Grabbing my glasses from my bedside table, I blinked quickly to try and wake myself up.
My bed shifted and my eyes settled on Eva who was now seated at the edge of my bed. “Eva, are you okay?” I whispered, not wanting to wake Charlotte up who was still passed out on my floor.
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to kick myself. Of course she wasn't okay. She had just gotten into a fight, hours before her wedding.
She turned on my light, making my eyes hurt even more.
“Shit, sorry,” she said as she saw my reaction to the light.
“It's fine,” I whispered, rubbing my eyes again and glancing over at Charlotte who was still fast asleep. “What's up?”
She smiled and I was shocked to see that emotion from her after everything.
“I just got back from our house. The wedding is still on. Tyler actually called me asking me to come over and hear Jason out. He explained that he really didn’t have any control over anything and that it was Ashton's fault. Ashton was there at the house too so he backed him up. I'm still kind of annoyed but it's not enough to call the wedding off.” She sighed after her explanation. “The bitch didn't even have an opportunity to take her clothes off before the guys ushered her out.”
“Eva, that's great. I'm glad everything worked out.” I pulled my covers back up and set my glasses down. “Now, if you don't mind, I’m going back to sleep. You should too.”
She laughed. “Bryn, you can't sleep now! We have to start getting ready!”
“Eva! We have like, two hours before we even have to get up!”
“Yeah, but we’re already awake. We might as well take advantage of the time!”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you really going to make me get out of bed?”
She smiled. “Oh come on! It’ll be fun! We can, I don't know, drive somewhere. It's my last morning ever as Eva Evans.” She stood up. “It's not like you’re going to be able to go back to sleep now anyways.”
She was right, and I hated her for it. “All right, where do you want to go?”
Charlotte was still sleeping and when we had tried to wake her, she rolled over and gave us the finger. Ten minutes later we were in her car on our way to Tybee Island to watch the sun rise. “I can't believe I’ve never been here,” Eva said as she parked her car.
“I used to love coming here. I practically spent every day on the beach when I was younger.”
We reached the beach just as the sun's rays started to show. The reflection of the light on the water was beautiful, and as I sat down I was overwhelmed by the image in front of me.
A chill came over my body as I suddenly thought of my dad and I couldn’t help think that maybe he was here with me. We used to come here some mornings when I was little to see the sunrise. The breeze blew my hair around and I breathed in deeply, enjoying the feeling I had.
“Wow,” Eva said.
“Hey, Eva,” I said as I picked up an odd looking shell and rubbed my thumb across the smooth surface.
“Yeah?”
“You're getting married in a few hours,” I exclaimed, throwing the shell far out into the water. The red, purple and orange colors from the sun rise made a cool image on the rippled water.
Mentioning the wedding got Eva going and she jumped up asking if we could leave.
The ride home was insane as she never stopped talking about the day that was coming. All of her worries were back and I spent the fifteen minute drive trying to calm her back down. “But what if the delivery person drops the cake?” she asked as her eyes widened.
“Eva, it won't happen. I promise,” I reassured her.
She went quiet for a moment. “Shit! Bryn, I forgot my garter back at the house!”
As untraditional as Eva and Jason appeared, they were dead set against not seeing each other before the ceremony. Supposedly, since they technically saw each other before the sun came up this morning, that didn’t count.
“Well, I can drop you off at my house and you can start getting ready while I go back to your house and get it if you want,” I suggested.
Her face calmed. “Thank you! That would be awesome. It’s in my room,” she said.
We pulled into my driveway and she ran into the house. Honestly, I would hate to be Charlotte right now who had no idea what was about to run through the door.
I pulled out and drove to the Wilsons’. By now it was almost eight in the morning and the boys had to be up. We were all expected to be at the church for some photos before the actual ceremony in two hours.
Not even bothering to knock, I let myself in and was greeted by the smell of bacon. I grabbed at my stomach as it grumbled. I had forgotten to grab something for breakfast before heading to Tybee beach.
“Hello?” I said aloud, wondering where everyone was.
“That better not be Eva again!” I heard as Miles came walking down the stairs.
I smiled. “No, but I think if I hadn't offered to come here for her, she would have.”
He laughed. “Well, you can assure her everything is under control.”
“I will. I just need to get into her and Jason's room. She forgot her garter.”
“Ah, well, I have no idea what the hell that is and I have a feeling I don't want to know,” Miles said. “Their room is the third door on the right. Jason went on a run about ten minutes ago so he's not here. Do you want me to grab you a quick plate to eat before you head back?”
I loved Miles. Always so thoughtful, “No, that's okay, thanks though! I better get out of here before Eva has a heart attack,” I joked.
His face fell and then he smiled again. “No one will be having a heart attack.”
I cocked my head, wondering why he hadn’t picked up on my joke. “All right. I’ll see you later!” I said as I started up the stairs.
Thankfully, the garter was easy to spot on top of a desk that was directly in front of the door. “That was easy enough,” I said to myself.
I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me and my eyes immediately settled on Tyler's door.
Curious to see if he was awake yet or not, I went over and peeked my head in. I slowly opened the door and saw him standing in front of his bed, his back toward me.
