Page 93 of The Winning Ticket

The bridal party finished with the photographer half an hour ago and now have nothing else to do but watch Morgan and Chris pose at various spots along the cliffs, following along with the champagne and glasses to top them up when they looked ready to drop.

“When we eventually do this, please, for the love of all that is holy, can we skip this part?” Will asks Annelisa, who freezes for a fraction of a second before smiling with a nod.

There’s something about that smile that seems off, though, and I’m not the only one who notices because Bri flashes me a concerned look while Will cocks his head to the side and looks closely at his girlfriend.

Before we can think about it further, the photographer finally declares that she’s done, and we all cheer.

“Finally! I am so hungry!” Morgan declares, pushing us all back towards the cars.

We’re not far from the reception venue, and within twenty minutes, we are standing in front of a large set of doors, waiting for Tara, as the MC, to announce our arrival on the other side.

“I am dreaming of that steak so much right now,” Chris says, and I can practically see the steak in his eyes, surrounded by hearts.

No one ever warns you how much time you’ll spend on a wedding day thinking about how hungry you are when you’re a part of the bridal party. Bri is kicking herself for not having more snacks organised for us all, and Morgan has been grumbling about the fact that they paid for everyone to have snacks back here while we starved through the photo shoot. If we hadn’t already known they were sisters, seeing how they both handled being hangry would have been a dead giveaway. I suppress a smile when Bri’s stomach growls loudly, and she glares down at it.

“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Let’s welcome our gorgeous bridal party once again!” Tara’s voice echoes through the microphone, and Bri flings the doors open, links her arm through Annelisa’s and practically drags her through.

Will and I follow behind, and I wave awkwardly at Mum and Dave before heading to the table at the front of the room. This entire day has had me completely out of my comfort zone, and I can’t wait for all the stuff where I’m standing in front of a group of people to be over.

Morgan has seated Bri and me together, and once everyone else’s attention is set on the bride and groom, who are happily dancing their way into the room, I slide into my seat beside Bri and resist the urge to grip her hand in mine.

“How are you holding up over there?” she asks, and I turn to see her smiling at me.

“I’m fine. I’m ready for the party part of this party actually to start.” I pull at my collar, and she laughs.

“How can you happily play guitar and sing in front of people, but having to be best man at a wedding has you out of sorts?”

I have to stop myself from admitting that’s not what has me out of sorts. Having her so close yet being unable to touch her or know if she even wants me to touch her is making me all kinds of antsy.

“That’s different. I like doing that. I’m not sure I’m up for being in any more weddings.”

“Well, you’ve got at least two more in your future, so you’ll need to accept your fate.” There’s a lightness about her tonight that I hadn’t expected, and I allow myself a glimmer of hope that this week's weirdness is all behind us.

“Two?” I ask, not sure who’s weddings she’s referring to.

“Yeah, Lis and Will will surely be the next ones, and then there’s your wedding one day.”

Her words hit me like a hammer to the heart, and I stare at her momentarily.

“And who exactly am I marrying, Bri?” I ask, unable to keep my voice from taking on a dangerous tone while I hold her gaze.

Her eyes widen, and I wonder what she’s thinking.

She doesn’t have a chance to respond, though, because as soon as the bride and groom sit down, meals start appearing before us – so quickly that I’m pretty sure Morgan set a fire under the chef’s backside to ensure that she does not go one more minute without food.

I keep my eyes on my plate while I eat, quietly stewing over Bri’s words and wishing we could finally have a frank conversation. I’m sick of dancing around all of our tension.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t immediately notice when Tara moves to the front of the room again, microphone in hand, and announces that it’s now time for the speeches.

“Now, Chris and Morgan have asked that there be only two speeches tonight from the two people who know them best before we get to the fun – I mean dancing – part of the night.” There are some titters from the crowd while Tara shoots Morgan a mock sheepish look. “First up, we have Jake, the best man. Come on up, Mr Boyd.”

I go to where Tara is waiting, holding the microphone towards me, speech in hand. I’d spent the last week trying to come up with the right words, but it had only been last night when I’d finally decided what to say.

“There isn’t a single memory from my childhood that doesn’t include Morgan. Most of you know we’ve been best friends since the womb, and when we met Chris and Annelisa in primary school, we were a little unit.” I nod towards my friends, and Morgan gives a little sniffle. “When we started high school, it was almost as though Chris had just seen Morgan for the first time, and from that moment onwards, the two of them were inseparable. I’ve never met another couple like them, and,” my eyes drifting towards Bri now, and find her staring at me, wide-eyed, “I challenge anyone here to find two people more perfect for each other.” Even from this distance, I can see Bri swallow hard. I force myself to look back at Chris and Morgan while continuing my speech. “You have both set the standard for the kind of relationship one could only hope for. The respect you have for one another is something that I have used as a measurement in my relationships, and I love that you are each other’s favourite person. While some might say that you’re both a little co-dependant -”

“Only a bit?” a voice yells out, and I shoot a look towards Chris's rowdy friend from footy, which silences him immediately, although a few others laugh.

“While some might say that you’re both a little co-dependant,” I continue, giving Morgan a little grin when she glares at me playfully, “I bet everyone in here wishes that they had someone that they can’t wait to see every night and wake up next to every morning. Someone who knows everything about them, the good and the bad, and loves you even harder for it all.” My eyes again drift to Bri, and she watches me intently as I speak. “Someone who you would move heaven and earth for just to make sure they know they are loved so deeply because they deserve all the good things in this world.” Although I try to look away, I can’t tear my eyes off Bri’s face, and I see her lower lip tremble a little while Morgan glances from her sister to me, her own eyes tearing up a little.

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