Page 36 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
“Yeah.” As ready as I could be. We were mic’d up for the cameras, so we all had to be careful what we said.
“I’m proud of you, Ben. You’re a good man.” He patted my shoulder a few times and then stood straight beside me while I tried to blink back the emotion his words had caused. Before I could fully gain my composure, the music changed, and the double doors opened.
Charlie stepped in, and I forgot how to breathe. Her long hair was twisted into a low bun, with curls falling down around her ears and neck. She hadn’t wanted to wear her original wedding dress, so she’d told me she was going to borrow her mom’s instead. The white V-neck fabric clung temptingly to her curves and then flowed into a beaded, princess-like dress. She looked grown-up. So very much a woman.
Cinderella at the ball.
She met my gaze, and her eyes widened with shock as she took me in.
I ran a hand over my chin, self-conscious. I’d gotten my hair and beard trimmed this morning. The barber said he didn’t recognize me when he was done. Rosie had cried when she’d seen me, and my brothers had hugged me for so long, I was embarrassed that a haircut could cause such a reaction in people.
But I knew it was more than the haircut. It was the acknowledgment that I wasn’t going to hide anymore. That I was ready to be back in the land of the living. Charlie’s smile softened, and my nervous heart thumped harder with every step she took toward me.
Charlie Savage was going to be my wife.
Your fake wife.
This wasn’t real.
I swallowed hard at the necessary reminder. She was stunning. Older than I somehow remembered. And walking down the aisle toward me. But we weren’t in love. We weren’t preparing to build a life together. We were two boats at sea, navigating rough waters with the help of each other, and would part ways once we reached safe shores.
This wedding might be legal in every sense, but it wasn’t emotionally real.
Charlie gripped her mom’s arm. When they reached the front, Rebecca took Charlie’s face in both of her hands and studied her eyes. She kissed her daughter on the cheek, but instead of sitting down, she turned to me.
My breath caught as Rebecca took my face in her hands next. She studied my fresh haircut, my short beard, and then my eyes. I tensed, waiting for her disappointment, for her plea for us to rethink this. She hadn’t been a fan of our getting married, but Charlie said she was respecting our decision. It killed me to think we were disappointing her, but I also had no regrets about marrying Charlie, even if it didn’t make sense to everyone else.
The lines around Rebecca’s eyes smoothed out, and her thumbs brushed my cheeks lightly. She stared at me the way a mother would before graduation. “You’re a good one, Bennett,” she whispered.
I was glad I didn’t have to speak, because emotion had unexpectedly welled up in my throat. She sat down, and I realized that my brothers must have heard what she said too, because they were blinking rapidly as well.
“Welcome to the wedding of Charlotte Marie Savage and Bennett Hunter Forrester,” the pastor said with a gentle smile.
Charlie and I turned to face each other. Her expression was bittersweet, another reminder that I was the wrong groom.
“Is there anyone here who would object to this marriage?” the pastor asked.
I half-expected Greg to burst into the church and object. Charlie stared at the doors, like she expected it as well, like she hoped that he’d come through and apologize, and the wedding would be back on.
They remained shut, and we both let out matching, shuddery breaths, which in turn caused us to laugh nervously. Rosie started to giggle behind her hand, and then Rebecca was laughing too, until tears were streaming down her face and she had to rest her head on her mom’s shoulder.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” Charlie said once she managed to get her giggles under control. “Proceed.”
The pastor raised an amused brow. “Thank you.”
The mood was lighter, and as I stared into Charlie’s eyes, I felt a glimmer of excitement. This didn’t have to be so serious. I squeezed Charlie’s hands and smiled. Her return smile was dim, but genuine.
We had asked the pastor to forgo the ring exchange, since neither of us had time to purchase rings for each other. I didn’t expect my finger to feel bare, though, as we approached the end of the ceremony. We should have at least gotten some cheap, souvenir rings. But that thought didn’t sit well with me either.
“You may now kiss as husband and wife,” the pastor said.
Oh, right. That part.
The cameras moved even closer.
I steeled my shoulders, ready to do what needed to be done. Don’t get me wrong. I loved kissing. But kissing Charlie was going to be like kissing my sister. Like two wet worms sliding past each other in the same dirt tunnel. And all while the girl IthoughtI’d marry someday watched and cameras captured every awkward second for America to judge. Life was weird sometimes.
Charlie looked ready to bolt, and I couldn’t blame her. But theWildcamera crew would.
