Chapter 7
After the ceremony, the entire wedding party had to get their pictures done. Kole and Mia had some pictures by themselves, then some of Mia and us bridesmaids and Kole and his groomsmen, and finally we were paired up – bridesmaid with groomsmen – to take a few couples photos.
Three guesses to who I was paired up with.
You only need one, though.
When the photographer positioned us the way she wanted, I had an arm around Kane’s waist and one of his around mine. I had to take a few breaths to keep my heart from racing too fast.
Once the photographer got the last of mine and Kane’s pictures, I tried to move away from him but he held me, not letting me go. I slowly looked up at him and saw he was looking at me the same way he had been during the ceremony.
But then the flash of the camera broke our stare.
“Sorry,” the photographer said. “But that was just too good of a picture to pass up. I mean, the way you were looking at each other…it was amazing. I’ll be sure to put in an extra two when I send the pictures to Kole and Mia so you can have them.”
Kane finally let me go and undid his tie and the top three buttons on his shirt. He really didn’t need to do that with me standing right there.
Thank God I walked away when I did or I think I would have jumped him.
I really didn’t want to love this man anymore.
I really, really, really didn’t.
All of us bridesmaids and groomsmen were ushered into the reception area, which was just the ballroom where the wedding had taken place. During the time we took for the pictures, all of the guests went to cocktail hour while the wedding planner and her staff quickly set up the reception area.
Instead of the chairs everywhere, there were now tables with them pushed under. There were centerpieces that were white tree limbs draped with the same blue ribbons and strings of crystals like the ones that hung from the ceiling. Every glass and dish was in place and waiters were waiting in the wings to give guests drinks once they sat down.
And it looked absolutely beautiful.
Once everyone was in their seats – we were at the head table where Kole and Mia would be sitting – everyone waited for them to come in. And once they did, everyone started clapping as they walked to the dance floor hand in hand. When they got there, their song – ‘On A Night Like This’ by Dave Barnes – came on, they had their first dance. Everyone was snapping photos and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Kole and Mia whisper with each other and laugh.
For some reason, my eyes wondered over to Kane. They seemed to be doing that a lot tonight. But he was talking and laughing with Karyn. The overwhelming feeling to pull her up by her hair from her chair got me again.
Really, why did I have to love this stupid man who made me crazy?
I grabbed a glass of champagne as a waiter walked by and quickly drank the entire glass. I set it on another waiter’s tray and grabbed another. I didn’t chug this one like I did the other, though. Well, maybe I did half of it.
Dinner was really amazing and after it was time for Mia and her dad’s father daughter dance. After a minute of watching them, Uncle Mason pulled Haylie onto the dance floor and a few others started dancing also.
I spotted my dad looking at me. He pointed his finger at me and motioned for me to come meet him. I laughed and stood up to go to him. We met in the middle of the dance floor and he wrapped an arm around my waist, taking my hand in his other.
“Hey, Daddy,” I said, smiling up at him.
“Daddy? You have called me that in years,” he said, laughing, and kissed my forehead.
I laughed also. “I don’t know why but I just wanted to call you that,” I said.
He smiled and just looked at me. I smiled as I looked over where Mom was sitting with Uncle Freddie and Aunt Isabel. She was watching me and Dad with tears in her eyes. She smiled when she saw me looking at her and I smiled back.
I looked back at Dad and he was still looking at me the same way he was.
“What?” I asked.
He just shook his head and shrugged. “I’m just thinking that you could possibly be the next to get married and we’d be doing this for real then,” he said.
“I think Greer will be before me,” I said, and he raised an eyebrow. I laughed. “Well, maybe not.”
He smiled again and looked toward the head table. I saw just where he was looking.
Kane.
“I can see you still love him,” he said, looking back at me.
I was speechless. “I…what?”
“Kane,” he said. “Don’t get upset, but your mother told me what happened between the two of you. I’ve known for a few years now.”
“I…I can’t believe she did that!” I said, eyes wide. “She said she wouldn’t tell you.”
Dad laughed. “Your mother tells me everything,” he said.
I grimaced. That was totally true. “Are you mad?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Yeah, I was at first but now I’m not. Especially when I saw the way you two were looking at each other during the ceremony.”
I groaned and leaned my forehead against his neck, closing my eyes. “Please tell me you were the only one to see that,” I said.
“Freddie was the one to bring up the whole ‘you might have another wedding sooner than you think’ thing,” he said, chuckling.
I groaned again and leaned back to look at him. “I’m not going to marry him,” I said. I looked back over at Kane and he was still talking with Karyn, who had edged her chair closer to him. “I hate him. He broke my heart so I hate him.”
“There’s a fine line between love and hate, sweetie, and I think you’ve got one foot on either side,” he said. “But you’re leaning more toward the love part.”
