantly swipe my thumb across my screen to answer the call before I prop my phone up against the mirror so that she can see me. "Hey, mum!"
"Hey, bubs!" Her voice rings through the phone, providing me a familiar comforting feeling that only she can give me. "How's your day? I know the wedding is today, so I won't hold you up too long. Just wanted to check in."
Knowing that I have to leave soon, I can't just sit down and talk with mum. So, multitasking, I pick up my black dress shirt off of the bathroom counter and slide my arms into the sleeves. "The day has been busy," I hum, focusing on starting to button up the small buttons of my shirt, starting at the bottom and working my way up. "Gray left a while ago to go get ready with the rest of the bridal party. I've been here with the guys just helping to make sure we got everything before checking out."
"When am I going to get to properly meet her?" She asks, and when I look up from buttoning my shirt to look at my phone screen, I see an excited grin on her face.
"If she doesn't break up with me," I scoff with a dry laugh, finishing up the top buttons on my shirt. "Then maybe I will bring her back home for Christmas."
"Harry." She deadpans.
I already know the warning glare that will be on her face when I look back at the screen. "Mum." I say in the same tone, daring to look at her to confirm my suspicions about her stern look.
"How many times do I need to tell you to stop doing that?"
I roll my eyes and let out a sigh, knowing the familiar lecture she is going to give me. She gives it to me everytime I talk down on myself. She's been trying to snap me out of my downhill spiral of thoughts about myself since I left Lindsey.
Progress takes time. And regaining confidence when it was ripped away from you, takes a long time.
But it's been two years since I've seen Lindsey or have had any contact with her. Cutting her out of my life completely really was a big first step into rediscovering who I am, learning to love myself again, and regaining respect for myself.
Ultimately my sister pushed me to apply to the job at Saxton Technologies. And when Grayson gave me the job, I took it as a sign that leaving Lindsey was the right thing to do.
People might wonder why I didn't leave her sooner after she had treated me so poorly for so long. But it's not that simple. She had manipulated and brainwashed me into believing a lot of things that I now know were lies.
I was scared to leave.
But now I've left and am so glad I did.
Now I'm with Grayson, have a great job, have great friends, and am overall much happier.
"You're my beautiful baby boy and I love you." My mum starts off on her usual spiel. When I left Lindsey, I asked my mum to help hold me accountable for my want to be better again. Essentially, this was me giving her the approval to lecture me anytime I get down on myself. "You are amazing, smart, funny, kind, and so much more. Grayson won't break up with you because she knows how amazing, smart, funny, kind, and so much more you are."
I start to tuck my dress shirt into my pants as I let out another sigh and force myself to try and believe what my mum is telling me. "Okay." I say, zipping up my pants and buttoning them before grabbing my suit jacket to put it on. "Then you will meet her when I come home for Christmas in a few months."
"I can't wait, bubs." She smiles. "I will let you go now, though. I know you have a busy day ahead of you."
"Thanks, mum." I say in a gentle tone, picking up my phone. "I love you."
"I love you too." She replies before hanging up the phone.
Once her face disappears from the screen, I lock my phone and put it in my pocket. I then look in the mirror to adjust my glasses, my hair, and my outfit, just to make sure I look my best.
When I am satisfied, I close the light to the bathroom and grab Grayson and I's luggage off of the bed before heading downstairs to head to the wedding venue.
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The ride to the wedding venue didn't take long. Davis, Greg, and anyone else that is in the bridal party has already been at the venue for some time now. But the rest of us guys that stayed back to finish checking out of the house, just got here.
Maria's husband said that he will take care of everyone's luggage, putting it in a room at the venue that can be locked so nobody has to worry about their stuff being taken. I offered to help him carry all the bags in. But now I'm on my way to find Grayson.
I'm like an addict and she's like my drug. It's probably unhealthy, how I simply can't be away from her for too long without my skin practically itching with need to see her.
Soon enough I find the room that someone told me that all of the bridal party is getting ready in. Arriving to the room, I knock on the door a few time before I open it just enough to peek my head in, all the while keeping my eyes closed. "Gray?" I call out.
