Page 1 of And the Best Man Ran Away With the Groom

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Trent

This is hardly the first time I’ve caught my best mate sneaking out a window. There were those times back in high school where he’d manage to duck out of detention right under the teacher’s nose; all those nights where we’d break out of his house after his parents had gone to bed so we could go to one party or another; and of course, that memorable occasion when he’d brought a hook-up back to my place and then bailed before the guy woke up in the morning. Fun times.

You’d think after all that I would have been prepared for something like this. But you’d be wrong. Walking into the dressing room to find Jack halfway out the window was the last thing I imagined I’d be dealing with today. Not even I could have predicted that my flaky best mate would bail on his own wedding.

“What thefuck?”I demand, striding further into the room.

Jack’s head snaps around, a look of relief washing over his face when he sees I’m alone. “Oh, cool, you’re here—can you help me get this the rest of the way up? It’s jammed or something.”

“No, Icannothelp you get it the rest of the way up!” I exclaim. “What the fuck are you doing? You’re supposed to be getting married in, like, five minutes.”

He steps down from the window and turns to fully face me, his expression grim. “Trent, I can’t do it.”

I stare at him, my frustration morphing into concern as I take in his clearly distressed state. “What do you mean you can’t do it?”

“I can’t get married. I just can’t.” He gives a sharp shake of his head, lifting a hand to run through his perfectly styled dark hair. “I thought if I could just get through today—you know, just get this bit over and done with—then everything would be alright…but I just can’t…”

Over and done with?Not the most flattering way to speak about what should be the happiest day of his life. I’d gotten the impression a few times during the engagement, and particularly over the past week since arriving in Melbourne for the wedding, that Jack wasn’t exactly the most enthusiastic of grooms, but I’d put that down to his general low-key nature. After all, if he didn’t want to be married, he wouldn’t have proposed to Xavier in the first place—right?

“And you think escaping out a window is the way to go?” I ask him, one eyebrow raised. “You don’t think maybe you should talk to Xavier about this?”

And here come the puppy dog eyes. “Can you do it?Please…if I see him, I’ll end up going through with it just to avoid the awkward conversation.”

I roll my eyes. “God you’re a shit.”

“But you love me and you’re going to do this for me ‘cause you’re the best friend ever,” he says, still laying it on thick.

I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through my long blond hair, which my sister insisted on straightening for the special occasion. “You owe mesobig for this.”

Jack’s face splits into a relieved smile. “Thank you.” Turning back to the window, he adds, “Now, can you help me with this?”

I shake my head in exasperation before joining him at the window and helping him to get it unjammed, pushing it up the rest of the way so he can easily climb out.

I suppose the situation could be worse. He could be asking for my help to bury a body…

Once Jack’s gone, I leave his dressing room and make my way to Xavier’s, which is on the other side of the rustic farmhouse-style accommodation at the winery where the wedding is being held. I have no idea what I’m going to say to him; even though he’s been engaged to my best friend for eight months and that we actually went to the same high school, I don’t really know Xavier all that well. We were in different year levels and didn’t have much reason to interact at school, and I’ve been living in Sydney for three years now so our interactions since he and Jack got together haven’t been as frequent as they likely would have been in the past.

To be honest, I actually know Xavier’s best friend, Alastor King, a lot better than I know Xav. We used to play footy together back at school and always got on pretty well. He and Jack weren’t huge fans of each other, though; I’m not sure how much of that changed while Jack and Xavier were together, but I can only imagine what Alastor is going to think of my best mate after today.

I cringe at the inevitable prospect that after today my best mate is going to be Enemy Number One for a lot of people. I know he brings it upon himself a lot of the time, but I hate it when people think the worst of him. He’s like a brother to me, and the best one a guy could ask for. Life would definitely be easier if he stopped doing stupid shit, but you can’t have everything.

Unfortunately, when I get to Xavier’s room, I’m told by one of the venue staff that he and Alastor headed down for the ceremony only a few minutes ago. I let out a groan of frustration upon hearing this information; I definitely would have preferred to break the news in private, rather than in front of the entire wedding congregation.

With a sigh, I trudge down the stairs and make my way to the marquee that’s been set up for the ceremony. I spot Xavier and Alastor immediately; they’re lingering off to one side, no doubt waiting impatiently for Jack and me to appear so everything can get started. Well, at least there might still be a chance for me to usher them somewhere private and give the news without everyone overhearing.

When I reach the pair, Xavier lets out a breath of relief that makes my heart clench. He starts craning his head around me as though expecting to find Jack right behind me, his brow furrowing in confusion when he sees the empty space.

“Um…can we talk?” I ask, canting my head to the side to indicate a space a little way away from the gathered crowd. “Over there maybe?”

Alastor’s expression turns suspicious, while Xavier continues to look confused. “What’s going on?”

Ignoring him, I turn away and walk over to the spot I’d indicated.

“Trent?” Xavier presses. “What the fuck? Where’s Jack?”

I hesitate for a moment, considering how best to break the news. Finally, I just blurt it out. “He’s not coming. He says he can’t go through with it.”

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