Page 41 of About That One Night
I take a sip of champagne, the bubbles dancing on my tongue as I watch Zoe laugh at something one of the bridesmaids said. She looks stunning tonight, hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes sparkling in the warm glow of the string lights. I catch myself staring and quickly look away, my gaze landing on Liam instead.
He’s beaming, his arm wrapped around Audrey’s waist as they make their rounds, accepting congratulations and well-wishes from everyone in attendance. They look so happy and so in love. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted for my little sister, and who better than my best friend to love and protect her.
The sound of silverware clinking against glass fills the air, and a hush falls over the room. Audrey catches my eye, giving me a little nod. “You’re up first, Maxie,” she says with a smile.
Fine, I guess it’s time for the toasts, and even though I’m groomsman number two, I’m up first. I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. All eyes are on me, expectant, waiting.
I clear my throat, raising my glass. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Max, one of Liam’s best friends and Audrey’s?—”
“Everyone here knows who you are, asshole,” Caleb interrupts me. “Are you recycling the speech from Ethan’s wedding? Dude, if you can’t remember how to string a few sentences together, you should’vehired someone else to write you a new one, cheapskate.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I flip him the finger with my free hand.
“Language, Maximillian McCallister,” Mom chides me.
I flinch, mouthing, “Sorry, Mom.”
“Children, don’t start, or you won’t get dessert,” Audrey jokes, grinning.
“Can you just bore us so I can go next?” Cal says. “I’ve got a really good one.”
I roll my eyes and clear my throat. “As I was saying, standing here tonight, I’m feeling a lot of things. Pride, joy, a little bit of disbelief that my baby sister is actually getting married.”
“And thank fuck for that. It’s the little sis going to the slaughterhouse and not us,” Jacob jokes.
A ripple of laughter runs through the crowd, and I feel myself starting to relax, falling into the familiar rhythm of the toast I’ve practiced a dozen times.
“But most of all, I’m feeling grateful. Grateful to be here, sharing this moment with two of the most important people in my life. Liam, you’ve been my partner in crime since we were kids, always there to get me into trouble and then back out of it again. And Audrey, you’ve been my little shadow, my confidante, and the one who saved me from being grounded when we were kids, even when I didn’t deserve it.”
I pause, swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat. “Seeing the two of you together, it’s clear that you bring out the best in each other. Liam, you giveAudrey a sense of adventure and spontaneity, and Audrey, you make him happy in a way I’ve never seen before. The way you love each other is unique and so perfect.”
I raise my glass higher, my voice ringing out clear and strong. “So let’s raise a glass to Liam and Audrey. May your love be as endless as the ocean, as bright as the stars, and as unshakeable as the bond between siblings. Cheers.” As the room erupts into applause, I catch Audrey’s eye, seeing the tears shining there. She mouths a silentThank you, and I feel a surge of love and pride so strong it nearly takes my breath away.
But even as I bask in the glow of the moment, I can’t help but feel a flicker of something else, something darker and more complicated, stirring beneath the surface. As happy as I am for Liam and Audrey, a very tiny part of me that I barely acknowledge wonders if I’ll ever find someone to love the way Liam loves my sister. If I’ll ever be the one standing at the altar, looking into the eyes of someone who loves me completely and unreservedly.
As the applause dies down, Liam’s father takes the mic. He clears his throat, emotion already thick in his voice.
I tune him out as I look around the room and spot Zoe, who somehow looks sad. Caleb elbows me. “Dude, stop gawking at her.”
“I’m not,” I lie and force myself to pay attention to Liam’s dad.
“. . . And now, seeing them here, surrounded by so much love and support, I know that they’ve found something truly rare and beautiful.”
The room hums with agreement.
Next, Audrey’s best friend from work, Mia, takes the stage. Her voice trembles, but her smile is radiant. “Here’s to you, to the love that you’ve found, and to the beautiful life that you’re going to build together.”
As the toasts continue, each one more heartfelt or corny than the last, I find myself growing increasingly bored and annoyed. It feels like an endless parade of Oscar speeches.
As the evening wears on, as the laughter grows louder and the drinks flow more freely, I feel a darkness inside me grow, expanding and contracting like a living thing—Until finally, I can’t take it anymore.
I push back from the table, mumbling some excuse about needing air, and stumble out into the night. The cool breeze feels like a slap against my flushed skin, and I take a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady myself.
On the balcony, I find Zoe quietly looking out at the ocean, her figure silhouetted against by moonlit waves. I approach her slowly, the sound of the crashing waves providing a soothing backdrop to the turmoil inside me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Zoe
