Chapter Twenty-Five
Parker
The streak of sleepless nights continued into the morning of my wedding. I hadn’t returned home until late last night, unable to face Rachel, or anyone for that matter, after hearing Sienna talk about us being together. Why the hell did she decide to bring this up the day before my wedding? Did she not want me to marry Rachel so badly that she’d make up lies about wanting to be with me? If she had, it was the cruelest thing I’d ever heard.
Sienna never opened her heart to anyone, so as much as I tried to deny it or make excuses for her losing her mind, I had a feeling she was telling the truth. I didn’t understand the timing. She had years to tell me how she felt. What had changed in the last day? Tony had said she talked to the Lamontes, maybe Harriet had said something. She was a sweet older woman, but she had a tendency to meddle. I hoped she didn’t encourage Sienna to confess her feelings for me. I bet Sienna told Harriet about how Rachel “cheated” on me; then I’d understand them trying to break up Rachel and me. But Sienna was wrong.
It was hard for me to admit that at a few points in my life I considered trying something with Sienna. Hearing her talk about me in that way had stirred something inside of me. I only wished she had better timing.
I couldn’t end everything now with Rachel. It wouldn’t be fair to her.
I was about to drift off early that morning when an electronic noise made me jolt.
Rachel reached over and turned off her phone, which had been charging on the side table next to her.
She turned around. “Happy wedding day,” she said with a smile. She kissed my cheek and hopped out of bed and went into the bathroom.
I didn’t remember the last time Rachel had kissed me. Granted, it was my cheek. In the past, she said it was hard for her to hold onto her virtue if we did much more than kiss.
I turned and leaned on my side, listening to Rachel humming in the shower. I smiled, thinking of how happy she was for our wedding day. I’d been right about not taking a risk on Sienna. As much as it pained me to think that, we were better off as friends. I had a feeling she thought she was going to lose me when I got married. And even though we were fighting at the moment, I knew we’d find our way back. If she had those feelings for me, of course, she would want to stop the wedding. But that didn’t mean I had to stop it on a chance of us being together.
I was still in bed when Rachel got out of the shower. “I’m going over to Ophelia’s to get ready, then the limo is going to take us to the venue around eleven. Are you going to get up anytime soon?”
“Yeah, I was waiting for you to get out of the shower,” I said. Plus, I didn’t take as long to get ready as she did. I literally had to take a shower and put on my tux and I was ready to go. But I knew if I said that, I’d probably get a nasty look.
She went into the closet. “Where is Sienna’s dress?”
“Hm?”
She poked her head out into the bedroom. “She’s not getting ready here? I thought her and her friend were coming here before the wedding.”
“About that…” I said.
She came out of the closet with her arms crossed. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” I said, and that was the damn truth. “Sienna is no longer a part of our wedding.”
Rachel almost looked relieved, and for a moment I thought of the cheating conversation with Sienna. I quickly pushed away from the thought.
“So, you’re not having anyone stand with you?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
Rachel sighed heavily and went to the side table to pick up her phone. “That’s not acceptable. I can get Ophelia’s brother to do it. You need to have a best man.”
“Rachel, it’s not a big deal.”
She held up a finger. “This is my wedding day. We’re already off-sides; I’m not going to let you embarrass me because you have no friends.”
I blinked a few times and the scowl on her face slowly faded as she typed into her phone. Sure, Sienna had been my best friend, but I had other friends. On any other day, I might have asked Tony, but he always sided with Sienna. I briefly wondered if I should have pushed harder for a courthouse wedding. I’d sure be happy when the stress of this wedding was done.
“It’s all set,” Rachel said and brought her phone with her in the closet. She closed the doors behind her, signaling the end of that conversation.
I had just finished my cereal and coffee when Rachel came out of the bedroom dressed in a white terry cloth outfit. The back of the jacket had the word BRIDE written in sparkling jewels.
“I’ll expect you there by eleven fifteen, at the latest,” she said. Then she was off.
I’d become used to her abrupt goodbyes as of late. And with my mind going crazy all morning, her absence was welcomed. I needed some time to myself for a little while.
I stood and put my dishes away, then went back into the bedroom and out to the balcony. I had a few hours to kill before heading over to the venue. While I had the urge to go surfing again, I knew if I wiped out, I might miss the wedding completely. Then Rachel would have a real reason for being pissed at me.
I sat down on the lounge and propped my feet up on the railing, looking out over the other houses and into the distant ocean.
