New Forever (24 page)

A small sigh escapes my lips as my body continues to glide at the memory of what we just shared. I run my hands through his hair and on his back, not quite ready to leave his side and partake in my wedding duties.

Maybe we should consider drugging Dee and Adam more often, because that was pretty damn exciting.

Only Max and I know the real reason behind Adam’s ridiculous smile has more to do with intoxication than the woman walking toward him, but it’s still sweet. Adam takes Dee’s hand when she reaches him and whispers something in her ear that has her looking back at me with worried eyes so I wink back at her, hoping he doesn’t screw this up.

Max was able to get him off the couch so that I could dress him. It was an experience I won’t soon forget either. I never would have guessed that Adam doesn’t own any underwear. And even in his drunken stupor, I could tell Dee was one lucky lady. Not that I looked that long or hard. I mean, it was pretty hard to really examine him with Max just a room away.

But, yeah, the facts speak for themselves, Dee is one lucky lady. Even though she’s marrying someone who won’t recall any of the events that took place on one of the most important days of his life.

“Does he need to go to the hospital?” Dee asks me when she hands me her bouquet.

I look back at my friend and try not to laugh when Max catches Adam before he stumbles on top of Dee when he tries to take hold of her hand.

“He’s just love sick,” I explain and she narrows her eyes at me. “He’s fine, Dee,” I promise and hold back a giggle when he mumbles something incoherent at us.

The pastor clears his throat, getting our attention, and I shove Dee toward her groom while she glares back at me. As the pastor speaks, Adam seems to gain his posture and stability and even manages to steal a few kisses from Dee, which delights everyone in attendance. Dee eventually relents to his sudden random behavior and giggles when he twirls her in the air after their first kiss as husband and wife. I applaud them when they make their way back down the aisle, with Dee nestled in Adam’s arms like one would cradle a baby, while Max stays close behind them to catch Dee if needed. I take Josie’s hand in mine as we follow her parents who stop every few steps to exchange long, intimate kisses in front of everyone.

We stay outside the church for close to an hour, taking pictures with the bride and groom, and I make sure to give Adam plenty of water so he stays hydrated. Although to be honest, I’m not sure if he needs hydration as much as he needs a dark room. With Dee. Alone.

Horny newlyweds. At least his poses and her response to his ludicrous behavior will make for good pictures, I chuckle to myself.

“Mommy look pretty,” Josie tells me and I nod back at her as I buckle her into the backseat of Max’s car. “An’ Daddy look happy.” I laugh at her evaluation but I have to agree. Daddy does indeed look pretty happy.

“They have a lot to be happy about.”

“One day I’m gonna mawwy a hansome pwince like Unca Max.” I look back at her in surprise while Max smiles proudly from the driver’s seat. He’s practically preening from her compliment, I notice and shake my head.

“You already got me, Princess,” he tells her and I smack his shoulder.

Like hell anyone but me has him.

“You can do better than your old Uncle Max.”

“Old?” Max asks, pinching the side of my stomach and making me squirm.

“Hansome,” Josie corrects me.

I wiggle my finger at her in warning but she just laughs me off.

“I guess I can share him,” I suggest, but Josie shakes her head.

“You have baby and give me my pwince.”

Her demand leaves me coughing into my hands while Max laughs. Give her a prince? Have a baby? What the hell are Dee and Adam teaching this child? I feel my eyes open wide in response while Max continues to drive nonchalantly.

“One day,” Max promises her and my eyes glisten with tears as my chest warms at his words.

One day? One day we’ll have our own little prince with Max’s handsome face and my erratic personality. I can see him clearly, but until now never realized I wanted him. If Janus is any indication, Max will be an amazing Dad, full of patience, fun and enough anxiety to make him careful.

I reach over and take Max’s hand in mine and bring it to my lips for a kiss.

“One day,” I promise back to him and his smile widens until it takes over his entire face.

Dee’s wedding coordinator greets us at the front entrance of the banquet hall they rented for the evening and ushers us into the bride and groom’s private room where we find Adam groping Dee on a black velvet ottoman.

“What the hell is going on?” Dee asks when she sees me and she slaps his attempts at touching her breasts in front of their daughter.

“It’s a long story,” I admit and put Josie on Adam’s lap to get his attention off Dee’s lady parts.

“Spill.”

