by K. A. Linde
Chyna didn’t let go of Lexi, and they stood together as best friends, practically sisters. They both nodded because speaking might result in tears. Lexi knew Chyna wasn’t nervous, but happy tears were equally as likely as jitters.
“Lexi, I’ll take you first,” the wedding planner said, opening the door wide.
Lexi turned to face her friend. “Next time I see you, you’ll be walking down the aisle, making everyone jealous. I love you. You’re my best friend. Try not to cry. I can’t promise I won’t. The only thing I have to say is…I’m really glad it’s Adam. Of all the guys I would want to share my best friend with, I think he’s the best.”
“Thank you,” Chyna whispered, her voice stuck in her throat at the words.
Lexi kissed her powdered cheek before turning and walking out of the dressing room with the wedding planner. She took in a shuddering breath and held back her tears. She couldn’t cry. Nothing had happened yet.
They walked up a small flight of stairs to the landing area where Adam and John waited. Lexi turned to look out the double doors leading to the rooftop location Chyna had selected. While seeing the backdrop of the entire New York City skyline, her breath caught in her throat. She had been up here before with Chyna to see the venue, but this was something else all on its own. The sun was setting high on the horizon, casting a beautiful glow across the rooftop.
The entire rooftop was decorated in an elegant burgundy and gold color theme with a bit of extravagance that only Chyna could pull off. There was no altar, only a small platform before an old-fashioned brick fireplace. Chairs were filled with friends and family on either side of the aisle. Each chair was draped in a burgundy cloth with individual gold bows on the back. Floral arrangements with burgundy and gold flowers paired with white roses were tied to the end of every row. The aisle was littered with dark red rose petals and a shower of gold flecks that reflected off the ebbing sunlight. The officiant stood at the end of the aisle, patiently waiting for the wedding to begin.
“Wow,” Lexi whispered. “It’s gorgeous.”
“You look gorgeous,” John whispered.
Lexi took a deep breath and then turned to face him and Adam. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“I agree with my brother,” Adam said. “Gorgeous.”
“You two look great yourself,” she said cordially.
And they did.
Both were in tailored made-for-their-bodies black suits with pressed white button-ups. Adam’s tie was burgundy and gold, diagonally striped, while John wore a solid burgundy tie. They looked so much alike in that moment even though John was a few years older. John still carried himself with that staggering confidence that melted girls’ panties, but this was Adam’s day. He was as excited as Chyna, and so…today he had won. Plus, he got Chyna, and she was the real prize.
“That’s your cue, Adam,” the wedding planner said.
He walked through the double doors and took his spot next to the officiant. They shook hands and exchanged a few words. Adam had the biggest smile that hadn’t left his face practically since the proposal. He was a man who appreciated the person he was with and would never take advantage of their relationship. He knew how lucky he was today.
“You should wear gold more often,” John said.
That was when Lexi realized that the moment had finally come where she was alone with him again.
“It highlights your skin tone and brings out the gold in your eyes.”
Lexi sighed softly. She had been debating how to approach this situation for a while now. She had never been able to figure it out. She wanted to be okay with all of this for Chyna, but John was walking her down the aisle. The only people she ever wanted to do that was her daddy and her husband. Lexi glanced down at her engagement ring and stopped moving when she realized that her thought hadn’t been Ramsey. It had been on her husband. Granted, they weren’t one and the same…yet.
“You’re lost in thought,” John said.
“Oh, yes. Just thinking about Chyna and how we got to this moment,” she said.
“Right.”
He sounded disbelieving, but she couldn’t care about that.
She brushed down the front of her dress in anticipation of the upcoming wedding ceremony. When she had first caught a glimpse of the dress that Chyna had had designed for her, she had been stunned. It was beautiful. Chyna hadn’t tried to make the dress a little ugly. She knew there was no way she would be outshined on her big day, and the bridesmaid’s dress she had chosen would only make Chyna look more beautiful. It would cast her in the spotlight, not out of it.
The form-fitting dress was a knee-length gold and burgundy number with hand-sewn gold sequins swirled into a pattern on the top. It was strapless and cut into a sweetheart neckline. The bottom half was several layers of pleated sheer burgundy material over a burgundy silk slip that dropped to her knees. She had on matching burgundy high heels, a thin gold chain with a knot resting between her collarbones, and matching gold knot earrings that she had received as a bridesmaid gift.
“Are you all right?” John asked.
“What?” Lexi asked, brushing her palms down her dress again and again.
“You look a little nervous, and you’re kind of pale.”
“Am I?” she gasped, her face blanching further.
“Yeah, you are. Do you need some water? Or do you need to sit down?”
“No, I’m fine. Just…weddings make me nervous,” she admitted.
“Right. Not the marrying type,” he said without any humor in his voice. “Funny since you have the huge ring on your finger.”
“Ramsey’s different,” she said softly.
There was no point in having this conversation with John. It had never ended well in the past. She doubted it would get any better in the future.
“Right,” he repeated.
He smirked at her, but it was equivalent to him just rolling his eyes.
