Chapter 28
"Debby! You look absolutely stunning!!" I said as I watched the hairstylist fix Debby's hair one last time.
"You look beautiful, too!" She exclaimed and smiled.
The wedding dress looked more than perfect on her. Her make up was just the right shade for her looks. It was all perfect.
Today was Debby's wedding day and we were currently adding the final touches in the dressing room.
I was all dressed in my maid of honor dress and my heels. My hair was in a beautiful up-do. I was wearing the necklace Callum got me around my neck. I still wasn't going to take it off. I had cute little diamond earrings on and some light make up.
"My baby girl is actually getting married today." My dad said as he kissed Debby on her cheek.
"I should go now." I said. I was afraid to cry. Debby's all grown up now and it kind of scares me how fast time goes on.
She looked so happy and it made me extremely glad for her. She found the guy to complete her life. A guy who wasn't afraid of commitments.
I walked out in the isle to where the arch was. I stood on the right side with Debby's bride's maids.
Then the music started playing and I saw Wes smiling wider than ever.
Callum was sitting next to Jayden and Dominic in the front row next to our family.
Callum caught my eye and winked. Butterflies erupted in my stomach when he smiled at me with adoration in his eyes.
I smiled back at him then noticed my sister enter with my dad.
Everybody turned their heads around to look at Debs. Some aw's and wow's were heard.
My mom was already crying and so was my aunt. My grandmother, too.
Debby finally reached her spot next to Wes and he grinned at her wider than before.
"I love you." He whispered and I almost burst into tears like the women in my family but instead I grinned.
The priest said the things they say, until now I still don't get anything they say.
"I do." Wes said and it caught my attention.
"I do." Debby said and I grinned.
"Rings please." The priest said and I stepped forward with Wes's ring as Wes's friend gave Wes Debby's ring.
They both exchanged rings and Debby giggled as she put Wes's ring on his finger.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest said and Wes grabbed Debby and connected their lips together.
The claps erupted and I giggled as I felt the need to cry.
When they separated, Debby turned around and pulled me in a bear hug.
"I'm so happy for you." I said with another giggle.
"I love you, Lacey." She smiled.
"Let's party!" Wes said and Debby laughed.
The music stared playing on the other side of the garden and then everybody started dancing. Debby and Wes were dancing in the middle while laughing and I smiled at the sight when a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist.
"Want to do something brave for Debby?" He asked.
"What?" I asked.
"Come with me." He said and took me on top of the stage.
"Debby, this is for you." Callum said. "We're not singers but we love you guys!"
I stared with wide eyes at Callum as he continued to speak.
"We'd like to see only the bride and groom dancing to this song please. It's for the couple." Wes said then "Saving all my love for you" started playing.
Callum should be thankful I know this song by heart and love it.
I looked at him as he started to sing calmly and he sounded pretty good for an amateur to be honest.
He looked at me as he sang some parts and then back at the couple. They were gazing at each other while swaying and then I harmonized with him in the last part in his part.
Then I continued while looking at them and glancing at Callum as he harmonized some parts with me.
We sounded pretty good together. But singing wasn't really my thing, I was just doing it for fun for Debby and Wes.
After finishing the song, the stopped swaying with a kiss and Callum grinned as everybody clapped, including Debby and Wes.
We bowed while laughing then he jumped down the stage and he helped me down by placing his hands on my waist and carrying me slightly down.
"May I have this dance?" He asked with his hand stretched for me.
"Why of course you may!" I said in a funny accent and then we walked to the place where everybody was dancing.
"Debby's the most beautiful bride I've seen." I said.
"She's second best. I've seen better." He said and I raised my eyebrow.
"How rude. Who?" I asked.
"You. In the future." He said and BOOM the butterflies escaped the cage.
"Oh stop." I giggled and looked at the ground. He let go of my waist for a second and raised my face to look up at him.
"You're like a red haired angel. Completely from another world." He said and I giggled.
He kissed my cheek then placed his hand on my waist again.
