by Eden O'Neill
Jax
I watched my friends get married today.
And it was kinda fucking beautiful.
Royal had pulled out all the stops, his and December’s wedding a winter fucking wonderland. It helped that it was smack-dab in the middle of winter. They’d chosen to get married during holiday break before spring semester, and the January wedding provided for snowflakes and frost-covered trees in the town of Maywood Heights.
They’d brought all this shit back home, where it had all began for many of us and brought them together. There were quite a few perks choosing to get married in the Midwestern city, one of which was holding their nuptials at Windsor House, a symbolic place to us all back in high school, and what a sight to be seen that day.
Basically a storybook castle on steroids, the location provided the means for my buddy Royal to pretty much be extra as fuck. I mean, that shit was ridiculous, faux icicles dripping from the ceilings and enough ice sculptures to make Elsa herself roll her eyes. Add to that the twinkling lights and crystal dishes, Windsor House quickly transformed from the headquarters of our youth to the damn Yule Ball out of Harry Potter. It was completely my buddy Royal in spades and appeared to make his blushing bride happy. December couldn’t keep the grin off her face all day, and I had to say…
That shit was catching.
I’d obviously come to the wedding with Cleo, officially dating now for about three months, but still, once I got up to the front of the aisle I wasn’t staring at Royal and December. I mean, they took my attention sporadically, of course. This was their day and all that. But being up front with them, Knight and LJ, and the rest of December’s wedding party, I couldn’t help but stare at the place reserved for our girlfriends. Cleo sat there, tucked right between Knight’s girl Greer and LJ’s girl Billie.
And she looked goddamn beautiful.
She’d been so self-conscious for so long after her accident. She’d walked around with her arm in a sling for months and prior to that, her face swollen for weeks. It’d been a long recovery for her, for us both after the transplant, but when the painful memories of that trauma started to subside, she transformed herself. She kept her hair short on purpose now, her dark hair cropped, which gave way to her stunning eyes. Back at the hospital, she’d actually found out they’d saved her hair, and she ended up donating it.
Such a Girl Scout.
I wouldn’t take my girl any other way, her petal pink dress in frills and matching the flush on her cheeks. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her the whole fucking ceremony.
“Jax?”
I had to be nudged by Knight. He, LJ, and I had done a coin toss for who’d hold the rings since we were all the best men. I’d been the one honored with the deed, but actually missed my fucking cue staring at my girl.
An exaggerated grin as I pulled that shit out of my jacket, making the whole room laugh, but I hadn’t done it for them.
I winked at my girl in the first row, making her smile shyly. She never loved the attention, but I always gave it to her. She waved me off, which got more laughter, but tabling my antics, I made sure to serious myself up and give Royal the rings.
He passed me a bit of an eye when he received them, but that fucker wasn’t fooling anyone. He was deliriously happy, and watching both him and December throughout the day thus far told us all that. The pair had done their first look photos before all this even began, and being the nosy fucks we were, Knight, LJ, and I had looked on from a distance with our women.
Needless to say, our friend Royal was brought down to his knees by his bride, his entire face filled with emotion. December had come out in this dress fit for royalty, her train crazy. The photographers snapped away, and they’d have those pictures for the rest of their lives.
Just like this moment now.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Royal took hell of fucking advantage of that moment, clasping December behind the neck and pressing her body up against him. The dude put it completely on her in front of about five hundred people, and I guessed I couldn’t blame him. His bride was gorgeous, and had that been my girl and me up there? Yeah, that shit would have been X-rated.
Crazy my mind even went to that place, but it did. I caught Cleo’s eyes during their exchange, and my mind may not have been the only one in that place. She smiled so warmly at the pair, her fists clasped. Then, she found me, and her cheeks—well, they shot up like one hundred degrees in color. The two of us may have only been dating for a little while, may have only been directly in each other’s lives for so long, but that ceased to matter after what we’d been through. We were linked for life her and me.
I had the scar on my side to prove it.
The happy couple raised their hands together after Royal finally let December go, and the room exploded in applause. Half the town had tried to fight their way into this bitch tonight, the social event of the season. Hell, it was even being televised, and Knight had had the idea to make some money off the venture. The asswipe had sold tickets to online access and had gotten away with it too before Greer busted his ass out. Royal had wanted him to give the money back, but Cleo had suggested donating it.
Gotta love my girl.
I snagged her arm when it was time for the procession to leave, refusing to do so with just Mallick again. As man of honor, he and I had to walk next to each other since I had the rings and needed to be closest to the groom.
Needless to say, he looked relieved as hell to see me grab my girl and actually made room for us to go ahead. Chuckling, he stood at attention, shaking his head before he let us go forward and followed behind. I supposed December could have done worse for her head attendant. He’d done right by her all day and even came to town early to help Royal and the rest of us go over things at Windsor House before the events took place.
I’d never tell him, but he was kind of a stand-up guy and would never tell him because I still hadn’t forgotten about the whole stripper thing. I obviously hadn’t given Cleo a hard time about it, but that didn’t mean I was particularly happy about what went down.
I think the other guys kind of felt the same way, but with the joys and smiles of the day flourishing around, it seemed alliances were more sought after than divisions. Happiness was more desired than history. Today was a good day.
So why linger on about things of the past?
That happiness continued on as we all walked down the aisle to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. This was our good friend Paige’s favorite song, a way both Royal and December wanted to honor her. It also was fitting for all of us, a fucking bop and had aged hella well. We rocked that shit, making the whole crowd laugh.
Let the reception begin.
Champagne toasts and high spirits filled the night, first dances and stolen kisses in the air. More than one of us escaped off to the more, um, secluded areas of Windsor House with our girls. It was a house once full of secrets, and though tarnished by histories in the past, tonight it was nothing but a place of celebration. I kept Cleo close every reasonable moment I could, but couldn’t keep her all night. I had to let her go when the band called for the bouquet toss, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it.