I sigh, but knowing she wants answers I sit down on a chair opposite of her and begin to rehash a quick version of the story. “Adam and Max went to a skate park last night. Adam hurt his back so Max asked me to give him my anxiety medication to serve as a muscle relaxer. Only, Adam had already drunk four beers and accidentally followed it with two pills.” I leave out the whole sex thing in her spare bedroom and bite my bottom lip as I wait for her to yell or throw something.

I should have known better than for Dee to react like a normal bride on her wedding day. Rather than getting angry, she throws her head back in a roar of laughter and scoots closer to her husband.

“You’re an idiot,” she tells him and pecks him on the lips, but Adam deepens the kiss, making Josie leap off her dad’s lap with a look of both awe and disgust.

“Can’t be that dumb if I managed to get the girl.” He caresses her neckline and just as he starts fumbling with her dress, I pick Josie up and pull Max out of the room.

“I thought you gave him something to relax him, not something that’d give him a twenty-four hour boner,” Max whispers in my ear and I shrug.

“He’s having the strangest reaction to it that I’ve ever seen,” I laugh out loud as we pass Dee and Adam’s family and friends, who have no idea how quickly the marriage they just witnessed is being consummated.

Feeling as if there is enough intoxication in the building, I bypass the tequila fountain and stick to drinking water once we are seated at our table. Josie jumps happily on my lap while she and Max use an app on his phone to draw pictures.

We all cheer when the bride and groom are announced, but I look Dee over thoroughly to see just how satisfied her hour in their private room actually was. If her rosy cheeks and the smile plastered on her face are any hints, I’d say she was satisfied repeatedly. I refrain from giving Adam’s a thumbs up and simply watch them as they begin their first dance as husband and wife. They seem to float on the dance floor in complete harmony with one another. The bottom of Dee’s dress glides over the floor, but it’s almost as if they really are floating. I hear people gasp at the beauty of my two friends, but I know none of us exist to them. It’s just the two of them in here right now.

Unable to sit still for long, Josie squirms out of my arms and runs toward her parents. Adam picks her up and finishes the song with both his girls in his arms. The way it should be.

After they complete their dance, Max stands up and walks to Adam and Dee. With a champagne glass in his hand, he begins to speak.

“Love is a journey not many of us are brave enough to travel. It has the potential to break us, so we fight our instincts and our feelings, not believing it can or will fill us. But once love puts her fingers around your heart, it breathes a newness inside of us, leaving the lonely part of who we once were so scarred and forgotten you no longer recognize him.” Max looks back at me with a ferocity in his eyes I’ve never seen before, and I feel my body warm under his gaze. He winks back at me and I don’t bother hiding my smile. “To Adam and Dee,” he says, lifting his glass as his eyes turn back to them. “May you two be blessed with a lifetime of love.”

We all lift our glasses and toast the bride and groom although I know the truth. Max was speaking to me and about us. I wrap my arms around his neck when he comes back to our table and kiss him loudly on the lips.

“I love you,” I tell him, not caring the others at our table are watching us.

“I love you too, Hay.”

Josie spends most of the night dancing with either her parents or Max and me while Adam spends the entire night trying to get Dee out of the banquet hall and to their hotel room. But tonight is Dee’s night and she wants to celebrate with hours of dancing, singing, and laughter. Just after midnight, Adam approaches the live band and takes the center stage where he sings “Love, Always” while staring at Dee with eyes that scream of adoration. After he finishes, he jumps off the stage and is met by Dee who willingly goes into his arm and finally leaves the banquet hall.

My feet sore from dancing in heels two nights in a row scream at me, but I follow Max to our car and silently watch him buckle a sleeping Josie into her carseat.
We’re gonna have one of those one day
, I think in wonder. Max and I are going to have our own happily ever after, complete with a couple babies and a dog.

I take Max’s hand when he slips into the driver’s seat and melt against my own chair when he kisses the knuckles of my hand. It amazes me how Max can make an ordinary moment feel magical. How he can bring me to my knees with a single look or whisper.

It took us both a long time to accept and trust in love. It was a long journey, but one I’d brave over and over again if it led me back to Max.

Needing to prolong the inevitable, I check my email for the sixth time that day and am sorely disappointed when nothing new pops up. Not even an email from Adam or Dee with pictures from their month long honeymoon with Josie. I could use a picture of Josie smiling back at me right about now. But, nope, not even my closest friends can come through for me when I need them.

Have I mentioned how much I resemble a whiny little bitch in a training bra?

“Max,” Hayley grabs my attention with the warning in her voice.

Right, time to meet the parents.