"They're in looovveee." Jayden sang as he and Dominic passed by us.
"On cloud 9!" Dominic continue and Callum burst into laughter.
"You guys are stupid." Callum laughed.
"We know. To the punch!" Dominic chanted.
"Punch here we come!" Jayden said and followed him.
"Nincompoops." I called after them.
"Back to where we were." Callum smiled at me.
"So were you implying that you'll see me as a bride?" I asked as he twirled me around.
"Hopefully, I'll be the groom. I want to stay with you forever and then have the guts to ask you to marry me." Callum said and I giggled.
"You have the guts don't worry." I said.
"Lacey?" A baby boy voice said and I looked down to see Jessie.
"Hey, Jessie." I grinned at him.
"Can you dance with me?" He asked with a grin.
"Here's advice little dude, it's, may I have this dance?" Callum bent down to Jessie's level and explained.
"May I have this dance?" Jessie asked and I giggled.
"Of course you may." I said and gave him my hands. He kept playing around and jumping.
"I tired. I will go to mommy." Jessie said and I nodded.
"My brother's quite the charmer, already trying to steal my girl." Callum laughed as he pulled me to a table.
"He's so adorable! Literally, your brother is the cutest thing that happened." I said.
"Hey! What about me?" He laughed.
"You're an eighteen year old guy, why would I call you adorable and cute when you shave?" I laughed and he burst into a laughing fit.
"Point taken. So I'm hot then." He smirked.
"I didn't say that." I teased with my tongue out.
"Keep saying that, baby. Soon enough you'll be begging me to be the mother of my children." He said with a wink and my mouth dropped. His smug expression broke down when he started laughing so hard.
"You're messed up." I laughed as I took off my heels.
"Come here." He said. He got closer in front of me with his chair then lifted up my feet. He put them on his lap.
"Ah. Thank you. Damn, I hate heels." I groaned and popped a sugar cube in my mouth.
"Sugar cubes? What are you a horse? Or like Finnick Odair?" Callum said.
"Want a sugar cube? They're meant for the horses but who cares about them?" I quoted Finnick.
"Yep, Finnick Odair."
"More like Finnick Odayum." I said and we both fell into laughter.
"Picture time!" I said and stood up. Callum patted his lap and motioned for me to sit on it. He grabbed his iPhone from the table and opened the camera.
I giggled at his funny face but then he smiled and took the picture.
"I love your natural pictures. When you're laughing, yelling at me or any of these things." Callum said.
"Well I'm not really a duck face girl or stick tongue out." I said.
"Thank god." He replied and kissed my cheek and wrapped his arm tighter around my waist.
"Why am I still on your lap?" I chuckled.
"Because I want you to." He said.
"How can you be so perfect?" I exclaimed and cupped his cheeks in my hand and kissed him.
"If a man loves his woman, he'll do everything and anything to please her." Callum replied his eyes boring into mine.
My heart danced when he said the L word. Why have I never had a boyfriend before? This feels amazing. Probably because I was too busy crushing on this guy.
"Ooh! It's Shake It Out!" I exclaimed when Taylor Swift's song played.
"Let's dance." He said and grabbed my heels for me.
"Nope. I ain't dancing in these no more." I laughed and stood up. Callum chuckled and stood up with me.
We started dancing where everybody was dancing.
Damn it felt good to be barefoot.
"Your attention please." Wes said loudly. The music shut down and everybody were already in their seats.
"I'd like to make my speech." Wes said and all eyes were on him but his eyes were only focused on Debby.
"Debs, from the day we met, I fell in love with you. I fell in love with the way you talk, walk, eat, drink, laugh, sleep and everything. Nothing can separate us, because those last nine years have been the best. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Debs. And when I'm not with you, I'm lost. I love you, Debby." Wes said and everybody clapped and cheered for him. Debby's eyes were already so watery and then a little tear slipped.
"I'd like to say some words, too." Debby said and stood up, laughing and wiping away her tear.