Infuriating man!
“Seriously though. Water?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No. Seriously, I’m fine.”
She wasn’t. She felt like she might hyperventilate while walking down that aisle with John. It wasn’t even her wedding, and she was acting like this. She needed to get a handle on herself.
The wedding planner rushed back over to them and smiled through her stress. Lexi didn’t know why the woman was stressing. This had to be one of her easier weddings. It was so small, no more than fifty people in attendance. It was probably even less if Lexi had to guess. They could get through this.
“All set? Just link arms there,” the wedding planner said.
Lexi slipped her hand into the crook of John’s elbow, and he pulled her in a little closer. She took a deep breath and promised not to let it get to her.
“Once you guys are out there, remember to turn at the same time to your places. Chyna will follow once you’re in your spots.”
“Ready?” John whispered in her ear.
Lexi nodded.
And then, the doors were whisked open, and music played a soft classical song. John took the first step, urging her forward. They walked across the rose petals, and she was careful to keep her balance.
Her eyes drifted to Ramsey, who was seated in the middle of the bride’s side. He was in a suit and tie. His green eyes were locked solely on her. He didn’t even blink at the fact that another man was walking her down the aisle. He just continued staring up at her adoringly.
Why wouldn’t this bother him? John was anything but platonic toward her. He never had been. Not that she wanted Ramsey to be irritated with her, but did he just not care?
She was being irrational again. Why was it upsetting her that he didn’t care? Wasn’t that what she wanted? Wasn’t that what she had fought for with Jack?
And now, Jack was getting divorced…and he had told her that he loved her…and he wanted to take her home with him. She wondered if Ramsey would still be okay with it.
Her mind flashed back to the nigh
t when he had proposed. She had walked through that restaurant and seen the cookie-cutter wives and the cookie-cutter husbands and the couples who barely cared about each other. She had wondered then if she was headed on that path, if she was going to end up sitting around in nice restaurant because that was what they did rather than truly enjoying each other’s company. How had she swept that under the rug? She still didn’t know if that was where she was heading.
She loved Ramsey. She needed to stop her mind from wandering. This was just a walk down the aisle with John. This had no reflection on her relationship…on her fiancé.
“You remember that conversation we had in the hospital?” John whispered as they neared the platform.
“Yes,” Lexi whispered, intuitively knowing where this conversation was going.
“You’re regretting not taking that out right now.”
Lexi breathed in sharply. She had known it was something like that, but it didn’t stop it from hurting. Was she regretting that?
No…
She never would have taken the out that he had given her. She hadn’t wanted to come back to New York. She had been set on Ramsey…still set on Ramsey. That was the life that she had chosen. It was the life she wanted to lead.
Wasn’t it?
“That offer still stands,” John said right before they broke apart.
John moved to stand next to Adam. Holding her flowers up to her chest, Lexi turned at the same time and took her place next to where Chyna would be standing. John caught her gaze, and he smirked as if he knew that she was considering the offer.
How could she ever consider an offer like that? What was wrong with her? What would make her do that? She felt so out of it all of a sudden. The conversation with Chyna a few weeks ago had only put further doubts in her mind. As if she wasn’t already freaked-out enough, she was now constantly thinking about what she wanted. Was this what she wanted?
It felt like it—most of the time.
But was that good enough?
Lexi averted her gaze from John. She didn’t want to hear his words echoing in her mind. You’re regretting not taking that out. She couldn’t regret it. She had always promised herself she wouldn’t regret. And anyway…her life was everything it should be.
Then, why was she such a ball of stress?
Ramsey met her eyes and lifted his eyebrows as if to ask, Are you okay?
She nodded slightly. She hoped he took that to mean that she was okay rather than she just didn’t want to talk about it. There was a time and a place for that conversation. The more she obsessed, the more she realized that it was pretty inevitable. They needed to get back on track, and they couldn’t do that with her acting like such a hot mess. He would calm her down once they were back in Atlanta. Things would be all right.
Right now, she needed to worry about Chyna’s wedding…and nothing else.
And as she had that thought, a traditional Canon in D filled the speakers, and everyone rose to their feet. After a second, Chyna materialized in the doorway. Everyone caught their breaths at the sheer awe-inspiring beauty before them. Surely, everyone looked good on their wedding days, but not everyone was a supermodel. So, Chyna took the cake.
Her dress was the best of both worlds with a mix of vintage and modern designs. It was a full lace gown with cap sleeves that dangled elegantly all the way down to a V-cut in the back. The bodice had a wave cut that ended in a small V to reveal just a hint of cleavage but nothing over the top. Intricate design work was beaded under the chest until the waist where the lace swept down elegantly into a train behind her. The backside of the gown had a small bow at the base of the V-cut, and then two-dozen little buttons held the dress together.
Chyna smiled her supermodel smile, and then she proceeded down the aisle in a smooth light gait, not rushed but not slow.