As I was about to say something, he reached over to his bedside table’s drawer and picked up an orange bottle. He dispensed what looked like two pills into his hands. He brought his hand to his mouth and took a drink from his water, his head moving back as he swallowed. Just as he sat the glass down, I knocked on the door.
“Morning,” I said with a smile. I walked over giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and sat down on his bed. He looked around uneasily and shut the drawer before sitting next to me. “You okay?” I asked, the image of him taking the pills flooding my mind.
“Hey beautiful girl, what are you doing here?” He kissed me softly. “Yeah I'm fine…it's just…nothing. I'm not feeling too good today,” he replied. He took my hand and set his head on my shoulder. “I'm just so fucking tired. Jason kept us up last night until Eva came over. I've gotten maybe two hours of sleep.”
“Tell me about it. She woke me up at five and asked if we could go for a drive.” I looked down at our hands, stretching mine out and smiled at the difference in size.
“I bet that was just awesome,” he said, sarcastically. “Where did you go?”
“Oh yeah, waking up that early was great. But it ended up nice. We went to Tybee Beach. It was the only place she could think of off the top of her head to go to so early. We watched the sun rise which was something I’ve always wanted to see again.”
He smiled. “I wish I could have joined you.”
“I can’t believe I haven’t spent a day at the beach yet. We should all go sometime or something.”
“Yeah, hey your birthday is in a few weeks, right? Why don’t we all go there for the day?”
“That would be perfect.”
“Bryn! You better go home. Eva and Charlotte have both called me,” Miles said as h
e came into Tyler's room.
I said goodbye to Tyler and followed Miles out.
Two hours later, my hair was curled and swept up into a bun on the side. Charlotte had left a few strands loose on the opposite side and they fell down in soft curls, framing my face.
That girl was seriously amazing with hair and makeup.
When Eva walked out of the bathroom, I was stunned by her beauty. Her hair was down in big, soft curls framing her face. Charlotte had done her makeup lightly and had somehow brought out her big brown eyes even more. She looked like a 50’s movie star.
“Eva, you look gorgeous,” I said as she walked into my bedroom.
She smiled. “Thank you, Bryn.”
I looked at the clock. “I think it's time to get dressed. The limo is going to be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“Is my mom here yet?” Eva asked, looking around.
“She just got here, sweetie. She’ll be right up,” a beautiful petite woman said as she walked in my room with Charlotte behind her. It was Marie, Tyler and Charlotte’s mom.
The woman turned to me and took my hand. “Oh darlin’, I can’t tell you how much I have wanted to see you since I heard you moved back home,” she said, sweeping me into a tight, warm, familiar hug. “We must catch up at lunch sometime.”
I nodded, so happy to see her. “I missed you.”
“You as well, my dear.”
The door opened and a very eccentric looking woman appeared. “Where’s my baby?” She smiled at Eva and then over to Marie. “Thank you so much for letting us use your house for the reception. It’s so beautiful.”
Marie folded her hands. “Not a problem. Eva and Jason are just like family. We would do anything for them.”
“It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans,” I said as she walked over to me. “My name’s Bryn.”
She hugged me and turned to Eva kissing both of her cheeks. “We better get you into your dress, dear. The photographer will be here soon. Oh, this is happening so fast!” she said, unzipping the dress bag that was hanging from the top of the door.
The photographer came in just in time to take photos of Mrs. Evans helping Eva into her dress. Marie had gone back to the house to make sure everything was running smoothly.
Charlotte and I changed into our bridesmaid dresses and slipped our heels on. We got a few photos with all three of us together before we heard the doorbell ring, signaling the limo had arrived.
We got into the long limo carefully, helping Eva not wrinkle her silk dress as best we could and headed to the church. There were already a bunch of cars lined up in the church's parking lot and my stomach suddenly did a flip flop as the reality of walking down the aisle in front of hundreds of people I didn't know came over me.
Entering the church's back door, we walked into a small room that was designated for the bridal party and took a few more pictures.
Ten minutes before the wedding was to start, we heard a knock. Miles stood in the doorway, a small box in his hands.
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but Jason wanted me to give Eva this before the ceremony,” he said, walking in and handing Eva a gift bag. “You look beautiful, Eva.” He kissed her cheek.
She smiled. “Thanks, Miles. Here, can you take this to Jason? I almost forgot!” she said as she picked up an envelope out of her purse. “Tell him to be careful when he opens it, there’s something in there.”
He raised his eyebrow and nodded, giving Charlotte a kiss before leaving the room.
Eva sat down and reached inside the bag, pulling out a small blue box.
“Oh my God,” she said, her eyes wide as she untied the white bow. She gasped as she pulled out a very delicate, yellow diamond bracelet. “Oh my God,” she repeated.
“It’s beautiful!” Charlotte exclaimed as she walked over to her to help put it on.
Eva’s eyes sparkled from that moment on. But I knew it wasn’t just the bracelet, it was because of her love for Jason.
Eva's dad, Christian, walked in. “Oh, sweetie. You’re going to make your daddy cry.” His Georgia accent was heavy. They talked for a while and we were introduced.