"Wes, you... You have been my protector, friend, supporter, boyfriend, lover, fiancé, shop-buddy, servant and most of all my family." She said and everybody focused even more. "At one point, I was extremely upset when my parents left us. I remember they wanted to take Lacey with them, too. Thank god, she wanted to stay with me. I couldn't bare to be alone, yet even when I had Lacey, that night Wes actually found me crying. I felt bad for Lacey and myself. We weren't going to be with our parents and Lacey was still just fourteen, she needed to be brought up right. Wes comforted me and he told me that even if they're no longer here, you still have family which includes me. Wes, baby, you helped me raise Lace and teach her what's right and wrong and I couldn't be more grateful. I love you, Wes." She said and she was actually crying. Everybody cheered for him and clapped as some moms cried, too. Obviously, my mom was crying.
"Lacey!" Debby called for me and I quickly let go of Callum's hand and ran to her.
"Hm?" I asked and tipped my head to the side.
"We love you, you know that right?" Debby asked while Wes nodded.
"Of course! You guys are my family! You're my sister's husband!" I laughed and Wes grinned.
"I was just making sure that no matter what happens, we're always in this together." Debby said and grabbed my hand then Wes's hand.
"Family is forever." I said and kissed Debby's cheek.
"You should go back to your boyfriend now, he looks lost." Wes said and laughed.
"He's always lost." I chuckled and walked to Callum.
"Oh there you are." He said.
"You're always so lost it's hilarious." I said.
"Hey! I'm never lost. I'm always on the right track!" He nodded and I just laughed while shaking my head.
"Photography ma'am! Your sister sent me here to tell you to come. And him, too." A guy with a beard and mustache said.
"Okay, thank you." I nodded and Callum grabbed my shoes for me. He sat on the floor and was putting on my shoes for me and I was smiling at him. Then I heard a click and looked up at the photographer.
"Sorry ma'am! That looked like a nice picture and it turned out that I was correct!" The photographer said.
I chuckled and smiled at Callum when he stood straight again next to me.
I walked away to where Debby was and she hugged me and giggled looking at the camera. I smiled a cheeky smile as the man clicked the button.
"Did you take pictures of the bride and the groom alone?" I asked.
"About a hundred pictures." The man said.
"Take a picture of the four of us. Come here Callum!" Debby said and Callum came next to me. We smiled at the camera and the picture was taken.
"Excuse me, sir. Can you take a picture of my sister and her boyfriend with a nice background?" Debby asked and the man nodded.
"Follow me!" He said and Callum pulled me along with him.
He made us stand in front of a beautiful lake and beside us were like two trees that had cute wedding lights on them.
Callum hugged me and I hugged him back giggling and he smiled eagerly.
The man clicked the button and nodded.
"Excellent shot!" He said proudly.
"Thank you." Callum replied.
"My pleasure!" The man said and then went back to Debby.
"Want to go for a walk?" Callum asked.
"Sure." I nodded.
"So, do any of the other college applications appeal to you other than Juilliard in New York?" He asked raising his eyebrow.
"Yeah, they all seem splendid choices. Royal College of Music is wonderful, too." I said. I know what he meant. Would I be in New York with him? Of course I would. Even before wanting to be with him, Juilliard is the best on the planet and it's perfect for me. It's everything I have ever wanted.
"Oh and where is it?" He asked scratching the back of his neck.
"Oh it's in London." I said.
"Wow! That's pretty far from New York." He said and looked worried.
"What's wrong, Cal?" I asked. I knew what's wrong I was just playing along for a while.
"It's just that... Never mind." He shrugged.
"No, talk to me." I said.
"I don't want to ruin your plans or interfere in your future." He said.
"Cal it's okay, just tell me what's on your mind." I said.
"I want you to be with me. I want you to be in New York. Not in London, or Canada. I want to be around you, protect you, help you, comfort you, sit with you, talk with you, see you and kiss you." He said. "Long distance relationships are crappy and they suck. No one's ever happy with them."