The best part of it all was that Chyna needed no one to walk her down the aisle. In most circumstances, this would be a moment of embarrassment, of hushed whispers among the guests. But Chyna had refused to invite her parents, and there was no one else that she wanted to give her away. Lexi had suggested Frederick, and Chyna had just laughed at the very idea of it. Frederick was seated on the bride’s side, but he couldn’t be the one to do it. She had reasoned that she was completely independent now, and thus, she should be free to give herself away.
Lexi thought it was perfect.
Chyna’s eyes found Adam on the platform, and they didn’t leave his the entire way. There could be no one else in the room, and Chyna would have been happy. This was the man she had always wanted, and he was right in front of her. She was finally going to have the happiness she deserved.
Chyna stopped at the platform, handed off her bouquet of flowers to Lexi, and then moved into place in front of her husband-to-be.
The officiant smiled down upon them before speaking. “On behalf of the bride and groom, I would like to welcome you all to the union of Chyna Van der Wal and Adam Ward. Please be seated.”
He waited for the crowd to readjust to their seats before continuing. “I am pleased to be here today to join together a pair so well suited for each other. I have heard nothing but praise and blessings showered down on them since meeting them and speaking with their friends and family. And it is with great pleasure that I conduct this ceremony. If you’ll join hands, we’ll begin.”
Chyna and Adam clasped hands together and stared up into each other’s eyes. Lexi had been surprised that Chyna, who was one of the least traditional people that she knew, had wanted a very traditional wedding. She hadn’t wanted anything in a church, but the ceremony itself seemed very important to her, and it had translated into what the wedding planner had put together for them.
He turned to Adam first. “Adam, do you intend to take this woman whose hand you hold to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you pledge before your friends and family to love, honor, and protect her through sunshine and shadow alike, keeping yourself for her alone, until death separate you? If so, answer I do.”
Adam turned and looked directly at Chyna. Lexi could see him from her vantage point, and it sent a shiver up her spine. He loved Chyna so much that it was almost unbelievable. There was no way that anyone could miss it. It made her heart pound, just seeing the devotion on his face.
He answered, “I do.”
The officiant repeated the statement of intent to Chyna, and she also answered in the affirmative. Lexi’s heart fluttered.
“Now, Adam, if you’ll repeat after me,” the officiant said, preparing them for the vows, “I, Adam, take you, Chyna, to be my wife…”
Lexi watched them exchange vows through the tears welling in her eyes.
“To have and to hold from this day forward…”
She had never been so sure of a marriage before. Chyna and Adam just worked together.
“For better or for worse…”
They were polar opposites coming together, balancing each other out, and creating a harmony in each other’s lives.
“For richer or for poorer…”
That was what Chyna needed more than anything, and Adam was the only one who was capable of providing that.
“In sickness and in health…”
It was what Lexi wanted, what she had been searching for all along…
“To love and to cherish, excluding all others…”
Someone who didn’t need to take care of her. Someone who didn’t need her to take care of them. But a balance…
“As long as we both shall live.”
Someone who didn’t need anything but her.
The officiant spoke briefly about the significance of the wedding rings—how the ring formed a perfect circle as a symbol of eternity and showed the duration of the commitment they were making to each other. Chyna and Adam looked ecstatic at the prospect, and Lexi just felt like a weight was crushing her shoulders.
“Repeat after me, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow…”
Commitment—there was that word again. It all came down
to that, to knowing that she was going to spend the rest of her life with this one person.
“And with all that I am…”
And not because she had to but because she wanted to. She couldn’t imagine a minute of your future without that person. She couldn’t imagine there ever being another person waiting at the altar for her.
“And with all that I have…”
But Lexi…could.
“I will honor you.”
It made Lexi’s head spin at the very notion. She tried to remain in the present, but it was hard not to visualize herself standing in Chyna’s shoes and wondering if she would be as excited as her friend. Judging by how sick she was feeling standing next to Chyna…Lexi kind of doubted it. How was she supposed to stand there in just over six months without trembling and wondering if she was making the right choice?
“And now, by the authority vested in me and in accordance with the laws of the great State of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Adam smiled brightly. “With pleasure,” he whispered just faintly enough for Lexi to hear before pulling his wife into his arms and crushing their lips together.
The crowd clapped and cheered at their union. Lexi even heard a few whistles and catcalls as they stood together in an intimate lip-lock before all their friends and family in attendance. When they pulled apart, Chyna was giggling, and tears were welling in her eyes. Lexi had never in her life seen Chyna look so happy.
They turned to face the crowd as the officiant ended the ceremony.
“It is my pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time, Adam and Chyna Ward.”
Everyone rose to his or her feet, and the applause continued. Lexi handed Chyna back her intricate bouquet of flowers. Adam and Chyna lifted their clasped hands high, and everyone cheered louder.
Lexi glanced across the altar at John. In that moment, it was the least guarded she had ever seen him, and he looked genuinely happy for his brother. After what had happened with him and Chyna, it had taken a long time for them to be able to let it go. She didn’t even see a trace of it on his face.
He caught her eye and smirked as if to say, Are you this happy?
