The Mess Love makes

Chapter Eight: Here Comes The Bride

Chapter Eight

         A couple of years later, and everyone in the church sat fanning themselves with anything they had to hand. Hayley smiled widely as she watched the white, flowing form of the brides as they walked up the isle. It was a double wedding, for Chelle and Steve, and then for Laura and Leo. It made it easy this way – Chelle and Steve couldn’t afford a fancy wedding, and they wouldn’t let Leo help them out. This way, they could have the fancy wedding without feeling guilty – because it was the wedding that Laura and Leo wanted too. It also meant that the grooms could be each other’s best men without too much fuss. Hayley however, was Chelle’s maid of honour. Laura’s head bridesmaid was – touchingly – her mother.
         
         “They had to choose the hottest day in August for their weddings, didn’t they?” Alex groaned in a whisper from the front pew as Hayley finished the sedate walk up the isle and stood in front of him, keeping her grin intact as she answered him.
         “It’s ok for you – you can take off your jacket. This dress has so many layers you could cook an egg on me.”
         “I sincerely hope not.” Replied her friend solemnly.

Hayley glanced at him with laughter in her eyes. The two had stayed close friends since their trip to Venice; visiting each other at least once a month and talking at least every week on the phone. Hayley was coming to think of him as one of the best friends she’d ever had besides Chelle and René; in turn, Alex was finding himself more and more in love with everything about her.

         Steve and Chelle were married first. Hayley watched with a true, shining smile as Steve covered his bride’s hands with his as he said his vows. Chelle repeated hers with a shaking voice, her honey blonde hair shimmering like silk in the sun light. Hayley waited patiently, holding her friend’s heavy bouquet with eager arms.

And then it was Leo and Laura’s turn. Hayley’s smile froze in place as Laura took her place by Leo’s side in front of the beaming minister. ‘How easily that could have been me,’ she thought idly as she joined Alex in the pew. A warm hand alighted on her arm, and she turned to meet Alex’s warm, colourful gaze. Her eyes bounced back to Laura, who was glowing in her glorious moment. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks rosy, and her hair flowed in gentle waves down her back.
         “She looks so beautiful.” Hayley murmured to her companion, who smiled.
         “I can’t get over how grown up she looks,” he whispered back.
         “Well, she wasn’t going to stay your ‘little sister’ forever.” Hayley said with an edge of a real smile as she poked him gently in the ribs.
         “What happened to your date?” he murmured out of the side of his mouth.
         “Split up. Week or so ago. Hate him. Patronizing little...”
         “Ahem. This is a church.” Alex interrupted, amused. He knew she didn’t want to admit that she’d never really felt anything for poor Ben anyway, and she had only been with him to try and make Leo jealous – and that once it was apparent that her plan had not worked, she had given up.
         “Sorry.” She muttered, contrite and once again fixated on the wedding before her.


Alex smiled and looked up at the alter in a daze, watching with a glow of pride as his sister and her groom joined hands in front of the minister. As the spectators sat, Alex let the sound of the priest’s voice wash over him. How funny to think that the girl who loved the groom enough to give him up was sitting in the pews, watching another woman take his life and join it to her own. Glancing to his right, he looked down at Hayley. Her eyes were wide, her chocolate irises glued to the couple being wed. Her smile was big, happy; beautiful. False. The colour in her face had drained, leaving her looking pale and somewhat distraught, as she sat staring at the scene before her.

Alex thought that he could almost hear her heart breaking.


*  *  *  *  *


         The reception was fun, packed and full of sweet smelling roses. Hayley smiled and clapped as Leo rose to give his speech as best man to Steve.
         “Ladies and Gentlemen,” he began, his happy face grinning and his voice lifting to fill the – thankfully – air conditioned hall. “I’ve known Steve since he was a freshman at Uni, and frankly, all I’ve really learned about him is that he likes food, debates and football… and that he loves the woman beside him more than anything in the entire world.” Here, Leo lifted his glass. “And so, I propose a toast – to a long and happy life, full of love and happiness.” His eyes Hayley’s during this last part, before darting away quickly. “To Steve and Michelle!”
         “To Steve and Michelle!” the wedding party echoed enthusiastically.