"Harry, honey," I hear Karen, Grayson's mum, speak. "You can come in." She adds with a laugh, grabbing hold of my forearm and pulling me into the room before closing the door behind me.
"Where is she?" I ask.
"Over by the-" Karen starts to say but cuts her statement short. "Harry, why the hell are your eyes closed?"
"Well I know that there is the whole don't see the bride before the wedding thing," I hum. "But I don't know the protocol about seeing the maid of honor before the wedding. So I'm just closing my eyes as a safety precaution." I add. "I don't want any bad luck."
I hear Karen snort out a laugh beside me. "You can open your eyes. You won't get any bad luck, dear."
I decide to take her word for it and open my eyes. And when I do, it's like a moth drawn to a flame, instantly spotting Grayson across the room near the window.
I don't even say anything to Karen, feeling a magnetic pull towards Grayson carry me to her without thought.
She hasn't noticed me yet and I take this time of me walking to her to study her outfit. She is wearing what I assume to be her bridesmaid dress, which is a flat gold sequin material that has almost a silver sheen to it. The dress fits her absolutely perfectly, hugging her waist and ass in a way that nearly has me drooling. The hem of the dress ends right above her knees and flares out a bit, like the flowy short sleeves of the dress that fall to right above her elbows. The contrast of the flowy sleeves and hem, to the more fitted nature of the rest of the dress, is really beautiful. "Hey, Gray," I say to get her attention when I reach her.
Upon hearing my voice, she turns her head to look at me with a big smile on her face that reaches her eyes. "Hey, encyclopedia." She cheers. "Been wondering when you would find me."
Seeing her smile like that has my stomach filling with butterflies and my knees feeling weak. "Fuck, Gray," I breathe out, feeling like she has suddenly put me under a spell, just with a simple look in my direction. "You're absolutely stunning."
I'm so fucking in love with her.
Her expression turns from excited to see me, to gentle with adoration and appreciation. "Thank you, Harry." She says, a blush rising to her cheeks. She then turns her body to fully face me and takes the few steps needed to get closer to me. "You clean up well." She adds, her hands coming up to fiddle with the buttons of my dress shirt and undoing the top two. When I was getting dressed, I completely forgot to take her advice by leaving some of the buttons undone.
"You know," she trails off, her small hands coming to rest on my chest now. "I'm going to try and be tame right now because there are people around." She continues in a hushed voice as her hands slowly trail down my chest. "But when I first saw you in a suit, in San Francisco, I thought about how good you looked. I just never told you." Her hands travel lower, looping in the belt loops of my slacks and abruptly tugging me closer to her. "Now I can tell you how damn good you look in a suit, or in anything for that matter."
My brain is trying to process all that she just said, and the feeling of her hands shamelessly wandering my body. But between the two, I feel like I'm malfunctioning. She really thought I looked good back in San Francisco? That was the first day of the trip.
Amidst my brain malfunction, Grayson rises to her tippy toes, putting her lips near my ear. "You also look damn good when you have nothing on at all." She whispers, her warm breath fanning across my skin, sending an electric chill throughout my body.
I put my hands on her hips and guide her to stand back down to her normal stature. "Gray," I deadpan, giving her a warning look.
"Harry," she retorts with a mischievous grin on her face, yet matching my tone of voice.
"The wedding is literally about to start, love." I reason, taking a deep breath to compose myself.
"Uhg, I know." She huffs and reaches up to give me a quick kiss. "But don't think we aren't finishing this conversation later." She says, her voice quiet again. "Because seeing you look so good and knowing that you're all mine...I will only be able to be good for so long, babe."
Now is my turn to tease her, bringing my lips to her ear. "You're gonna be my good girl and wait until the reception, though. Right, baby?"
I actually feel her shiver in reaction to my words. "Yes, I'll be your good girl."
"Good." I quip with a grin, placing a kiss right below her ear and then pulling away. "Now, let's get going. We have a wedding to attend."