Chapter 92

As we drive away from the hotel and towards the church, we share smiles and reminisce about our childhood.

“I can’t wait to be married. I’m so excited!” Sam claps her hands together, her face glowing with anticipation. We can’t help but share in her joy.

I lean over to take her hand and whisper, “Sam, you look so beautiful. Tyson is going to fall even more in love with you when he sees you!” I give her hand a tight squeeze before letting go.

“You look like an angel, Aunt Sam!” Lena beams at her.

“You both look so beautiful too! I can’t wait to be doing this for your wedding, Alex!” I freeze and clear my throat. I wish everyone would stop saying that to me. It’s not going to happen.

“Yeah... That’s never going to happen, Sam,” I laugh, patting her hand.

“Never say never,” she winks at me. I roll my eyes and look at Lena, who is sitting there with a smile on her face.

“You all look so beautiful, girls. Ready to take on the world! My girls are all grown up!” Eric kisses each of our cheeks and we return the gesture. That man is one of the best things to have ever happened to me.

He has been there for us through everything and still took us in, treating us as his own. We will forever be grateful for his presence in our lives.

“Thank you, Eric. You have no idea how grateful we all are to have you in our lives. You mean the world to us. You took all five of us in when you didn’t have to. The love you show my mom every day is so inspiring, and it’s because of you that I can’t wait for marriage,” Sam chokes out, fanning her eyes to prevent her makeup from running.

We see Eric start to tear up as well, and we smile at him, each taking one of his hands in ours.

Once we reach the church, we see the bridesmaids gathered outside with Noah, Adam, and Eden. We step out first, and Eric once again helps my sister out.

We all walk into the church, and I hold onto Adam’s little hand, getting him and Noah ready as the ring bearers. Lena is prepping Eden as the flower girl.

The church doors open, and we all line up as instructed by Miranda.

“Places, everyone!” She whispers, and the music begins to play. She sends Eden down the aisle, who gets halfway before she starts waving at everyone.

Seeing Jane telling her to keep walking, making everyone laugh, eases the tension. Sam is now fussing with her dress.

Miranda sends the two ring bearers out, not before they both blow me a kiss goodbye, which I return. They look so adorable in their little suits. Next, it’s the bridesmaids’ turn.

“Alright, here we go, ladies!” Miranda announces. Sandra leads us off. Sandra is married to one of the Giants football players, Dan Orna. She and Sam have become close since she started dating Tyson.

“Alex!” I feel my arm being yanked back towards Eric and Sam. Panic is etched across her face, her breaths coming in short, rapid gasps. She’s spiraling into a panic attack.

“Sam, it’s okay. We’ll go out when you’re ready. Just breathe, okay? Follow my lead.” I take a deep breath, hold it, then release it slowly.

She mimics my actions, and we continue this pattern until I notice Lena beginning her walk down the aisle. Sam’s panic flares up again.

“What if he sees me and changes his mind?” She blurts out to Eric and me. I take her hands in mine, forcing her to look at me.

“Sam, once he sees you, he’ll want to sprint down the aisle, scoop you up in his arms, and whisk you away. You’re the love of his life. You could walk down the aisle in a trash bag and he’d still only have eyes for you. Tyson has been head over heels for you since day one when we met him at the stadium. I could see it in his eyes. He still looks at you like it’s the first time he’s laid eyes on you. He wouldn’t dream of changing his mind. If he does... I’ll beat the shit out of him!”

My words coax a laugh out of her, and she seems to calm down. She nods and thanks me, taking another deep breath.

I move towards the doors and catch a glimpse of Tyson standing at the altar in his black tuxedo, nervously shuffling his feet. He can’t see me yet.

I glance back at Sam and ask, “You good?” She smiles and whispers a ‘yes’.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her once more. “So do you, sissy.” With that, it’s my turn to walk up the aisle. I step into view, take a deep breath, and begin my walk, bouquet in hand.

Tyson is standing at the top of the aisle, his hands resting in front of him. The sound of cameras clicking fills the air, capturing every moment. I send him a smile, and he returns it. I glance to his right, seeing his brothers standing there alongside him.