When the clamours had died down, Steve took his cue and gracefully stood up, glass clutched in his hand.
         “Leonard, my friend,” he said in a steadily controlled voice as he looked down fondly at the man across the table. “Four years sounds really short – but the both of us know it feels like a hell of a long time. Ladies and Gents,” he added, looking up at the gathered people present, “this man has been the best friend a guy could want from the moment I met him. He’s had some complications in his life over the last few years; that he has.” Steve carried on solemnly, his eyes roving around the table to rest on Hayley every few seconds. “However, he came through them, and all I can say is that this woman,” he gestured to Laura, “is a very lucky lady to have married him. Leo,” he added, turning to him again, “We’re proud of you, mate. You finally learned how to follow your heart.” He turned back to the spectators triumphantly, and roared “To Leonard and Laura!”
         “To Leonard and Laura!” echoed around the hall.
Chelle leaned towards her new husband, and laid a possessive hand on his arm.
         “That was beautiful.” She appraised, smiling proudly before she kissed him.

The two newly wed couples rose to take to the dance floor for the first dance. Hayley watched them as the lights dimmed, and Leo took Laura tightly into his arms for the slow dance that would start the rest of their life together. A tap on the shoulder startled her into almost knocking over her drink.
         “You wanna get some air?” Alex whispered into her ear. “You’re look a bit… peaky.”
Hayley opened her mouth to tease him about knowing how to make a woman feel better, but another glance at the happy couple dancing far too close to her table made her blurt “Yes, please.”

         Alex supported her gently as they made their way unnoticed around the room and out into the chilled evening air. They found themselves an un-defaced bench round the corner, and sat together, silent for a while.
         “Shouldn’t you be in there with her?” Hayley asked eventually, her words cutting into the darkness abruptly and shattering the blanket of silence that had been wrapped around them.
         “She won’t mind. She probably didn’t notice that I’ve left.” Alex replied, his voice soft and soothing as he caressed the fingers on his arm with his own. He then moved to put a comforting arm around her shoulders as she shivered slightly in the evening air.
         “You’re finding it hard to let her go.”
It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a statement. Alex nodded slowly.
         “I guess… I suppose I never expected her to grow up.”
Hayley’s mouth twitched, as if to smile but then thought the better of it.
         “You’re finding it hard to let him go.” Alex added, a firm statement this time.
Hayley took a deep, shuddering breath.
         “Yes. I just always thought we’d end up together, you know? Like that old couple you always see walking together happily in the park.”
         “I know. I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”
Hayley shook her head.
         “I’m not.”
Alex shifted bodily to look at her, surprised. She shrugged.
         “It’s just… well, we never were very good together. Sure, handsome couple, financially matched, parents approve etc, but we never… complimented each other. There was no give and take. We were always out for ourselves, not each other.”
Alex studied her very carefully.
         “You’re saying what you had wasn’t real?”
She paused, then slowly licked her lips and answered him.
         “No. It … it was real enough. It was definitely a strong sort of love, if not the real thing. The spark, the butterflies in your stomach, the attraction… it was all there. It just wasn’t enough to fulfil all those descriptions of ever lasting love, you know?”
         “You sacrificed for him.” Alex pointed out. “You gave him up so that he could be happy.”
Hayley sighed, relaxing into the bench.
         “Yes. But ultimately, the sacrifice was for me.”
Alex looked at her, his mind reeling, coming to the conclusion he always came to when she said anything about her break up with Leo. Was she trying to say she had feelings for him, Alex?
         “What do you mean?” he asked instead carefully.
         “I couldn’t bare the idea of loving him so much, and knowing he loved someone else more that he loved me.” She gazed off into the distance, her eyes becoming glazed before her head drifted towards Alex and her eyes focused on his. “Maybe it was all too simple.”
The heart that had jumped to Alex’s mouth went plummeting back down into the ache in his chest. No, she wasn’t proclaiming her love for him. Feeling deflated, he kept his mouth shut, afraid of saying something stupid. He looked away as he felt her head nestle comfortably into his neck.
         “I just want to forget about him; my feelings for him, everything I loved about him.” she breathed bleakly. “I want to be able to picture my future without him in it again, and see myself happy – not alone and desolate.”
         “Shhhh.” Alex supplied, stroking her hair comfortingly. “It will fade.” God, I hope it will fade. “You’ll see.”
         “Thank you for always being here, Alex. Sometimes… sometimes I wonder what I’d do without you.” She whispered sleepily.
         ‘I’m always going to be here.” Alex replied gently, resting his head on hers.
They were silent for a while. Hayley’s eyes closed and her breathing deepened.

