Page 1 of What About Us
Prologue
Hudson
Then
Fuck. It’s hotter thanSatan’s ball bag in here.
The bow tie on my tux threatens to strangle me as I wait at the top of the aisle. My palms are sweaty as fuck, and my stomach feels queasy. Probably just nerves.
Or, it could be the two shots of whiskey I’ve had in the last hour. Probably both. I’m not a big whiskey drinker, but I figured I needed something a whole hell of a lot stronger than a Guinness to get through this day.
The weight of the engraved silver flask sits heavy in the inside breast pocket of my jacket. I didn’t have time to stash it when the wedding planner came out back to tell me we were ready to start.
It looks like the entire city of Dallas has turned out for the wedding today. Magnolias and crystals drip from every available surface of the sprawling church—from here to the altar and everywhere in between. It’s fancy as fuck. Too fancy. Stuffy. There’s a bunch of women here wearing tiny hats. Like little Mrs. Potato Head Stepford Wives or some shit.
I always pictured an outdoor wedding for her. With the mountains as the backdrop, complete with wildflowers and her favorite, Chantilly lace. But I’m a dude, so what the hell do I know?
Running a finger between my collar and my neck, I can feel the thin sheen of sweat covering my back. I glance at my watch and then run my eyes over the crowd, wishing we were anywhere but here. Strangers. A sea of them.
She has no living family, so no matter how untraditional, she wanted me to walk her down the aisle. I keep my eyes on the officiant as I wait for her. There’s no bridesmaids or groomsmen. Just one more untraditional element to this wedding.
Why is it so fucking hot in here?
I tug on my collar again and crane my neck, finally catching sight of my parents and my younger siblings Hutch and Hayley. The doors just beyond the alcove I’m standing in open and there she is.
She takes my breath away, just like she has every day since I first noticed her at seventeen, when we’d been paired up as lab partners.
A nervous smile cracks her beautiful face when she sees me waiting for her. She’s always been something of a tomboy. It’s one of the things I love the most about her. She can throw a perfect spiral, slide into home base like the boys, change a tire and build one hell of a campfire. But there is nothing tomboy about her now.
Today, she’s stunning in the floor length wedding dress she chose, the sheath of it fitting close to her curves, with a narrow waist. We’d gone into a dress shop on a whim while she was visiting New York. She tried on dozens; the salesclerk spouting off designer names and styles that were all Greek to me, and even though it wasn’t her typical style, the dress gave the illusion that she was a lot taller. She’d loved that about it. The white satin falls seamlessly over her petite frame, her three-inch heels—the ones I know she’s been practicing walking in for three weeks—definitely makingher look taller than her petite five foot five. It’s not what I pictured her wearing on her wedding day, but today isn’t about me.
She catches my eye as she approaches, my heart hammers wildly in my chest and I feel a twinge of pain in my gut.
God, all I need to do is vomit right now.
I take a deep breath and paste a smile on my face.
Her waist-length dark hair is twisted up into a thick knot at the back of her head and a short veil covers her face. When she steps close, still five or six inches shorter than me even in those heels, I press a kiss to the back of her hand and wrap it over my forearm, taking in her dark features.
“You look beautiful, Jameson,” I whisper, and she blushes, dipping her chin and then looking out over the crowd. “Like, really fucking stunning.”
A shaky breath leaves her lips, and she smiles.
“Thanks, Huddy. You look super handsome, even in your penguin suit.” She touches my bow tie and smooths her hand over my shoulder as if to brush away a speck of dust.
“Anything for my girl,” I say, and the emotion in my throat feels like a physical stab of pain, choking me. I lightly squeeze her hand. “You ready for this?”
She nods and everyone in the place turns to see her as they get a first glimpse of the bride, the opening chords of the bridal march filling the cavernous space.
As we pass by my parents and the two of my five siblings in attendance, mom dabs the inner corners of her eyes with a tissue, and pop gives me a nod. They both know the significance this day holds for me, and for her. We’ve been best friends for years, but I suspect they’ve always known how I really feel about her. It helps calm my nerves a bit, and I am happy for her, but when I force my eyes firmly back on the officiant, the wobble in my legs won’t stop. When we come to the end of the aisle, the officiant asks who gives this woman in marriage. She cuts a glance my way with a softsmile and a squeeze to my bicep. “I do.” My voice is hoarse, and I hardly recognize it.
When I press a kiss to her veiled cheek, and her whispered wordsLove you, Huddy,dance across the skin of my neck, I feel lightheaded. I turn and place her hand in that of her waiting groom and give my best friend away.
Chapter 1
Hudson
Now