I snorted and looked back at Kane, who had his head dangerously close to Karyn’s. “More like hate right now,” I said.
“But you love him,” he said. “I can see it plainly in your face when you look at him.”
“Yeah, and what does it look like?” I asked.
He sighed, looking at me one long moment before speaking. “You look at him the way I look at your mother and the way she looks at me. You look at him the way Kole and Mia look at each other. Now I dare you to say that’s not love.”
I grimaced again as the song came close to the end. “I don’t want it to be so it’s not,” I said.
“At least right now,” he said, smiling again, and kissed my forehead as the song ended. “I love you, Reece. Always remember that.”
“Love you, too, Daddy,” I said, trying not to smile at him.
When he walked back over toward Mom, she stood up and kissed him. He grabbed her hand as a faster song came on that had sort of a Latin feel to it and pulled her to the dance floor. Dad was grinning as Mom laughed. Both of my parents could dance like it was nobody’s business. I could, too, but I hardly did unless I was just playing around. My mom still could even though she broke her leg when she was in her accident when she was eighteen. As they started dancing, everyone started watching from the side of the dance floor. They always did this when there was dancing involved. Dorks.
A few songs later and after Kole and Mia cut their wedding cake, I felt a tap on my shoulder as a slow song started. I knew who it was. I could feel it.
“You owe me a dance, Reece,” Kane said from behind me.
“I don’t owe you anything,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Why don’t you go get Karyn and dance with her?”
“Because I want to dance with you, not her,” he said. “Now, come on.”
He took my hand in his and, before I could protest, dragged me to the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me so close to him, and held my hand with his other between us so that the back of my hand was touching his chest and the back of his was touching mine. The heat of it made me want to melt in his arms.
“Hey,” he said, looking into my eyes. Our faces were just inches apart.
I swallowed hard. “Do really think that we should be dancing this close? Kole might see,” I said.
He looked over where Kole and Mia were sitting. They didn’t look like they were paying attention to anyone else besides each other. “I think we’re fine,” he said.
I sighed. “And everyone else thinks we’re together. This won’t help when I tell them we’re not,” I said. “I hate you. Why would I be with you?”
“Reece…” he started but I cut in.
“Don’t start, Kane,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “I’ve got a few perfect examples for why I hate you, don’t you think?”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Sorry just won’t do in this situation. I don’t think anything will at this point,” I said.
He just looked at me and then pulled me more to him, putting his forehead against mine. I’m pretty sure he was able to feel my heart beating against the back of his hand. He smiled slightly and I knew he did.
I closed my eyes so that I didn’t have to look into his blue-gray eyes and do something that I really didn’t want to do. I had to keep myself in control.
But that’s when he started singing the last of the lyrics to the song. I hadn’t really paid any attention to the song. But once he started singing it softly to me in his deep voice, memories of him singing to me all those years ago flooded my mind.
“Don’t say a word, just come over and lie here with me
‘Cause I’m just about to set fire to everything I see
I want you so bad I’ll go back on the things I believe
There I just said it, I’m scared you’ll forget about me.”
I couldn’t help it when tears flooded my eyes. I pulled away from him, watching as he opened his eyes and reached to pull me back to him. I just shook my head and turned on my heel to walk toward the door.
“Reece!” he said.
Several heads turned to see what was going on. I saw my parents looking at me, tears streaming down my face. I just shook my head as I rushed to the doors.
Once I was out in the huge hallway that connected the ballroom with the lobby of the hotel, I went to the bathroom that was just a little ways from the lobby. When I busted through the door, it seemed to be like I was the only one in there.
I went over to the sink and held on to the edge as I stared at myself in the mirror, tears streaming down my face.
Why in the world did I have to react like this? I was sick and tired of crying over Kane!
And then thing was, I’d already forgiven him for everything. How could I not when he seemed so sincere when he said he was sorry? When I saw the look of regret in his eyes every time I bring everything that happened up?
I needed to stop crying and just go to him. It didn’t matter who was watching but I was going to go up to him and kiss him with everything I had. I didn’t care what their reactions would be – he’s four years older; he’s her teacher also. I just wanted to be with the man I loved and I was going to let myself take the hits that were going to come with that.
I quickly wiped under my eyes and headed out of the bathroom.
But when I stepped out, I couldn’t help it when I stopped up short and my eyes widened at what I saw just on the other side of the hallway.
Kane was leaning back against the wall with the top half of his shirt unbuttoned…
And he was kissing Karyn.
***I know, I know!!!1 You're probably saying, "But you said I was going to love this chapter!!!1" I'm sorry! I feel horrible for doing that but I had to! You'll see in the next chapter. This time I promise for real!!!1
Oh, and if you were wondering what the song Kane was singing to Reece is, it's 'Edge of Desire' by John Mayor. It's one of my favs and I thought it was perfect!!!1
Comment, Vote, Like!!!1***