Then Knox, and then my brothers. My eyes drift back to Knox. He’s studying me in this dress, and I’m studying him in his tuxedo. His brows are raised, his lips slightly parted.

There’s that look again. The one I can’t decipher. As soon as I reach the top, Tyson helps me up, but I can tell he’s itching to ask about Sam.

“Is she okay? Is she freaking out a little?” He asks, nervous about the answer.

“She freaked out because she thinks once you see her, you’ll change your mind.” His eyes widen, and he shakes his head.

“She could get married in a trash bag, and I’d still marry her in a heartbeat. No questions asked.” He assures me, as if he wants me to run back down the aisle and relay his words to her. Little does he know, I already did.

“I told her those exact words. She’s good. You know what she’s like.” He nods, and I take my place, allowing him to return to his spot.

“Oh, and Tyson, she’s not in a trash bag. She looks like an angel.”

Returning my smile, he says, “She always looks like an angel. She’s my angel.” He turns his head towards the sound of the music signaling the bride’s entrance.

He knows she’s coming. But he’s staring at the closed double doors at the entrance, and when they open, she comes into view.

“Oh my god...” Tyson whispers, a tear escaping from his eye. He watches her in awe as she and Eric make their way up the aisle, their eyes locked on each other. It’s the most adorable thing.

As she nears him, he takes her in, tears still streaming down his face. When Eric hands her over to him, he takes her hand, and I take her bouquet.

She wipes his cheek, and they exchange smiles.

He whispers to her, “You look breathtakingly beautiful, babe,” lifting her veil. She replies, “You look breathtakingly handsome too, babe.”

The ceremony continues for an hour, and the heels I’m wearing are currently the most painful thing in existence. I keep looking around the church, trying not to look at Knox, who looks absolutely stunning in his tuxedo.

~Just go from memory. Just go from memory.~

I keep chanting that over and over in my head, but it’s so hard. He’s literally right in front of me. It’s so hard not to look up at him. Instead, I look into the crowd and immediately spot Wes.

He smiles at me and sends me a wink, making me smile uncontrollably and blush a little. He looks really good too. Damn my brother’s friends and their looks. I mentally scold myself for even thinking about them right now.

~Look somewhere else, Alex.~ I look closer to me and see Caleb, who is also staring at me. His eyes trail down my body in the dress, and then he lifts his eyes back up to mine, biting his lower lip.

~Oh god, help me.~ I clear my throat, and everyone turns their heads towards me. Shit, what have I done? Sam and Tyson are looking at me.

“Do you have something against these two getting married, Miss?” The priest asks me. My eyes are pretty much the size of saucers right now.

“Yeah, actually, I just want to confess my undying love for Tyson. I think it’s the perfect time to do it,” I blurt out sarcastically, covering my mouth with the bouquets I have in my hand.

A wave of laughter echoes around the church. The priest raises an eyebrow at me, and I shake my head. “Not a good time, no?” I sass back at him for singling me out.

Although, I kind of did that to myself. “Kidding. No, I’ve no objections, your honor.” I just keep digging my grave right now. Everyone just keeps laughing at me while I nervously mumble out words.

I press my lips together in a tight line to stop any more words from escaping my mouth.

“The moment has arrived. I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride.” Tyson doesn’t even wait for the official sanction before he’s pressing his lips to my sister’s, kissing her with a fervor that’s almost too intense to watch.

I avert my eyes, unable to focus on their passionate display. Once they’ve finished, they stand front and center, hands clasped and raised high, inciting cheers from the crowd.

We all return to the hotel reception for the feast and festivities. There are designated seats, but I can’t remember where I’m supposed to be. Glancing at the seating chart, I realize she’s changed it. Again. Great, who am I stuck with now?

Steven Miller and Knox Carter.

Is she serious? The head table wasn’t large enough to accommodate all the groomsmen and bridesmaids, so she created a separate table for us and rearranged the seating plan. Again.

Why? I don’t want to sit next to him. I do, but I don’t. It’s complicated.

“Baby doll! Can you come here for a second? I need your help with something,” Knox calls out to me, a pleading look etched across his handsome face. I’m wary, but I approach him anyway.

