A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (46 page)

Is that my phone? Yep.

Just my agent.

Decline.

“Ah, that’s better,” James grumbles
after switching the heat up on the shower I assume. Lucas and I get changed faster than a teen caught nude by his parents. We assess each other, wax our hair, assess each other again and crack open a bottle of whiskey.

James exits the bathroom, sees the whiskey, turns an odd shade of green and vanishes into the bathroom to dry heave again.

Damn it.

Maybe I shouldn’t have given him that tenth shot. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Everything seemed like a good idea at the time, including the lap dance we all got.
Myself included. Unfortunately it wasn’t from a female stripper. It was from a male stripper that Marie hired just for us. Yep. She hired us a male stripper, paid him extra to not take no for an answer.

He followed us around all night until
Lucas and I taped him to a tree and left him there.

Shit.

I hope he hasn’t been there all night.

“The day is finally here,” Lucas grins as we clink glasses. Then he opens the door and shouts, “Somebody get me a skateboard or some shit like that.” And then slams it again.

“A skateboard?” I ask, not totally sure I want to know.

A loud groan comes from the bathroom, Lucas quirks his brow at me, “How the fuck else are we going to get him down the aisle?”

I throw my head back and laugh. That’s fucking funny.

What’s funnier is the fact that one of the staff heard him and brought a skateboard ten minutes later.

I look at myself in the mirror while putting a bit of wax in my hair to tussle it and can’t help but think how much handsomer I seem to be getting with age. No wonder Marie wants me, I look good. With a U and an R instead of the OO.
Gurd.

“We good?”
James asks and flattens his suit. After one of my awesome detox shakes he’s doing a lot better thankfully.

“You don’t look nervous,” Lucas grins, leaning against the doorframe. “Not even a little bit.”

“That’s because I know I’m marrying the right woman.” James smiles and it reaches his eyes. “There’s no one else for me. Why would I be nervous about that?”

“Yeah,” I agree, the same thought going through my mind about Marie. “I could marry Marie.”

They both look at me. Then they burst out laughing. James more so than Lucas.

“You ask her she’ll punch you in the face,” James gasps through his laughter. “Seriously. That’s fucking funny.”

“Yeah,” Lucas agrees, his laughter now a chuckle. “Good luck.”

That doesn’t sound good, although I already know it myself.

“I need to take this, she hasn’t stopped calling all morning,” I sigh and pick up my phone. “S’up?”

“Jacob, you really need to check your email,” My agent snaps. “It’s a matter of urgency.”

“I’m about to watch my friend get married. What’s more important than that?”

“Do what you want Jacob,
but it’ll only take two seconds. Just look.”

I hang up and throw my phone on the bed. It can wait until later.

Then my curiosity breaks my resolve.

Apparently it can’t wait until later.

I open the email in question.

My heart breaks.

“You look beautiful,” I say to Maya as Loryn, Summer and I fluff out the train of her absolutely stunning yet huge white dress. Kate Middleton eat your heart out.

“You look like a princess,” Loryn sniffs and dabs at her eyes.

Even Summer rolls her eyes at that one.

“
Do I really?” Maya asks although I know she knows just how great she looks. I still tell her though. Everybody deserves to be fawned over on their wedding day.

Loryn touches up Maya’s hair and makeup, her hair twisted into an elegant up do, with a few pieces trailing over her shoulders and neck, her bangs curling over her cheeks. The back has sparkling diamond pins holding the veil in place that trails down her back, mingling perfectly with the train.

“This dress is really heavy,” Maya grumbles and smoothes her white gloves to the elbow. “It’s perfect.”

“On in ten,” someone shouts through the door
with a light knock.

“What are we? About to perform
on stage?” Summer giggles and rubs her hands together. “I’m so excited.”

“Nervous?” Loryn asks the bride who looks ecstatic rather than nervous.

“Nope.”

Summer gives her friend a toothy smile, “Good. Do you remember how nervous I was?”

“You barfed on your mom’s cat, how can anyone forget?” I remark, laughing with the others when Summer blushes a furious shade of red.

“I know James is the man I want to die with. He’s it
for me guys,” Maya’s tone is quiet and wistful. I know she believes every word she says, we all believe them with her.

Summer
let’s out a choked noise, almost like she’s trying not to cry.

Shit.

She is trying not to cry.

“Babe,” I place my hand on her shoulder, my skin cinnamon compared to her pale complexion. “You and Chris will work things out.”

She gives me a shaky smile, it’s fake and forced but it’ll do for now. “We’ll deal with my issues after the wedding.”

“Your issues a
re important Summer,” Maya says firmly. “If you need to talk we’ll talk right now.”

Summer waves her off, “I’m fine, I swear.
This is your big day. I’ve had mine.”

“So has she,” Loryn laughs and points at Maya who only scowls
in good nature.

It’s true though, this is the second time Maya is marrying James. The first time didn’t go so well for them, it was more of an arranged marriage than a declaration of love. Then she fell in love with him, he broke her heart but he worked extremely damn hard to fix it again.

Sometimes fairytales do come true. I’m looking at one right now.

I wonder if I’ll ever have that.

Part of me knows I already have.

This makes me miss Jacob even though
I’ll be seeing him shortly.

I can’t remember ever seeing him in a proper suit. A tuxedo or whatever the hell it’s called. I’m excited. In my mind he looks really fucking gorgeous but I have no doubts the real thing will be better than anything my mind can conjure up.

