I watched in horror as all hell broke loose. The song ended abruptly, the last note suspended in the air. Angela screamed. Gasps rose from the crowd as groomsmen huddled around the fallen bridegroom.
“What happened?” The ring-bearer, Angela’s youngest brother, stooped down. “And whose shoe is this?”
I shrank back into the stairwell.
“Is he OK?” Angela shrieked, clutching the sides of her gown. Her bouquet lay haphazardly in the aisle.
Paul, Chase’s best friend and one of the groomsmen, made his way over to her. “He’s fine. I think he might have passed out.”
“What?” she cried.
“Why don’t you go get some air,” he suggested, guiding her away from the altar. “Jenna, take her, will you?” He motioned to one of the bridesmaids.
Jenna hurried over, clucking and murmuring. She held Angela by the waist and they walked down the aisle together.
Paul resumed his position next to Chase. “If everyone could step out, give him some space, that would be great.”
No one moved. The pianist sat at her bench and the other groomsmen and bridesmaids were frozen in place. The guests stood by their pews, twisting and turning for a better look at the man splayed out on the floor. Even the pastor seemed unable to move. Or help.
Chase groaned.
“Really,” Paul said, his voice elevated. “Give us a minute.”
Slowly, the sanctuary emptied. Paul knelt next to Chase, doing his best to block him from view. After a few moments, the room was silent and empty.
“What happened?” Chase’s voice was weak and disoriented.
Paul grunted. “I think you’d better ask her.”
I peeked around the corner of the door. Paul’s eyes were fixed on me. And he was holding my shoe.
I covered my mouth with my hand.
“Ask who?” Chase asked. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head.
Paul jerked his head in my direction.
I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed and took a tiny step into the open.
“Bonnie??”
“I…I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Chase stared at me, dumbfounded. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I turned to look at Paul but his eyes were cast downward. I stared at the top of his head, looking for support in his brown locks. I wasn’t going to find it.
“I…” I faltered. “I…”
“You what?” he snapped.
“There’s this song…” It sounded ridiculous. I knew it. It was ridiculous. I couldn’t tell him, couldn’t explain that a stupid song had inspired me to try to stop his wedding. Because it wasn’t ending up like the song.
He shook his head, like he’d just gone swimming and there was water in his ears and he hadn’t quite heard me right. “What?”
“A song,” I swallowed. “A Taylor Swift song.”
“Oh my God,” Paul muttered under his breath.
Chase’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “What?”
“A song.” But my voice came out as a whisper, so quiet I wasn’t sure even a mouse could hear.
He pushed off the floor and stood. “You’re here to stop me from getting married?”
Slowly, I nodded.
“Oh my God.” He slapped his forehead. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I didn’t say anything, just shifted my weight from my sandal to my bare foot, feeling lopsided and uneven. It was a fitting analogy, I realized. Everything about me was lopsided and uneven, including my behavior.
Paul cleared his throat. “I’m going to get a drink of water.”
He left and it was just me and Chase.
Chase glared at me. “So, now what?”
I shrank back, leaning into the back wall of the altar. The edge of a large wooden cross dug into my back. It felt like I was about to be crucified. And I probably deserved it.
Chase sighed. “Look,” he said, smoothing his blond hair off his forehead. “I’ve seen you do a lot of things—a lot—but…” His voice trailed off.
It was true. He had seen me do a lot of things. A lot of really stupid things. And he’d done a lot of those stupid things with me.
For some reason, I didn’t think he’d view crashing his wedding as one of those. I’d held out hope that it would make sense to him, that it would be the revelation, the epiphany he needed to see he was making the worst decision of his life.
Turned out, it looked like I had just made the worst decision of my life.
“I love Angela,” he said slowly, his eyes locked on me. “I am marrying her. Today.”
I started to speak but he held up his hand.
“Let me finish, dammit.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and began to pace. “I’m sorry you’re hurt. By this. But…you need to move on, Bonnie. Seriously.”
I felt the tears threaten again. How was I supposed to move on and away from the man I loved?
“You should go.” When I didn’t say anything, didn’t respond, he said, “Now.”
I nodded. I was being dismissed. Not just from the wedding but from his life.
☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★
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