“Hurry back,” I made her promise, so into this boyfriend shit it wasn’t even funny. My buddy LJ had been right. Once this shit happened, it just happened and there was no fighting it.
She dropped her arms around me. “Would it bother you if I caught it? The bouquet?”
We were all well aware of what it meant once a girl got the bouquet. It meant she was supposed to be next, one of us guys next.
I gave her a tap on the ass, telling her my answer. If I honestly thought the world and our parents wouldn’t find us both fucking crazy for wanting to get married after only three months of dating, I already would have done it. The ‘rents were all cool about us dating, but getting married? Probably should let them get used to this scenario a little longer first. Cleo and I both also still had a semester left of school and since we�
�d been able to catch up despite what had happened last term, I didn’t think either of us wanted to get too distracted planning a wedding on top of schooling.
But after all that? Well, who knew, but I think we both did. This girl had one of my kidneys so she might as well just bide the time before I asked.
Like she knew my thoughts, she kissed me, saying she loved me. I returned the same before pushing her on to the group of crazy women clustering on the dance floor. Billie and Greer were already out there like a pack of hungry lionesses, and when Cleo joined, hunkering down, I had a feeling one of them was getting that bouquet.
“Finally decided to let her go, kidney boy?”
This from Knight Reed, lead asshole on the charge of my new pet name.
I’d gotten to hear from all the guys about that shit once I’d finally healed and they’d realized I wasn’t going to die. The ragging had gone on for weeks, but honestly? I think they all were just a pack of sick fucks who were pissed I’d gotten to look like the hero when they hadn’t been able to do that for their own women. Even Royal had grunted when he explained December had been going on and on about how “romantic” the gesture had been. My friends were jealous as hell, and I rubbed that shit in their faces whenever I could.
“Don’t hate me because you ain’t me,” I said, popping my collar.
Knight got me under his arm, but didn’t do it as rough as he might have normally. I think all the guys were being a little lax about the roughhousing since I’d had surgery, but I wasn’t going to complain about not getting my ass kicked. If I could get away with calling them shit and ragging on them and they didn’t retaliate? That was a fucking win for me.
He relaxed his arm as the other guys fell in, all of us standing around at a couple cocktail tables. It was prime viewing for the Hunger Games across the dance floor over there and LJ had even brought us all a platter of beers.
The groom himself took back a Heineken, grinning like a fool all day. Midas himself wasn’t a happier man, and all of us would be damn lucky to even have a smidgen of what he felt on what was clearly the happiest day of his life.
I had a feeling we were all in store for that, and as we watched December head to the front of the dance floor, we all laser-focused our attention. Serious as hell, I don’t think LJ, Knight, or me breathed in that moment. December tossed the bouquet, and our heads all flew, even Royal’s.
The four of us stood from the table as December, who apparently had A-Rod’s arm, launched that thing so far it glided over the sea of screaming women and toward the person lounging casually against the wall. I hadn’t seen Ramses Mallick all night.
But if that fucker didn’t catch the bouquet.
He looked surprised himself, pushing off the wall with a wobbling grin. An audible groan could be heard from all the women who’d missed, but suddenly, he was the most popular guy in town when like all the girls—well, all but our girls—rushed over to him and started instantly chatting him up.
I had to say, the fucker was pretty hot shit when we’d been in high school, being the former mayor’s kid and all that. I mean, he wasn’t us, but he got around the block a bit.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” LJ said, laughing before taking a swig of his beer. He pushed it down. “Fucker ain’t even show up with a date and he’s drowning in pussy.”
I’d say, laughing with the other guys. We clinked our beers before raising them.
“To whoever’s next after Mallick, I guess,” Royal said, his shoulders bumping in laughter before taking a drink. He gestured his beer toward me. “Will it be you, kidney boy? We’ve all noticed your ring on Cleo’s thumb.”
And it hadn’t left since I’d given it to her, wouldn’t just like their rings would leave their girls. December had even placed hers as part of her bouquet, a special one that obviously hadn’t gone to Mallick’s ass.
I shrugged. “I’m not opposed to it.”
“You better fucking not. At least, not right now and make us look like assholes.” Knight waved between LJ and himself. “You already donated a kidney to the girl. Why don’t you let LJ or me have this one?”
“Yeah, I’d never hear the end of that shit if you got married first.” LJ chuckled. “Billie would have my ass.”
“Only after Greer gave me back my balls.” Knight grunted. He shot a finger at me. “No proposing. Not until you ask us first.”
“Aww.” I batted my eyes. “I didn’t know you guys felt that way about me. But two handsome suitors vying for my heart?” I put my hands together dramatically. “How will I ever decide between you both?”
Okay, so that I wasn’t getting away with. They both went for me like it was open season, and Royal watched on from the best seat of the house.
I honestly didn’t think any of us would ever grow up, and I hoped we wouldn’t. Growing up made you serious. Growing up made you hard, and I think, at least for me, I’d had enough of that. We were all past the places of trying to control every little thing. We wanted to be happy, had found happiness, and there was no going back after that.
The women in our lives made us better men, better brothers. They made us all see the world in a different way and accept that there was more to it than pain, suffering, hatred, or even revenge. But most importantly, they allowed us to see that life, at least mine, didn’t have to be so hard.
As far as I was concerned, my girlfriend Cleo had given me a second chance at an actual life instead of a half one. I hadn’t been living before. Not until she found me.
And she thought I saved her.
Thank you so much for checking out BEAUTIFUL BRUTE (Court University 3)! You can get the next book in the Court University saga, LOVER, on Amazon.