The photographer, who I chose for the wedding a month ago comes by to take a couple of pre marriage photos as requested by me. Our makeup is fresh, our dresses are smooth, what better time to catch the bride and her ladies?

The main reason Maya picked this venue is because of this, the huge
open staircase that leads to the aisle. So not only does she get to look absolutely stunning in her dress, she also gets to make a grand entrance.

We enter the hall that leads to the stairs and I beam when I see Jacob, his back towards me talking to Chris and Lucas. Lucas smiles when he sees Loryn and instantly offers her his arm after whispering beautiful words into her ear.

Chris smiles at Summer and kisses her nose before taking her arm.

I take this time to take in the gorgeous sight before me. Jacob in a tailor made black suit. It hugs his slim waist and covers his broad chest and shoulders perfectly. So perfect it shouldn’t be legal.

I’m drooling.

My turn
to take my male.

Jacob doesn’t look at me, he grabs my arm a little forcefully and pulls me to his side.

What—t
he—fuck?

“You look amazing,” I say and lean forward
while tilting my head toward him so I can catch his eyes. His lips thin and his eyes focus on the back of Lucas’ head. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

He still doesn’t say anything,
now I’m worried. What’s wrong with him? Did I do something to upset him?

“Babe,” I whisper, glancing around to see if there’s maybe something in this hallway that’s upsetting him. “Hello?”

“Eek, doors are opening guys,” Loryn whisper squeals and sure enough she’s right. “Smile people. Let’s go.”

And go we do, the music starts, I’m not sure what it is but it isn’t the wedding march. It’s soft, slow and reminds me of the sun. I’m sure there’s a lute playing, possibly a harp. Hell if I know
, I just know I like it.

We descend the stairs, everyone turns and watches with huge smiles on their faces. Today is a happy day. Happy, happy, happy. So happy I’ll be.

Jacob and I follow last, he releases my hand without even looking my way, my heart stammers as I take my place by Summer. Loryn stands the other side of her. I’m closest to Maya.

“What’s wrong with Jacob?” Summer hisses through her smiling mouth so nobody can see she’s talking.

I give a slight shrug.

Then the wedding march sounds on an extremely loud fucking organ. My ears are bleeding.

The doors open and out walks Maya. James, too eager to wait for her to reach him to get a look, turns completely and stares at his bride who’s descending the stairs with Amelia throwing flowers in front of her. I was wondering where she’d gotten too.

Evelyn doesn’t make it halfway down the aisle, more interested in picking up the flower petals and putting them in her own basket.

This makes everyone laugh, myself included. Even Jacob. So he’s not totally an asshole.

Evelyn continues to wander around even as Maya reaches James who grabs her and kisses her, much to the minister’s horror.

This wedding is officially crazy.

We go through the normal motions. Then the novelty wears off after ten minutes of the service.

I wish I had a feather and a reclining chair.

No such luck.

“Stop fidgeting,”
Summer hisses, her smile still on her face.

“I need the
‘I dos’ and I need them now,” I hiss back, my smile also still in place. My jaw aches.

“Do you take thee…
”

“Thank fuck,” my entire body sags with relief.

Summer starts laughing, the minister yet again is horrified. Maya rolls her eyes, James scowls, I keep fidgeting and Evelyn runs to row after row shouting, “HIYA!” Before running away again.

The entire time Jacob doesn’t look my way.
Not even once.

That hurts.

What a bastard.

If this is because of the stripper I hired to follow him around all night I won’t be impressed.

The wedding finally ends so it’s finally t
ime to party. After the confetti and pictures obviously.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I ask Jacob after the photos are finally taken and we’re on our way to the main room for dinner and dancing.

He keeps a hold of my arm but doesn’t talk.

I snatch my arm free and stop, ignoring the disgruntled moans from the people behind us who now have to walk around us. “Jacob.” He doesn’t stop, he keeps walking. “If this is because of the stripper I’m sorry, I thought it was funny.”

Now he looks at me but only so he can grab my arm again. At least he leads me away from the main room rather than to it. We stand around the side of the almost glass building.

“I’m only going to say this once,” he sneers, his arms folded against his chest. Oh shit. What did I do? “I’ve requested for your shit to be moved out of my room, you’ll be given your keys later.” What? “I’ll dance with you but only because I have to. Anything else is a huge fucking no. We’re not friends, we’re not lovers. We’re not shit to each other.”

I blink in shock, my heart hammering, my palms sweating. “What did I do?”

Then he pushes his phone in front of my eyes. What I see shocks the hell out of me.

Who sent him this?

Why would they send him this?

I watch myself kissing Kev in the dark cinema, the angle of the recording is weird. It’s pointing down from the ceiling straight onto us. It’s blurry and dark but it captures enough to see that it’s me with my hand over his crotch and my tongue down his throat.

“This is why you’re mad?” I raise my brows at Jacob. “Because I made out with Kev? Dude, this was way before we were together…”

Jacob’s scowl deepens, “So the date is lying?”

“What date?”

He points to the date in the corner, I count back in my mind.

“That’s the same day you told me you told him to fuck off, I’ve checked.” He’s checked? “Was that before or after you fucked him.”

“This is wrong, this is some kind of mistake.” That date can’t be right. “Someone’s tampered with it. I’ll prove it.” This is
n’t happening.