Juan's POV
"You ready?" I ask Melissa, hands on her shoulder after the pep talk I gave her.
"It's game day," she smiles at me.
"I'll text you," I tell her for the millionth time.
"I'll be waiting," she sits back in the driver's seat of her rental car.
We were parked outside the venue of Felipe and Eva's wedding ceremony and reception. Today was the day.
I left the car and the girl that I was set to see again in a couple of hours.
"Get your girl back!" Melissa shouted at me before I closed the car door and I smiled and gave her a wink before crossing the street.
I caught up with people entering the venue, the ceremony was about to start and I caught the looks of some of the guests and the groomsmen who were waiting for me.
I looked over at Antonella and gave her a nod, she was at the end of the bridesmaid line and she looked away immediately.
"I made it," I joked and Felipe looked at me.
"Come on," he rolled his eyes and I stood next to him like the best man that I was.
○○○
Moments later, Eva started walking down the aisle all by herself.
I tried not laughing at her dress. Super tight with a leg slit that was too high up, typical of her.
When she finally made it to the altar, the ordained friend of Felipe's started talking
"Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Felipe and Eva a very important moment in their lives. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."
○○○
A prayer was read, then the definition of marriage, which in all honesty probably went over their heads. The vows came up after.
The couple had the most generic vows, proving that they really don't love each other. I was holding back my laughter during the entire ceremony.
"Now," the guy starts. "If any of you has reasons why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."
I shift my weight from one leg to another and clear my throat, everyone darting their eyes over at me.
I look at everyone in the crowd and widen my eyes.
Antonella was looking at me, Eva glaring, and Felipe giving me a questioning look.
I take a step back and stay silent, the ceremony continuing as I bite my tongue.
○○○
After a nice enough ceremony, all the guests are led to another room with some quick bites and drinks being roamed around by the caterers while the room we were just in got set up for the reception.
"Next time you decide to clear your throat, choose a better time," Eva's maid of honor hisses as she passes by me and I take the first sip of my champagne.
"Duly noted," I tip my glass to her as she doesn't even look back at me.
I look around the room and realize that this whole function was going to be a bore for a while longer.
I spot Antonella and go up to her, but as soon as I reach her and call her by her name she walks away without even looking in my direction.
"Good talk," I whisper to myself.
○○○
When the other room was finally available and the reception was about to start, I texted Melissa to be on standby.
The newlyweds were announced and, seemingly everyone was cheering for them. Everyone but Antonella and I.
The DJ demanded everyone find their seats as everyone's food orders were going to be taken before the first dance.
Knowing that I was sat at the first table, I walked over to a long table in the back with all the gifts on it. I was observing all the different sized boxes after I placed my envelope in between these two colorful ones when my phone began to ring.
"Hey," I greeted Melissa. "A couple of more minutes."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," I reply. "Reception hasn't started yet, everyone's getting to their tables. The newlyweds look oh so happy, though."
"Good," Melissa laughed. "Do you think we're going to hell for this?"
"It's just karma," I disagree as I take another glass of champagne from a caterer and spot Antonella across the room.
She was getting kicked out of the first table we were all supposed to be sat at and I was getting mad.
"More like revenge," Melissa said.
"I gotta go," I spoke as I followed Anto with my eyes to a far table. "I'll text you."
Eva really had her sitting at the kiddie table.
"What a bitch," I whisper before locking eyes with Antonella after she sat down and was talking to some of the kids.
I make my way over to the girl and I spot her shifting in her seat, then looking down at the table.
"Anto," I say when I reach her. "Can I talk to you for a second?" I offer a smile to all the kids at the table.
"What do you want?" She finally looks up at me, harshly.
"I want to apologize," I say. "For many things."
"Juan, your wrong isn't with me," she rolls her eyes. "It's with everyone in this place for letting the lovely couple waste their time."
"I'll take that," I nod. "But at least I, unlike you, and I mean that in the nicest way possible because I know how hard it is for you to speak up, am gonna do something about it."
"I'm sure you are," Antonella looks away from me. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she gets back to ignoring me.
I look down at her for a second longer, praying I can get her to talk to me again.
○○○
After making my way to the table in the front, the couple's first dance took place and I wasn't paying any attention the entire time as I rehearsed my speech over and over again in my head for the second half of the song.
During the first half, I pretended I was headed toward the bathroom when I was going to escort Melissa into the building. The employees didn't question the best man bringing in a date, nor did the kitchen staff question the fake panic attack Meli put on so I could leave her in the kitchen for a bit and not disturb the guests.