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere but New York. Don't worry, Juilliard has been and always will be my dream. I don't want a distance relationship, too. I want to be able to keep the girls away from you." I laughed and he chuckled with me.
"I can't imagine my life without you anymore, Lace." He said and held my hand.
"Then don't. I'm staying and never leaving. And instead of thinking about the past or future, let's just enjoy the present. Enjoy now." I said.
"Yeah, we should." He nodded and kissed my cheek.
"Just like we should head back there, it's already sunset." I said.
"Orders from the bride! Stand at the same place you were standing so I can take a picture of you and the sunset." The photographer said and we walked there again. Callum did the most bizarre thing.
"He picked me up, bridal style, then smiled at the camera. I giggled and the man clicked the button.
"Perfect shot!" The man exclaimed.
"Can we see that?" Callum asked as he put me down.
"You'll get it today. Bride and groom and family get pictures first tonight." The man said and ran away.
Strange dude.
"Okay thank you." Callum replied and we walked back to where the wedding was.
"Did he take the picture?" Debby asked.
"Yep. Wow! Only like four or five hours till new year." Wes said and kissed Debby.
"And that will signal another year with you; but this time as my husband." Debby replied and I grinned.
"You guys are too mushy! Thank god we're not like that! Right, Cal?" I asked laughing.
"You bet, ugly!" He laughed and pushed me.
"How dare you push me? I'm going to murder you!" I laughed and kicked off my shoes again.
Callum started running away from me and I ran after him.
"Bloody coward, aren't you?" I laughed.
"Who you calling a coward, Voldemort?" He teased as he stood behind a bench and I stood in front of it.
"Why you little weasel! I have a nose! Can't you see it?" I laughed and climbed up the bench.
"Nope, you probably put a spell on yourself to see a nose! But you're pretty noseless to all of us." Callum doubled with laughter and bent forward.
I jumped down from the bench then walked up to him.
"You're so ugly, your mom cried when she gave birth to you." I said and Callum laughed even more.
"I'm hungry!" I whined and walked back to our table. Callum followed me and sat in front of me.
"Would you like some crackers and cheese?" A fancy looking waiter came to our table.
"Do you have burgers and fries?" I asked and Callum chuckled.
"I'm sure we can do that for the bride's sister." The man laughed and walked away.
"Always hungry, aren't we?" Callum teased.
"You've got a problem, mate?" I asked.
"Nope, nothing at all." He laughed and sipped from the water in front of him.
The waiter got my burger and fries. I was eating the delicious goodness carefully, I didn't want to ruin my dress.
"What are you doing?" I asked with widened eyes as Callum dipped a french fry into the tiny ketchup bowl and then popped it into his mouth.
"I just took one." He grinned.
"How dare you touch my food?" I asked.
"Oh I dare. What are you going to do about it? Push me with your tiny hands?" He asked.
"What?! I don't have tiny hands!" I exclaimed.
"You do. They're like these women, tiny hands." He said.
"Am I supposed to have enormous, man hands?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
Callum burst into laughter at the thought and I ate the last bite of my burger.
"No, you're hands are good." He laughed.
"Thought so." I said and stood up.
"Bathroom?" He asked.
"I need to wash my hands." I nodded and walked away barefoot to the bathrooms.
I entered the girls bathroom and washed my hands. After drying them off, I went back to Callum.
"And now we'd like the bride on the dance floor alone with her father for the traditional father daughter dance." My mom said into the microphone.
Debby and dad started dancing slowly and I felt all emotional. It's not everyday you see your only sister all grown up. She looked so flawless just laughing at whatever dad said and smiling after it. My dad was smiling proudly and happily that his pride and joy had found her soulmate.
"Hey, Lace? Are you going to cry?" Callum asked.
"Oh shut up. No, I won't." I said as I made sure my eyes were dry.
"It's okay to cry, all little girls cry on their sister's wedding, too." He said and stuck out his tongue.
"Are you implying that I'm a little girl?" I questioned.
