Always Ever After (Always 2.50) - Page 18

8: Kylie

Saturday dawns clear and beautiful, and by late afternoon the sun bathes the grounds of the winery in a pleasant warmth. Selene and Ronan’s ceremony is held outside, and I almost manage to hold myself together. Fortunately, we took most of the pictures beforehand, so I’m not too worried about ruining my makeup. But as I watch Selene walk up the aisle, her hand resting lightly on my dad’s arm, I don’t even try to hold back the tears.

She’s positively stunning in a strapless ivory gown. It hugs her curves and flares slightly at the bottom, for an unbelievable silhouette. She’s always gorgeous, but today she looks radiant. Her dark hair is up, showing her slender neck and shoulders, and of course her boobs look fantastic. I helped her pick the dress—and I must say, I did an excellent job.

The ceremony is simple, and sweet. Their vows are beautiful, and bring a renewed set of tears streaming down my face. Braxton looks on from the other side, watching his sister with so much pride in his face. I think getting married before her was a little hard for him—at least, he knew it was hard for her, and he felt bad about that. Watching Selene marry Ronan feels like coming full circle, completing our family in a way that makes everything we’ve all been through the last couple of years worth it.

So worth it.

As Ronan kisses his wife for the first time, Braxton meets my eyes and gives me a wink. All I can do is smile through the tears.

Afterward, we make our way into the winery for the reception. The banquet hall is decorated beautifully with lots of twinkling lights and floral centerpieces on the tables. Soft music plays in the background, and Braxton and I walk around and chat with people for a while.

I get tired pretty quickly, but I float on the happiness for my best friend long enough to get through dinner. The food is delicious, and I go ahead and take a few sips of wine. I Googled it last night, so I know I can have a tiny bit and nothing bad will happen, and this way I won’t rouse suspicion. We are at a winery, after all.

Selene and Ronan aren’t really traditionalists, so they don’t do a lot of the customary wedding reception things. A few people do stand and offer toasts to the new couple, including Braxton (which makes me cry all over again). There’s cake, but they don’t pose for pictures and cut it. And after dessert, people have cocktails and mingle.

There’s an area sectioned off for dancing, and people meander over while a slow song is playing. I notice Ronan’s parents dancing together, as well as some of our friends.

Braxton takes my hand. “Dance with me?”

I smile and stand, but a wave of dizziness passes over me. I clutch at him to keep from losing my balance.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say, although I hold his arms tight to keep from falling over. “Sorry, I just got a little dizzy for a second.”

He looks at me with his brow furrowed. Without saying anything else, he gently takes my elbow and leads me out into the lobby, where he stops and looks at me. “Kylie, what the fuck is going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Something is up with you,” he says.

“I’m fine.” I put a hand on his arm. “Really.”

“I know you went to the doctor,” he says. “What aren’t you telling me?”

My mouth hangs open for a moment. Shit. What do I say? Do I make something up? Why else would I have gone to the doctor? Do I tell him I wasn’t feeling well? That’s bullshit, and he’ll know it. I’ve been telling him I’m fine all week. Damn it, I thought I could hold out for one more night. I have the card I made for him in my bag. I was going to give it to him in the morning.

“Ky, seriously, you’re freaking me the fuck out,” he says. “Are you sick? Is something wrong?”

It hits me, as I look into his eyes, that he’s scared. He thinks something bad is happening—that something’s wrong with me. I don’t know how he found out about my appointment, but I bet that’s why he’s been asking me if I’m okay a million times a day. It’s been worrying him.

“Oh god, Brax, no,” I say. Screw the card. I didn’t mean to upset him. I take his hands, and suddenly I can’t stop smiling.

His brow is furrowed, his eyes intense, and I know he must think I’m crazy right now.

“Baby, I’m fine. I’m not sick at all.”

“Are you sure?” He puts one hand alongside my face, the other around my waist, drawing me closer. “Why did you need to see a doctor, then? And why didn’t you tell me?”

My whole body is pinging with adrenaline, every nerve sparking. This is it. This moment. This is going to change everything. “I’m pregnant.”

His hand on my waist tightens until he’s gripping the back of my dress in his fist, and he pulls me closer. His chest rises and falls quickly, and his eyes never leave mine.

“What did you say?” he whispers.

I’m not sure if I can say it out loud again. Swirls of excitement and fear pour through me, and I start to tremble in his arms.