Belle's wedding dress above!!
Chapter 28: Rehearsal
2 weeks left until Belle's wedding and she is going insane. "Annabelle." I called out to her sternly. "Stop stressing. You're in a very delicate state. Everything will be okay, the planner is setting everything, you guys will be good to go." I reassured my best friend as she stressed completely out next to me.
"Take a deep breath." I ordered and she nodded as we inhaled and exhaled together. "Okay, I think I'm okay now." I nodded, "good."
"Now, lets talk about bridesmaid dresses, did you pick the color finally?" She nodded with a grin and I excitedly clapped my hands, but became disappointed as Belle stopped me, "But you guys won't know until the morning of." I frowned, "You have got to be kidding me. I at least deserve to know, do I not?" She shook her head, "Nope."
I pouted and crossed my arms like a child. However, looking at Belle I couldn't stay mad. "How was the doctor's appointment?" She grinned as she rubbed her growing belly. "All good, we can find out the gender soon, about two weeks after the wedding, so a month from now." I grinned.
"You're so having a girl." She shrugged, "I guess we'll find out." I smiled as she smiled back at me but we were interrupted. "My two favorite girls." We turned our heads simultaneously, erupting a shriek like noise and pushing up and running into his open arms.
He wrapped his arms around the both of us, all three of us locked together in a group hug. "I thought you weren't coming until next week!" He grinned in response to Belle. "And miss out on hanging with my little sister? No way!"
We grinned at him, Belle rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She scoffed as we finally all broke apart even more from our hug. Nick's arm still dangled lazily over my shoulder though. "How've you guys been?" He ruffled my hair and I glared at him as I swatted his hands away and smoothed my hair back down.
He grinned largely at me, his pearly whites gleaming in mockery. "Stressed." Belle answered his questioned with a roll of her eye and when he glanced at me I nodded in agreement. "Bride-zilla." I whispered mockingly into his ear, to which he grinned and Belle shot me a glare.
"I'm not that bad." I scoffed. "Yeah, and I'm married to Ryan Gosling." I shifted my footing as her glare only deepened. "If you want to lie, Annabelle, that's fine, but don't lie to the people who know you like the backs of their hands." Nick nodded in agreement with me even throwing in a playful, "Yeah." His tongue poked out of his mouth and his hand found his hip, sassing her.
I chuckled as I pulled away completely and rolled my eyes. "Anyway, now that you're here, Nick, you can take on some, or a lot of the work that still needs to be done." He only shrugged, jumping over the back of the couch and throwing his feet up lazily on her coffee table. "Whatever you guys need I'm the man."
Belle nodded as she took the space next to him, kicking her feet up as well and rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I need you to help keep, Jake in line." Nick nodded, "I'm kind of your man." She only sighed. "I also need you to make the smart decisions in the group."
Nick nodded his head, in more of a bop movement before shaking it, "I think you need a new man." She shot him a glare and he raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay! I'll try my best." Belle released a sigh and Nick only grinned.
"How's my little niece." I grinned, "She's so having a girl right." He turned his head to look at where I still stood and nodded as he patted the seat next to him. Walking to the couch, I joined the two siblings. I plopped my back into the seat behind me, my feet already cramping from lugging tons of assortments.
"Hell yeah, she better be having a girl. I'll be mad." I grinned and nodded, "Me too."
"Well, since you guys brought my baby up first, and you both are here it's probably time I tell you." She trailed off and my smile dropped. "Is baby okay? Are you okay?" I questioned rapidly and Nick sat up straighter.
Belle chuckled at us and shook the both of our worries to the side. "Guys, I'm fine and the baby is fine. We're healthy." Nick and I sighed in unison, clearly easing up more. "Anyways, I obviously want Layne to be the Godmother." I grinned at that, "but I also think I want Nick to be the Godfather." My smile got wider and I gripped Nick's arm.
"I'm the Godmommy!" Nick held his hands up in defense. "Annie, you really think I'm cut out for that?" His eyebrows were furrowed, and I released the death grip I had on his arm due to excitement. Belle nodded her head with a bit of a shrug. "Why not?" He scoffed.
"You put the life of your baby into my hands? I don't know the first thing about kids." Belle rolled her eyes. "The chances of both Jake and I dying are very low, it's just in case." Nick scoffed again and I called his attention to me. I placed my hand on the back of his shoulder gaining his attention, "Nick." He turned and looked at me with a bit of a torn expression.
"Hey, who would be more cut out for this than you? Who raised Belle? You did that. Look how she turned out, you guided her into the person she is today. Your parents were hardly there growing up. You'd be the best person to raise her child if she couldn't. You also wouldn't ever do it alone, you'd have me you know." I smiled lightly and he only rolled his eyes.
"You and I? That's trouble." He grinned mischievously at me and I only rolled my eyes laughing lightly. He bumped his shoulder with mine and I grinned widely at him. "She's right you know. I'm this fucked up because you raised me. On second thought." She got caught off as he hit her shoulder lightly. "Hey!"