"Seems so." He nodded.
"Well, I am not a little girl." I said and pinched his arm.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Alright! Okay! You're not a little girl!" He said and pulled his arm away.
"Thank you." I smiled triumphantly.
Debby and dad had finished their dance. Dad was on his way to where I was and then he took a seat next to me.
"Hey, daddy." I said.
"Hey, pumpkin." He replied.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I'm just really happy for Debby. I hope I live to get to feel this happiness again for you, one day." Dad said and kissed my forehead.
"You will, daddy." I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.
"Your mom and I are still in town for a couple more days. Do you want to come stay at the old house for a while? Debby'll be gone on her honeymoon anyway." Dad said and I nodded eagerly.
"I'd love that!"
"I'm glad to hear that. How are you my boy?" Dad addressed Callum.
"I'm great, sir. You?" He asked.
"I'm good, son." Dad nodded and drank water.
"It's time for the new year count down!" One of Debby's friends yelled.
"Better head to your mom." Dad winked and walked away to mom.
"Your dad is a great guy." Callum said.
"I know." I smiled.
"5...4...3...2...1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" We all yelled and I caught a glance of Debby and Wes kissing; but I was met with a pair of lips my own.
"Happy new year, Lace." Callum grinned.
"Happy new year to you, too." I grinned back and kissed him again.
"We love you all! We're going to miss you!" Debby yelled from the car.
She and Wes were leaving to Bora Bora for their honeymoon.
"Call me!" I yelled loud enough for Debby to blow a kiss at me.
"Of course I will!" She said then the car sped off with them.
"Oh well. Want to drive me home?" I asked Callum.
"Weren't you going to your parents house?" He asked.
"Yeah, but I need to pack my stuff first." I said.
"Okay, sure." He said and got his keys from his pockets.
We walked to his car parked in the parking lot and entered it.
"My feet are killing me." I said.
"Can I take you out tomorrow?" Callum asked. "It's the last day we have before school starts again and I want to have some fun."
"Sure, I'd love to. Just plan something out. I don't want to end up eating popcorn in your room while watching something stupid like Mission Impossible." I said.
"Mission Impossible is not stupid, Lacey!" He exclaimed and took a left turn.
"It is, baby." I laughed and checked my phone for texts.
"Lacey, you have a serious problem." He chuckled and stopped the car in front of my house.
"Thanks for the ride." I said and kissed him.
"Don't you need another one to your parents house?" He asked.
"Nah, I'll just walk. They're not that far from here, just four blocks away or something." I said.
"But it's dark. I don't want you to walk alone. I'll wait for you here." He said.
"Cal, I'll be fine! I can walk." I said.
"There's a difference between can and should. You can walk alone at night but you shouldn't." He said and opened his phone.
"You really don't have to do this." I said.
"Just go pack, Lacey. You're not walking alone." He said.
I smiled to myself and walked up into the house.
I got one of my suitcases and put some pajamas in there. I put my clothes, hair stuff, make-up and shoes. I grabbed my backpack and put two books and my laptop in there. I put my car keys and my wallet inside, too.
"It's this one right?" Callum asked as he stopped in front of my parents' house.
"Yep. Thank you so much, Cal." I said and kissed him.
"Goodnight, Lacey." He said and watched me go into the house.
"I'm so happy you're staying here." Mom said and let me in.
"I'm happy to be here." I said as I pushed my suitcase to my old room.
"Well, I'm very tired and sleepy. Goodnight, Lacey." Mom said and kissed my cheek.
"Goodnight, mom." I replied and set out my stuff in the wardrobe.
I changed into my pajamas and sat in bed.
"Daddy." I said as he passed by my room.
"Yes, pumpkin?" He asked.
"Can you turn off the lights please?" I asked.
"Of course." He smiled and clicked the button. He walked into the room pulled the covers higher on me. He bent down and kissed my forehead gently.
"Goodnight, pumpkin." He said and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.
I fell asleep instantly and thought about happy Debby was today.