Page 74 of Clueless Romeo

The air iswarm and night falls over the city. A soft breeze ruffles my hair as I stand in front of the gazebo that's dripping with twinkling white lights.

As Archer's best man, I hover near the archway with the groomsmen, Caleb, Archer's Uncle Isaac, and Phoenix's best man, Damon. The smoke-gray suit I'm wearing fits well enough, but the tie feels two seconds away from strangling me. I'd kill for a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt instead.

Tugging at the knot, I glance around the crowded lawn where white fold-out chairs hold people who mean something to my best friend and his soon-to-be husband.

The pair have been engaged for two years and are finally ready to sayI do.About damn time.

Instead of traditional wedding music, soft rock ballads—including a few songs Phoenix wrote for Courting Echoes—hum through outdoor speakers Caleb and I had set up earlier. Conversation and laughter flow easily among the guests as everyone waits for the one thing missing from the cozy ceremony. The grooms.

"I'd ask where they are, but I have a feeling I know the answer." Caleb snorts, and Isaac reaches back, stealthily popping him upside the head.

"I don't need to be hearing shit like that about my nephew." Isaac's thick southern accent is laced with exasperation.

Unable to resist ruffling the feathers of the tattooed older man with salt and pepper hair and matching beard, I glance at Isaac. "Well, when they show up looking freshly fu—" He moves fast for a man in his late forties, delivering a covert smack to the back of my head that makes me wince. I rub the sore spot as I glare at Archer's uncle. "Damn it, Isaac."

Damon hasn't said much since we arrived, but he chuckles quietly.

"You two annoy the shit out of me," Isaac grumbles while straightening his jacket. "Why can't y'all be more like Damon?"

Caleb scoffs. "Bullshit. You love us, and you know it. Plus, Damon is silently agreeing. Just ask him."

I glance at Phoenix's friend as his shoulders bounce while concealing a laugh to the best of his ability. Damon's nearly black irises match his midnight-colored hair, and his tanned skin makes his teeth appear stark white as he bites his lower lip to contain the sound. Whether Isaac likes it or not, Caleb's right, and we all know it.

Isaac sighs as he glances around. "If my nephew and Phoenix don't show up soon, I'm tossing CJ and Roman up there instead."

I freeze, even though clearly it had only been a joke.But marriage? My gaze swings out over the sea of people dressed casually for the event, seeking out my boyfriend.

My eyes collide with his stormy-blue ones when I find him seated next to my parents in the second row. They'd never miss my best friend's wedding. Archer was like family. A little brother, really, even if we were only a year apart.

Roman looks sexy as sin in a black button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, flashing his tattooed forearms. The crooked grin he sends me is followed by a wink. Cocky bastard knows he busted me checking him out.

I roll my eyes, but a smile plays on my lips. I'm stupid head over ass in love with Roman Love, my real-life Cupid. And he knows it. Luckily, he never holds back his feelings, reminding me I mean as much to him as he does to me.

Butfuture husband? Could I marry Roman one day? My mind races while imagining holidays and special occasions to come. In every single one of them, he's by my side, sharing in the joys and the pain. Yes, I could see rings on our fingers, shouting to the world we belong to each other. We already do.

Roman cocks a brow, and I realize I'm staring. His eyelids lower to half-mast, and he sinks his teeth into his lower lip. My boyfriend knows exactly what he's doing. He's causing a problem in my pants that I really don't need while standing in front of so many people.

I glare, and the bastard's shoulders shake in amusement as he mouths,I love you—or possiblyalligator food. He thinks that outdated joke is still funny.

I love you too,I say back silently.

And I mean it. Roman is mine. He's given me all of himself, including his flaws, and so much love it's overwhelming at times. In return, he happily takes the not-so-great parts of me while I do my best to make sure he knows how much he means to me. Everything really.

"About time," Isaac mutters under his breath, finally dragging my attention away from Roman.

When I glance at Isaac, he's looking across the lawn, and I follow his gaze.

From the shadows, Phoenix and Archer emerge, power walking down the aisle. As the wedding party, we hurry and form a line, standing side by side. I study the two grooms.

Phoenix appears calm and collected, even though his cheeks are flushed. Archer, on the other hand, appears embarrassed, ducking his head as they pass the rows of chairs. Lucky for the both of them, Archer's hair is naturally a mess of loose curls, and Phoenix's is cut short to his scalp. Unfortunately, they apparently didn't have a mirror handy because both of their suits are a bit askew. There's enough proof that even Isaac can't be blind to the truth.

Archer's cheeks are flaming red as he steps next to Phoenix beneath the gazebo's archway where the officiant has been waiting patiently for half an hour.

My best friend appears happier than I've ever seen him, embarrassed, sure, but the glow of contentment lights his wide, deep-brown eyes. It probably has a lot to do with Phoenix, who looks at him with an adoring gaze.

The two grooms couldn't be more different in appearance, though they both wear classic black suits and white shirts. Phoenix is tall and his skin, including his neck, is covered in ink. The multiple rings adorning his fingers and a chain necklace catch the twinkling lights surrounding them. Meanwhile, my best friend is pale with virgin, unmarked skin and easily stands a head shorter than his fiancé.

"Hey, Isaac," Caleb whispers, humor dancing in his tone. I look at my twin, already seeing the taunt coming, and I groan under my breath. He nudges Isaac with his elbow. "What do you think Phoenix and Arch were—"

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