“Guys, it's time!” Charlotte said, picking up Eva's bouquet and handing it to her.
“See, the flowers worked out just fine,” I said, winking to Eva.
We were led out to the two large entrance doors. We heard the music start and were told to stand to the sides of the doors so that no one could see us. Mrs. Evans walked down the aisle with one of Eva's cousins; Jason’s parents following behind them.
I looked to my left and saw Tyler emerge from the bathroom, his face slightly off. I didn’t have time to ask if he was okay because the flower girl and ring bearer were walking down.
The wedding coordinator signaled for Charlotte and Tyler.
I watched as they walked down and when they hit the halfway mark, it was mine and Miles's turn.
I looked back at Eva, one last time, who was fixing her veil. We exchanged smiles and then Miles started to lead us down the aisle that was covered with pink and white rose petals.
When we hit the halfway point and I knew that Tyler and Charlotte had taken their place at the altar, I looked up.
Jason stood at the front proudly with a look of nervousness. I smiled at his vulnerability and let my eyes rest on Tyler. Every nerve in my body calmed as our eyes locked. He smiled and I was overwhelmed with happiness and hope. It felt almost too real as I was basically walking down the aisle toward Tyler.
We reached the end of the alter and I took my place next to Charlotte, sad to take my eyes off of Tyler’s.
The music changed to the traditional wedding march and everyone stood up as Eva walked down the aisle.
I looked over and my heart tightened at the sight of Jason. He wiped his eyes as he smiled, watching his bride.
Eva’s father kissed her cheek, placing her small hand in Jason's.
The priest motioned for everyone to be seated.
“Ladies and Gentleman, we are gathered here on this glorious day to witness the union of Eva Marie Evans and Jason Matthew Montgomery. If you would turn toward each other and repeat after me.”
Eva handed Charlotte her bouquet and turned to face Jason as they joined hands.
“I, Jason Montgomery”
Jason smiled. “I, Jason Montgomery.”
“Take you, Eva Evans”
I looked over into the audience and smiled at the sight. So many people were here to celebrate Jason and Eva. I hope to have this someday. My eyes shifted over to Tyler. Whoever it will be with.
I turned my attention back to Eva and Jason as they said the rest of their vows.
“To have and to hold.”
“For better or for worse.”
“For richer or for poorer.”
“In sickness and in health.”
“To love.”
“And to cherish.”
“For as long as we both shall live.”
The priest then asked, “Do you take Jason to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do," Eva said, sniffling as she slipped the ring on Jason’s finger.
The priest smiled and then turned to Jason and asked, “Do you take Eva to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do,” Jason exclaimed proudly, slipping the delicate band on Eva’s finger.
I smiled at their declaration and wiped my eyes at the emotion that had come over me.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Jason took Eva in his arms and dipped her dramatically, kissing her and making her giggle.
The crowd clapped as they walked down the aisle.
“Eva, that was beautiful! Congratulations, Mrs. Montgomery,” I said, hugging her and kissing her cheek after we got to the back of the church.
“Thank you for everything, Bryn, really.”
I turned to Tyler and slipped my hand into his. We left Eva and Jason alone and walked outside. He pulled me close and whispered into my ear. “You looked beautiful wa
lking down that aisle toward me, babe.” He kissed my ear and I shivered, getting goose bumps on my arms. “You are to die for in that dress.”
I giggled. “Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself, boyfriend.”
He kissed my cheek and when he pulled away he wiped his forehead. “Is it hot out here?” he asked, tugging at his collar as though it was suddenly too tight.
“Savannah hot in the summertime? Never,” I said, winking at him but frowned when I saw his expression.
I was about to suggest we take a moment inside to cool off when the photographer announced it was time to finish the photos before returning to the Wilsons’ house for cocktail hour.
The photos thankfully didn’t take too long and the photographer said he had caught a great candid shot of Tyler and I. Knowing I didn’t have any new pictures of us, I was excited to see it.
When we got to the house, the bridal party gathered upstairs with champagne and glasses being passed around.
“To my bride!” Jason proposed as he raised his glass.
We took a sip and Jason asked, “So when are you two going to get hitched?” He glanced our way and my eyes widened in shock at his forward question.
I was trying to come up with something sarcastic when Charlotte spoke. “I don't know, ask Miles! He's the one who has to buy me a killer ring and propose,” she said, nudging him gently.
Miles smiled. “Just you wait, darlin'.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. It was way too early to start thinking of marriage. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about my future, marriage wise. When Tyler and I had broken up the pain had been enough to turn me off love for awhile. I guess I never recovered. Now that I was with him, falling in love all over again, my heart raced at the idea.
“Hey, you guys, they’re ready for you,” the wedding planner said, peering behind the door.
“Thank God!” Eva exclaimed as she set her glass down and gathered her dress, ready to descend the stairs.
When the music signaled us, we walked in to Chris Brown's “Forever.” To my dismay, Eva told us we all had to enter the room dancing to the song. Miles spun me around as we danced to our table where we sat down and waited for Eva and Jason to arrive. Everyone stood up and clapped when Eva and Jason entered, kissing as they got to their table.
More Than You Know Page 18