by Kyra Lennon
A strange sensation travelled through me as I slowly looked back up at the magnificent display in the sky. My eyes had scanned the people watching; Freya and Miguel were holding each other tightly, and Miguel whispered something to her that made her laugh; Josh and Christina were staring skywards, mouths open in awe, Leah’s parents stood beside them wearing matching expressions; Bryce stood beside his date, and she kept glancing up at him as he watched the show. And of course, Leah and Radleigh. Radleigh had his arms around Leah from behind, and although they were watching the fireworks too, they had some kind of loved-up bubble surrounding them. They looked so happy.
“Hey,” Izzy said, turning in my arms. “Are you okay?”
I gave a slow nod. “Sure.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Jesse…”
Of course, she saw through me, and I sighed. “I’m just thinking about all my friends. About how fortunate I’ve been to work with these people.”
She smiled softly. “It’s okay if you’re having second thoughts. I’m not going to be upset if you need more time, or even if you’ve totally changed your mind.”
Looking into the eyes of my gorgeous English rose, I sighed. The crazy thing about her words was that she meant them. Every single one. It still blew my mind that I’d found someone so selfless and understanding. “I’ve made my decision, Iz.”
I just hadn’t told anyone yet. Well, nobody apart from my family and Richard. I’d had many, many long talks with my boss before I’d reached a conclusion. He had been awesome. Didn’t try to pressure me one way or another. And after what felt like endless conversations, I’d made my choice. Soon, I’d be leaving Westberg and signing a contract to play for one of London’s biggest teams.
I hadn’t taken the decision lightly. In fact, I’d barely slept for weeks as I bounced back and forth over what to do. Me moving to the UK had never been a part of my plans, not even when I started dating Izzy. We’d discussed her moving to L.A once she was done with uni. It was a long time to be apart, but we realised we had time on our side. We were so young; too young to need to hurry to be together. Of course, we missed each other like crazy, but we didn’t want to be the kind of couple who screwed up our entire futures to be together, only to find we weren’t really compatible.
But then the offer came. It was a chance for me to be with Izzy all the time. The drawback was leaving behind my parents and my sister, and all the friends I’d made in Los Angeles. And that was a hell of a downside. I’d been through a lot, grown up a lot with the people surrounding me, and the idea of not seeing them every day? It hurt like hell. But I had career to think about. A future to think about. After weighing it all up, as much as leaving would suck, I wanted to go the England. Who wouldn’t? Sure the weather isn’t so good, but the UK is like the holy grail of soccer.
And I could be with my girl. We were planning to move in together as soon as we found a place that was convenient, and until then, Izzy’s parents insisted I stay with them.
I smiled at Izzy as she still had concern in her eyes. “Izzy, come on. You know this is what I want. I want to be in England with you.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m just scared that maybe you’ll regret it. Maybe you’ll resent me for taking you away from your home.”
“You know that’s not true. You know all the reasons I’m doing this. Whether I had you in my life or not, I’d want to make this move. Having you just makes it so much better.”
A smile began to spread across her face as my words filtered into her head. “I can’t wait. I just… I can’t wait.”
She wound her arms around my neck, fireworks still going off around us, and pressed her lips to mine.
Bryce
I was supposed to be relaxed. I’d had enough champagne to loosen the knots in my neck and shoulders, but I couldn’t shift the tension I carried there.
Bringing a virtual stranger to a wedding made me more nervous than I expected.
I’d introduced Clare to as many people as I could, and we were sitting at a table with Jesse and Izzy – two of the most laid back people in the world - which made things a little easier. I’d just introduced Clare to Leah, and we stood beside our table, talking, as people around us blew the bubbles that had been laid out, while many others hit the dancefloor. Some guests were by the bar, and others, like us, were just chatting.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t come over earlier,” Leah said, taking Clare’s hand. “Weddings are way busier than I expected!”
Clare smiled at her, her full lips curving upwards in a gorgeous smile. “It’s no problem. It’s always a little manic, and you have lots of people here who want to talk to you. Completely understandable.”
“It’s really good to meet you. Bryce has told me a lot about you.”
Leah was being polite. I’d told her the bare minimum. I’d met Clare a few weeks ago; she’d served me coffee when I’d stopped off to grab a caffeine fix in my regular coffee house on the way to work. Clearly new and struggling to work the coffee machine, she’d caught my attention with her awkwardness. The awkwardness wasn’t part of her personality, it was just an equipment mishap, but she made me laugh when she’d straightened up and raised her gaze to my face, telling me she didn’t often meet guys who were taller than her. She was six feet tall, and all legs. Slender, almost like a dancer, although she assured me she’d never danced in her life. She was glamourous-looking, with dark brown eyes and jet black hair in a pixie cut.
“Well, don’t let that put you off,” Clare said, laughing. “I’m harmless, I promise.”
Leah looked up at me. “I love her already.” She shifted her gaze back to Clare. “I can’t wait to get to know you better, but for now, since my husband is currently dancing with one of my bridesmaids, do you mind if I borrow Bryce for a dance?”