She laughed lightly at him and ruffled his hair, "I love you." He grinned at her and pulled her tightly into his side. "I love you, Annie." I grinned at the two of them and wrapped them both in my arms, falling onto the both of their laps, "I love you both." They laughed under me and breathed out that they love me too.
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I had three days left. Three days to complete Belle's wedding dress and get rested before the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. To say I was stressed was an understatement of the year. "It looks really good, Laney." I grinned as I stitched the rest of the lace. "You really think so?" I glanced to where he sat and he grinned nodding. "It's a beautiful dress. You did a really good job." I grinned again as I looked over the dress.
"I hope she loves it as much as I do." Ace chuckled as he stretched out his legs and stood. He was still in his suit from work and he looked so damn good. If I wasn't so busy on the dress I would definitely be busy on him. I sighed as I smoothed it down one last time. I stood up and held the dress out in front of me.
I stepped into the top of the dress and shimmed it up. "Zip it up, quick?" I looked at Ace and he grinned at me coming up behind me and zipping me up in the dress and I walked in front of the full length mirror. "I think I should clean it up a bit with a little bit of a hem and then I think it's ready." I met Ace's eyes in the mirror and he nodded his head.
"It's really a gorgeous dress, you did such an amazing job." I smiled brightly as I gave him a twirl. "What all of this? It was nothing really." He grinned as he took two long strides and was in front of me.
"You are, absolutely stunning. I never thought I would care much about this kind of stuff but I cannot wait to marry you Laney." His eyes burned brightly, his teeth sparkled in the low lighting and my head and stomach felt uneasy. "You mean that?" His hand came up and brushed the hair behind my ear. "Every single part of it." I grinned up at him, my heart beating uncontrollably.
"I love you." His lips pressed firmly against mine, his hand moving to cup the back of my neck, tangling in my hair. "I love you, Henry." He grinned on my mouth, kissing me again. I pulled away with a smile after a couple more. "Okay, let me get this dress finished." I pulled all the way back and turned around for Ace to unzip the dress. It was falling slightly, for it was a bit too big for me, since Belle is pregnant and all.
The dress drooped down more and more as the zipper came down, I gathered the dress in my arms and zipped it on the mannequin. I fixed the hem a bit more as Ace left a little while ago. As I finished up I grinned and pulled my phone out.
'Your dress is officially done!' Her response to my text was almost immediate. 'I am dying to see it, I'm coming over tomorrow morning with breakfast!' I grinned as I shot her one last text telling her I couldn't wait for her reaction and slipped the phone back into my shorts pocket.
Leaving the room and shutting the door on the way out, my feet padded against the carpet and down the steps to the kitchen where Ace stood stirring a pot. I grinned as I leaned against the wall and watched as he looked so focused.
My heart beat erratically and my stomach swarmed as I thought about his words over and over again. I cannot wait to marry you. I couldn't help but to think maybe this is how life was supposed to be. All of this felt right. Before, things always kind of felt like they were happening too chaotically to comprehend. Loving Ace was thrilling and fast, but loving Henry was slow and kind. Loving Henry was everything my dad would have wanted him to be.
Ace was headstrong and distant. Henry is patient and still a little headstrong, obviously, he's still the same guy. At the same time he's no longer a boy, he is a man now and he's really been acting like it. He knows what he wants in his life and I'm happy it's with me. I'm happy we've had these months to re-find each other and fall in love all over again.
I pushed off the wall and walked to where he stood. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, my hands rubbing his abs through the fabric. My head pressed tightly against his taunt muscles in his back and I grinned. This is right. Us, finally being together like this is right.
His hands enveloped my tiny ones, his fingers threading through mine. He rubbed my hands and soon my arms. He let go to turn off the stove and spun around in my embrace. He was grinning at me, his whole face lighting up.
"Let's eat." I grinned at him and nodded. "I'll set the table." He smiled at me as he pulled the chicken out of the oven and set it on top of the stove. We were having seasoned chicken, potatoes and broccoli for dinner. My stomach grumbled at the smell and soon we were sat comfortably at the table, Charlie lying close by.
"This is really good, thank you." Ace looked up at me and set his fork down. He folded his hands behind his plate and stared so intently. I put my fork down as I saw the serious look on his face. "I hate every minute I'm not next to you. Our schedules are crazy, but I can't take another minute of it. Come live with me, baby. Move in with me. I've spent years without you, I don't want to be away from you for another second."
My stomach turned with anxiousness. I smiled slowly at Ace's intent look, "okay." I whispered and he smiled. "Yeah?" I nodded, "yeah." His smile morphed into a grin and he chuckled lightly, almost if he was giggling. "You are a child, you know that." I shook my head, a grin splayed on my lips.
"For you, my love. Although, you do make me feel less of a man than I am." I shook my head.
"No, that is where you are wrong. You are more of a man for showing the love all women want to feel from their partner." He grinned wider at my words, if that were even possible.
"I love you so much."
"I love you more." He shook his head at me, although he didn't say anything more. Instead, he continued to eat, grinning at me from across the table every once in awhile.