My mind started to wander back to Sienna. I’d never known her to maliciously want to hurt someone. And if I had any thought of her manipulating me into not getting married, I found it hard to hold onto that as an excuse for what she said to me. Especially about Rachel cheating. With Sienna’s feelings for me aside, I realized I never confronted Rachel about the accusation. And she’d been quick to replace Sienna this morning. Had something happened on her vacation? Was it true that she wasn’t a virgin?
I rubbed my hands through my hair then down my face. I didn’t like being so conflicted about this. But if I was going to go through with this wedding, then I needed to be one-hundred-percent sure I was marrying someone who wanted me for me and not just my money. I knew Rachel loved her lifestyle, but if she wasn’t in it for the long haul, then what the hell was I doing with her?
I stood up from the lounge and gripped the railing. “Damn you, Sienna,” I growled. I hated that she put these thoughts in my head.
There was only one thing left I had to do.
I arrived at the venue right around eleven. I expected Rachel and her friends to be there, but I didn’t see the limo. When I asked one of the workers, they confirmed they hadn’t seen the bride that morning.
I couldn’t believe it was Rachel who was late. I hoped she wasn’t having second thoughts.
I went into the assigned groom’s suite to change. If Rachel showed up and I wasn’t ready, I was sure to hear it from her.
I finished tying my bow tie after several unsuccessful attempts when someone knocked on the door. For a split second, I hoped it was Sienna.
I went to the door and opened it.
“Good morning, Mr. Liston,” said Cheryl, the florist.
“Good morning.”
She handed me a boutonniere and a corsage. “These are for you.”
I stared at the corsage, which had been assigned to Sienna. “Thank you.”
She took her box of flowers, which contained the bouquets, down the hallway to where Rachel was supposed to be finishing up getting ready.
I closed the door and placed Sienna’s corsage on the table. The delicate flowers wouldn’t be seen at my wedding, and that was a damn shame.
I pinned the boutonniere to my jacket, which was hanging in the small open closet. I was already sweating with the anticipation of what I was about to do.
A few minutes later, I heard Rachel coming down the hall. I waited until I heard her door shut before I entered the hallway and headed down to her room. My head felt light, as if I’d drunk a whole bottle of champagne. As difficult as this was going to be, I had to have a straight answer before I could marry her.
Inside the room, Rachel and her bridesmaids were laughing and being the loud single girls they always had been.
I knocked on the door loudly. Someone shushed the other girls and a few of them giggled before the door opened.
Ophelia was in my face. Her pink glossy lips frowned. “You’re not supposed to be here,” she said, reeking of booze.
I leaned back a little. “I need to speak with Rachel.”
“It’s bad luck to speak with the bride!” one of the other girls shouted from the room.
I rolled my eyes. “Rachel, I need to speak with you.” I narrowed my eyes at Ophelia. “Alone.”
Ophelia turned around to look at Rachel. I still couldn’t see my fiancée. I had the urge push open the door and make the decision for everyone. But then Rachel spoke.
“Girls, can you leave us for a minute?”
Four women dressed in the same pink outfit strode out the door. Ophelia stumbled on her heels and one of the girls suggested getting her some water so she could walk down the aisle without falling over.
“I’m going to stay behind the door,” Rachel said.
“That’s fine.”
“So, what did you need to talk to me about?”
I took a deep breath and just went for it. “Are you a virgin?”
There was a long pause on the other side of the door. With each passing second, tension built in my shoulders.
“Parker, why are we discussing this now? We have like, thirty minutes before we’re married.”
“Answer the question, Rachel.”
“Why does it matter, anyway?”
“Because it does.” I needed to know if I was marrying a liar.
She scoffed. “Parker, go get ready. And send the girls back in here so they can help me.”
The door closed in my face, and I stared at the wood grain, which was inches from my nose. My breathing was heavy and instead of opening the door and demanding she give me an answer, I headed back to my room, already knowing what that answer was.
Ten minutes later, the event planner for the wedding venue came into my room and announced that it was time for me to head outside. My entire body was numb and my legs were on autopilot because I ended up shaking hands with the officiant and Ophelia’s brother, then looking out at my friends and family. Well, all but one of them.
My breathing was loud in my ears and drowned out the string quartet as Rachel’s bridesmaids came down the aisle.
Then the change in music signified the start of Rachel’s walk down the aisle. Everyone turned to look at her, giving me a moment out of the spotlight. My heartbeat pounded so hard that I could see the rhythmic movement under my shirt.
When I looked up, I had to do a double-take. I blinked and saw Sienna in front of me, wearing a white dress. I smiled broadly.
The officiant’s voice filled my ears. “Parker, do you take Rachel to be your wife?”