Clare shook her head. “Not at all. Just... watch your feet. He’s dangerous out there.”
She winked and I chuckled, admiring her ballsy attitude. Seemed like she was going to fit in well with my friends. “Alright, I’m gonna go before you two gang up on me any more!” I leaned down and kissed Clare on the cheek. “You rest your feet, sweetheart. I’ll be back soon.”
Laughing, she swatted me on the butt as Leah took my hand and led me onto the dancefloor. The music had slowed, allowing people to wind down before the party ended, and couples were wound around each other, their bodies pressed together.
What is it about weddings that makes everyone horny?
Leah slipped her arms around my waist and I placed my hands on her hips, pulling her close to me, but not too close. Even though Radleigh was dancing with Bree, he’d still break my arms if I got too close to his wife.
“So, she’s hot,” Leah said, grinning.
I laughed. “Yeah, she is pretty hot.”
“Only pretty hot?” She rose up on her tiptoes to glance at her over my shoulder. “I’m considering ditching Radleigh and going home with her!” she teased, making me laugh harder.
“Yeah, you’d last about five seconds with a girl before wishing you had a man again.”
She glanced up at me from beneath her eyelashes. “Are you saying I’m some kind of cock whore?”
“No! But, you know… if the choice was between her and Radleigh…”
Leah began to laugh too. “No, you’re right. But she is beautiful. And she seems really nice. When we get back from the honeymoon, you’ll have to bring her over for dinner.” She peered at me curiously for a second. “You are planning to keep her around, right?”
I nodded. “I’d like to, but I thought I’d keep Bethan for longer than I did. She had other ideas.”
Leah tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “Hmm, maybe I should go back over and check she doesn’t have any lingering feelings for her ex.”
She started to pull away from me, as if she was really going to do it, and I laughed and held her firmly against me. “Don’t even think about it!”
She grinned up at me then nodded over my shoulder. �
�Too late. She’s dancing with Jesse now anyway.”
“So tell me more about this honeymoon,” I said, trying to steer her onto a different topic. “Italy, right?”
“Yeah.” Leah’s face lit up at the thought. “I’ve never been before. We’re going to Verona, Venice, Florence and Rome. If it weren’t for Jessica, we’d probably stay away longer but we already feel bad about leaving her behind for ten days.”
She wasn’t kidding. I remember when Radleigh was trying to plan their trip, and for a really long time, they intended to take Jessica with them. Deanna had been the one to talk them out of it, saying that this would be the only time they would have the opportunity to do this until Jessica was all grown up, so they might as well take the chance now. There had been long, drawn out conversations about whether a short break without Jessica would be better than a long break with her, and even Radleigh, who had never been so good at showing his feelings, was unsure about leaving his daughter behind. Eventually, though, Deanna had worn them down, and in spite of Leah’s continued reluctance, it was obvious she was looking forward to having some time away just with Radleigh.
“Sounds amazing,” I said. “I went to Italy with Sarah once. Before we got married. It’s really beautiful.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” Leah smiled then her face turned serious as she looked up at me. “Bryce… I know Radleigh already thanked you from both of us during his speech, but I just wanted to thank you too. For never choosing sides, and for always being fair to both of us. I’ve said it before, but I don’t know where we’d be without you.”
Shaking my head, I said, “No thanks needed.”
“You might think that but there are very few selfless people left in the world. Especially here in L.A. We’re lucky to have you.”
“Okay.” I smiled, tightening my arms around her as she rested her head against my chest. “Enough. You’re gonna make a dude get emotional, and you already broke Radleigh today. Don’t take me down too!”
Her soft laugh made me smile again. “Fine,” she said. “I didn’t mean any of it anyway.” She looked up and poked her tongue out at me.
“Excuse me, but would you mind if I took my wife back?”
Radleigh tapped me on the shoulder while I was still laughing at Leah, and I nodded. “All yours.” I released her, but she pulled me back for a hug before letting Radleigh envelope her in his arms.
“Thanks, buddy.” Radleigh grinned. My best friend was the happiest man in the world, and rightly so.
I gave him a friendly slap on the back before going back to my seat. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, though. Nobody could. They had some kind of aura around them… I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt anything that strong with my ex-wife. I guess that explained why she was my ex-wife. My eyes drifted to Clare, where she was still dancing with Jesse. She had a beautiful smile and the kind of personality that would keep me on my toes.
“Do you love her?”
I shifted my eyes to the side, where Cody had at down beside me, and laughed. “Slow down! I only met her a couple of weeks ago.”
Cody shook his head, his eyes not leaving mine. “You know what I mean.”
Fuck.
I lowered my gaze before looking back up at him. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
He raised his eyebrows but said nothing, and I looked towards Leah and Radleigh again. She was laughing at something he’d said, and her eyes shone brightly.
I blew out a slow breath.
“Come on,” Cody said. “I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at her today, and I know you’re good friends, but… seems like more than that.”
I’d been careful. So careful with my feelings because they weren’t okay.