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Belle shrieked very loudly when she saw her dress. Yesterday she brought breakfast just like he said she would and she was absolutely in love and I couldn't have been happier.
Although, now we were sat at the Rehearsal dinner and everyone was anxious and stressed. If I thought Belle was bride-zilla before, I was so entirely and completely wrong. Now she was like the hulk on crack. It was awful.
Ace's smile from across the room was what made my nerves calm lightly. I was stressed to the point I wanted to rip my own hair out. I was even nasty with Ace for a bit today and now that things were calming down, I began to let the guilt eat away at me.
We practiced and practiced until it was good enough for Belle's favor. My feet were sore and my legs ached from standing. My head pounded and my stomach grumbled with the need to feed. That sounds a bit dramatic doesn't it? Almost as if my stomach was some flesh eating monster or something. I have no idea anymore the references I make. All I know is that I need to eat before I go completely insane. I haven't eaten since yesterday and it was taking a toll on my body.
Ace was sat down the table, talking to Tyler. I was lost in my own thoughts- obviously, when a light tap on my leg made me look up. I smiled in return to Connor who grinned at me. "It's almost over." I wiped fake sweat from my head and let out a small relieved noise, "Thank God for that right?" He chuckled lightly at me and nodded, taking a sip of his water.
"You could say that again, Jake has been going crazy." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, trying being with the pregnant bride all day. She's stressed and hungry, I think she would rip my head off and eat it if she could." I whispered back, afraid said pregnant bride would hear me. He chuckled in return and shook his head. "That'll be a no from me." I grinned while muttering a "thought so," out to him.
"I heard that, Lay!" Belle shouted from the end of the table. I sunk lower in my seat and Connor and I laughed. "Yikes." I whispered out and Connor only laughed a bit louder shaking his head. I laughed lightly too and shook my head. "How've you been?" Connor asked after a minute and I grinned, sitting back up in my seat properly.
"I've been doing good, how are you. I haven't really seen you guys lately." He nodded with a bit of a frown but shrugged. "I've been looking at new places, the apartment is getting so crowded between Tyler and I." I nodded my head and took a sip of my water.
I threw my hand out a bit, "well what about my place. I was thinking about renting it out to people, why not people I know and actually like?" I grinned and he tilted his head a bit to the side. "Rent? Are you moving already?" His expression was confused and my stomach flipped uneasily.
"Yeah," I trailed off a bit unsettling. "I'm moving in with, Henry soon." I offered feebly and he nodded taking a sip of water. He wiped his hands on his jeans a couple of times, nodding. "Yeah, I'll talk to, Ty. He loves your house anyways. After I talk to him, we'll talk about everything then." He smiled weakly and I only offered him a weak smile in return nodding.
I felt like shit. Connor does not deserve this. Maybe in a different life it could have been us. Truth be told, I don't think I'm good enough for Connor. Ace even. They're amazing people, they'd do anything and I'm just simply, not good enough.
Before my thoughts could spiral much more, we were interrupted from Nick, clinking his fork to his glass calling a toast. "To my baby sister and soon to be brother- in law. I could not have asked for a better person to have taken care of my wild and untamable sister." We all hooted and toasted to Nick's thoughtful toast as Belle booed him and hit him playfully as he reseated.
I stood this time raising my glass. "To my best friend, the one who has been with me through thick and thin. I'm so glad you have finally found your other piece to add to our puzzle, kind of a shame it was Jake, though," He booed me and I only laughed in return, "I'm playing, I'm glad you're going to be taking care of my best friend from now on. Just an FYI she's a mess and a handful. Good fucking luck to you, pal." The hoots and laughs rang through again and Belle could only glare at me. I winked playfully at her calling to the end of the table, "you know I love you, baby girl." She rolled her eyes but blew a kiss at me anyways. I grinned back in return.
I watched the table filled with laughter and chatter, smiling at how great this is. This is what our lives are. We're grown up now, living our lives, having babies, getting married. I just hope we get everything we've ever wanted in this life.
My eyes trailed to where Henry sat. He was already looking at me, smiling. Once our eyes connected, my stomach fluttered and as his smile grew, it couldn't help but to flip. I knew the look on his face. I knew what he wanted to tell me. My suspicions were confirmed when he mouthed, 'you look beautiful.' My red lips grew wider, 'touche' I mouthed back and he shook his head laughing lightly.
Tyler pulled him back into a conversation by slapping him upside the head, Henry scowled at him and I giggled lightly. Looking around the table I couldn't help but to smile. What a life.
A life I couldn't imagine not living. A life I knew was supposed to go exactly like this. There are things that are better off left alone, things better off left in the past. I want nothing more than to focus on what life holds yet, what my future holds. What my life with Henry holds.
My stomach turned with an ease as I thought about the one thing from the past I had to bring up. Just not right now. Everything is going so well, I don't want to ruin that. I don't want something so tiny to ruin something so great. The time will come when it has to be talked about.
But sometimes, time isn't always on our side. Almost all of the time, time is never on my side.