When I got back to the table, everyone was eating which meant that the speeches were next.
The maid of honor went first.
The girl gave her cute little speech that sounded as fake as Felipe and Eva's vows. Something they found in the second page of google just so no one would find at first try.
"And now," the maid of honor spoke as soon as I finished texting Melissa. "A speech from the best man, Juan."
I smiled at her and everyone in the room before taking the mic from her and standing in the middle of the dance floor.
"Welcome everyone," I kept smiling and nodding. "I wanted to talk about love tonight," I look over at Antonella who doesn't look away. "That's the reason we're here, no? The... lovely couple sitting in front of us have history. I'm not too sure what you all know so I'll just start from the beginning. No need to be embarrassed, though," I turn to face Felipe and Eva. "This is a happy celebration. The end justifies the means," I turn back to the crowd. "Felipe cheated on his ex Melissa with Eva. I don't know if you all knew Melissa, she was a lovely girl, anyway the two fell into a sweeping love affair and ended up together in the end," Eva was sitting up angry at this point.
"We know!" One of the teens at the kiddie table yells and I spot Antonella scolding them before I get back to my speech.
"All is fair in love and war. Felipe must have been the most amazing lover, though, seeing as how Eva has had so many and multiple ones at the same time- not to sound insulting or anything, it's 2020. I just used to wonder why she didn't pick me, but I'm glad she didn't. Cheers to our little romance," I raise my glass to Eva who gets up immediately and storms down from the table to meet me as she tells someone to cut the mic.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Melissa shouts from the entrance of the kitchen and Eva stops in her tracks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Melissa!" I begin to clap and cheer while everyone stays silent and I realize the sound was cut. "My guest speaker," I laugh and shout this time around.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Eva spits.
"I came to serve justice," Melissa bit back before coming over to me. "Don't you lay a hand on him."
Eva takes a step back, Melissa being her kryptonite.
"Before I let my lovely friend over here speak, I wanna get back to what I was talking about. I'm just here to expose the couple of assholes for what they are. Eva is a vindictive and manipulative bitch who seduced her friend's boyfriend and brought an end to their relationship while simultaneously sleeping with me and ending their wedding. There were probably other people involved, but not Tim," I wink over at the groomsman. "I don't even wanna talk about what she's done at work and at the gym. Felipe here, someone I used to call a friend, is just... he's just a really selfish guy. Besides the fact that he's a total dog, and cheated on his girlfriend, and he's most likely cheating on his now wife with one of the bridesmaids," I look at the line of bridesmaids and the fourth one starts blushing. "Number four? Wow, the bar is on the floor. Anyway, you're just an awful friend, dude," I look at him.
"What the fuck are you doing?" He yells at me before coming closer.
"You don't go to your friends when you need a favor or are bored. You go to them because you care about them, you care about their well being, you care about their mental health and their lives. You never once cared about mine, and we just stayed friends out of habit... work on that. You also made a pass at the love of my life," I point at Antonella. "So, fuck you," I look back at him. "You and Eva really, really, deserve each other. Both toxic assholes that are going to cheat on each other for the rest of this five minute marriage. Meli," I look over at the girl who deserves all this. "I just want to quickly apologize to Antonella. You don't deserve any of this drama," I point at the three people standing behind me. "Most importantly, I don't deserve you. You or your beauty, or your kind heart, or your intelligent soul, nothing about you. Everyone, I hurt that woman so badly and I need to make things right. I know you think I'm a pig, so, again, I'm sorry. I did fuck up and I know it. I won't stop till you accept my apology, because all I ever wanted was you," I turn back to Melissa and take her hands in mine. "Get yours," I wink before leaving a kiss on her cheek and walking toward the back.
"Antonella," Melissa starts and I stop in my tracks to face Meli. "You two love each other," she says. "Don't be dumb... like these two," she turns and points at Eva and Felipe. "Where do I even begin?"
I get to the gift table as Melissa starts her rant and pocket my envelope again before walking over to Antonella.
"I suspected it," Meli continues in the background. "But this bitch went out of her way to get caught so my wedding could be cancelled. You gotta give a girl like this props, so concerned about everyone but herself and still thriving. Felipe," she points at him. "You fucking dog hater-"
"Anto," I call her attention.
She finally looks up at me and looks at me how she used to.
"Apology accepted," she breaks the silence first.
All I do is put my hand out for her to take.
"Shall we?"