“It’s nothing,” I told him. “Certainly not love.”
It wasn’t. Not romantic love. Not really. Leah was the kind of woman I was attracted to. She was pretty, and fun, and fiery, but she had the biggest heart. What was not to like? But aside from noticing she was attractive, I never felt anything more for her. When Radleigh almost screwed things up with her, I spent a lot of time with her. Not because I was trying to sweep in and steal his woman; the idea never occurred to me for a second. But there was that one moment. One night when I almost kissed her.
I wouldn’t have gone through with it. My lips were never going to touch hers. I had too much respect for Leah and Radleigh, both individually and as a couple. But the fact that I’d thought about it, gotten so close to acting on it, ate me up for a while. After it happened, Leah moved on from it immediately. Didn’t hold that moment against me because I think she understood. It wasn’t as much about her as it was about us both feeling sorry for ourselves. And if she had considered kissing me back, it would have been for the same reason. Not because she was harbouring any secret feelings for me, but because she was lonely, just like me.
“So what is it?” Cody asked. “Don’t tell me it’s nothing, Bryce. I know you.”
I turned to him. “I can’t tell you I feel nothing for her, okay? But it’s not serious. I’m not sad. I’m not pining for her, and I’m not secretly hating Radleigh because he has her. I think just let myself get too close to her for a while because I was sick of being on my own.”
Cody nodded. “I get that. Must be rough sometimes.”
“It is. I was with Sarah for a long time. I had a family for a long time. And I’ve been on my own for a while now. Sure, there have been dates here and there, but none of them have been right. But I’m not lonely enough to jeopardise friendships. I would never do anything to hurt Leah and Radleigh.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Cody gave my arm a gentle punch. “I just don’t wanna see you feeling bad.”
“I don’t. Me looking at her today is just… she looks incredible, you can’t deny that.”
“She sure does.” He cast his eyes in her direction. “She’s hot.”
I laughed. “Yes. Yes she is. But so is Clare. And I think… I have a real good feeling about her.”
With a smile, Cody said, “She’s a cool chick.”
That was for sure. Plus, it was always great to meet a woman who didn’t know who I was because she didn’t follow soccer. At least that way I knew she wasn’t just dating me because I was “famous”. But she also hadn’t run away screaming when I told her. She could take life in the spotlight. And she wasn’t fazed by me having kids, either. She hadn’t met them yet, and wouldn’t until I was sure she would stick around, but I wasn’t worried about it. Anyone with such a huge sense of fun could only be good for my girls.
Maybe one day we’d have this kind of wedding. Maybe we’d be the couple everyone couldn’t take their eyes off, and there’d be someone else sitting down, watching us, wishing they had what we had.
But that day was a long way away, if it happened at all.
Radleigh
It had been a long day. It was past one a.m, and the last guests had just left. Leah and I were the only people remaining in the party tent, where I’d just had the best day of my life. Leah sat at one of the tables, the only thing left in the room that wasn’t a complete mess. Empty glasses and bottles were all over – not just on the tables – as were the remains of the small bottles of bubbles, confetti, and burst balloons littered the floor.
Amongst the carnage, my bride still looked as amazing as she had when I first saw her walking towards me down the aisle.
I’d gotten butterflies. Actual totally un-manly butterflies, when I saw her. She’d always had that effect on me, but at that moment… she was perfection.
She smiled as I approached and sat in the chair beside her. Her head fell onto my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her.
“I can’t decide if I’m tired or not.” She gave a small laugh. “I feel less energetic than I did a few hours ago, but I’m not sure I’m ready to sleep yet.”
“You’d better not fall asleep before we get to the wedding night fun. I’ve been waiting all day for that part.”
My tone w
as light, and she laughed again. “Believe me, I’ve been looking forward to it too. And I’m not going to let it pass us by. But before we go to the hotel, can we do something totally unsexy, like have a large coffee? I just need a little time to wind down.”
I nodded. “Sure. We’ll go inside soon. I just want to be here for a little longer.”
She looked up at me and pressed her lips against mine. “Me too.”
Standing up for a moment, I swept her legs from beneath her, lifted her, then sat down, placing her on my lap. Her arms came up around my neck. “So,” she said. “Do you feel any different now we’re married?”
In the old days, I would have branded that a dumb question. What had changed? We’d been living together for a long time. We had a kid together. What difference would getting married make really? But I did feel different. Secure. I knew Leah and I were solid. That had been proven time and again over the last few months, but taking that final step? Making this commitment? It was hard to explain, but it just made everything feel complete.
Which is sappy as shit, but it’s true.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the world,” I told her, then grinned. “Can’t believe you fell for it, though. From now on, I’ll expect you to have my dinner ready as soon as I get home from work, and you can forget about those long lunches you take with Bree, or even with my mom. I’ve got you exactly where I want you. The wife must stay in the home and take care of the children. Because that’s all you’re good for now. Cooking and making babies.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is that so? Well, in that case, there’s no time for any wedding night fun – as you put it. I need my rest so I can make sure the house is spotless for my beloved husband.”