But Alex was very much awake.


*  *  *  *  *

When they returned, the hall was filled with happy, dancing bodies. Alex wormed his way through the crush of people, coming to encircle his sister’s waist with his arms. Laura started with surprise, but a quick glance over her shoulder quickly brought the lovely, dimpled smile back to her face.
         “Hey!” she shouted over the music. “I was wondering where you’d got to!”
         “Had a little problem in the bathroom!” he shouted back, a mischievous smile playing across his lips.
         “Alex,” Laura laughed as she turned and put her arms around her brother’s neck, “I seriously don’t want to know!”
         “Ok, ok.” Alex joined her laughter, before his chuckles died down and he was left looking at her with a soft smile. “You look beautiful.” 
Laura’s face relaxed. She knew he hadn’t approved of her relationship with Leo – he’d practically called her a ‘boyfriend thief’. The accusation had a stung, but all she really wanted was her brother’s support.
         “Really?” she asked, eagerness spilling out of her eyes.
         “Really.” Alex replied, pulling her into his arms. “I… I’m proud of you.”

Tears flooded Laura’s eyes, and she was glad that Alex wasn’t able to see them.

         “Thank you.”
Alex took a deep breath and let it go with the rest of his mistrust, before patting his sister on the back reassuringly. Over her shoulder, he could see Hayley smile at Leo and nod firmly at something he said with so eager a look. Disengaging her hand from his, she took the few steps that brought her to Laura’s side. Quietly, Alex let go of the bride, and she looked apprehensively at the woman next to her with steady confidence.
         “Laura,” Hayley began carefully, her shoulders tense but her head high, “I… congratulations.” She said finally.
         “Thank you.” Laura answered, her light blue eyes hovering with vague mistrust over the girl whom she had once considered a rival.
         “I hope you will be very happy together.” Hayley added, managing to inject a little sincerity into her voice.
         “Thank you.” Laura repeated, her shoulders relaxing unconsciously as the last part of her caution fall away. Graciously, she inclined her head, acknowledging with true maturity her victory. “I know how hard that must be for you to say.”
         “I-” Hayley snapped, her eyes flashing and filled with every intent to deny the other woman’s statement, “I…”
Her anger seeped away as she realised that Laura was not gloating, and she wasn’t pouring salt water on the wounds in her pride. She was simply accepting the truth. ‘Maybe it’s time I do the same,’ Hayley thought ruefully.
         “It was easier than I expected.” were the words which finally made their way out of her mouth.
         “Then we’re … ok as friends?” Laura asked hopefully, knowing that Hayley would always be a large part of her husband’s life.
         “Yes.” The statement was forced through gritted teeth, and Alex laid a gentle but comforting hand on Hayley’s back, unseen from his sister.
         “Good.”

The word hung in the air uncomfortably before Leo cut into the party of three and whisked his wife away, giggling and bubbling like the Champaign in her glass. As they joined the crowd of dancing bodies, Alex felt Hayley’s body go limp and collapse slightly against his side. His arm tightened around her, and they watched the love struck couple as they circled each other in warm, caressing arms.