“I need you to convince Adam to come inside. He’s throwing a tantrum about not being allowed to have chocolate before dinner. Can you talk to him?” I nod and follow him into the hallway.

Adam is in the corner, kicking his foot at his crouching father and repeating, “No, I want chocolate!” over and over.

“Just like the rest of you Carter boys. You don’t give up until you get what you want,” I mutter, earning laughs from Austin and Knox.

“Damn straight! We never give up! He’s a true Carter,” Knox smirks. I clap my hands to get Adam’s attention and squat down to his level, taking his hands in mine.

“What’s the matter, little buddy?” I ask him. He steps closer to me, and I feel two bodies crouch down beside me. A hand rests on the exposed skin of my lower back.

I know it’s him. I shake off the sensation and focus on Adam, who answers with a pout, “I want chocolate.”

“Hey, Adam sweetie, I want chocolate too, but what’s the one thing your mom and dad say about dinner?” I ask him.

“No c-candy before dinner,” he moans, his eyes closed and his pout deepening. Even upset, he’s the cutest little boy ever.

“Exactly, so how about this. If you eat your dinner, I will get you some chocolate for us all to eat. Does that sound good?” I ask him, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

“Can I sit next to you too?” He wraps his little arms around my neck. I glance at Austin for approval.

He nods and says, “If it’s alright with you, I’d rather him eat his dinner, and I know he’ll do it with you.” I scoop Adam up and smile at him.

“Alright, you can have dinner with me, baby. Come on.” I walk back into the room with him in my arms, feeling Knox’s hand still on my back. Adam squirms in my arms, and I look back to see Knox teasing him.

His face is so close to mine. His eyes shift to mine, and he reaches for me, pulling me closer by the waist. Adam is sandwiched between us.

“What happened?” Adam asks innocently.

What did happen? Knox and I are locked in a gaze, and I quickly shift my eyes to Adam, who is staring at his uncle.

“You were about to walk into the wall,” Knox points to the wall I was indeed about to collide with, Adam in my arms.

Adam starts to laugh at Knox, and I smile at him. Looking back up at Knox, I see him already watching me. His eyes are brighter than ever, his golden tan making them even more striking.

“Thanks. I got distracted,” I say, immediately regretting my words. I shouldn’t have told him that. Damn!

“Good to know I distract you, baby doll,” he teases, his hands rubbing my waist. I have to think fast. “I meant Adam, not you,” I say, walking into the room.

I feel his cheek rest against my head and he whispers, “Liar.” I see Lauren sending me a deathly glare. I put Adam down and direct him to the table, telling him to take a seat. I turn back to face Knox.

“You need to stop doing this. It’s not fair to me. You have a girlfriend, it’s not okay to be making comments like that, Knox—”

“Once again, she’s not my girlfriend, baby doll. I can say whatever I want. You don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t have a girlfriend—”

“I’m not going to be your fuck buddy, Knox. Find someone else for that shit! If she’s not your girlfriend, then why the fuck are you with her? You confuse the hell out of me, you know that?!”

I grit my teeth, keeping my voice low so only he can hear me. Everyone else is inside, chatting amongst themselves, oblivious to my frustration with him.

“I don’t want you to be my fuck buddy, Alex! I will never see you like that. I’m with her to protect you—” His expression changes, as if he hadn’t meant to reveal that to me.

“Fuck, forget I said that, please,” he says, looking around to see if anyone heard. Lauren is making her way over now.

“What? What do you mean you’re protecting me? Knox, look at me. What did you mean by that?” I grab his arm, feeling him tense under my touch.

He stays silent, watching Lauren approach. I’m running out of time.

“Knox, please tell me what you meant by that—”

“I can’t, just... forget about it,” he says, looking back at me with a depth of emotion in his eyes.

“Knox! Honey, come buy me a drink before we eat. I’m seated next to some of the WAGS, so I might need a few...” She saunters off with him to the bar to order the drinks.

I march over to the table, making a mental note to ignore him for the rest of the evening.

This will give me some time to ponder over what he meant by protecting me. It must be related to the photos she keeps mentioning. I need to think this through.