Page 2 of Not Yet Yours
“Until death parts us,” Max repeats and I’m sure I see a look of relief on her face that she got through all her part there without stuttering or stumbling over her words.
The officiant then talks a little bit about God and how the couple has made their vows with God as their witness. I kind of zone out a bit at that point. I’m not big on religion.
“And now the exchanging of the rings,” the officiant says, and I make sure to tune back in because this is my part. The officiant looks over at me and smiles. “Liam, the ring please.”
I stand up and get the ring from the inside pocket of my suit jacket. I’m kind of relieved to be able to hand it over and not have to keep patting my pocket and making sure it’s still there every five minutes. I walk up to the altar and hand the ring to Cullen. I pat his arm, and he beams happily at me. Then I take my seat once more as Cullen takes Max’s hand in his.
“Place the ring on Lucy’s finger and say your chosen vow,” the officiant says.
“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. All that I am and all that I have is yours for now and forever,” Cullen says.
I hear a few sniffles from behind me and Max has tears in her eyes too as Cullen slips the ring onto her finger.
The officiant waits until the ring is on and then he smiles up at Harriet.
“Harriet, the ring please,” he says.
Harriet pulls the ring from her small purse, gets up, and goes and hands it to Max. The two women smile at each other, both of them with tears shining in their eyes and then Harriet walks back away, and yes, I watch her ass as she walks. She sits backdown, and the ceremony continues. The officiant gives Max the same instructions as the ones he gave Cullen.
“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you,” Max says, holding the ring on Cullen’s finger. “I am yours, always.”
She pushes the ring onto Cullen’s finger and they both turn to the officiant who smiles again.
“With the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he says. “You may seal your vows today with a kiss.”
Cullen and Max don’t need to be told twice and they wrap their arms around each other and kiss as the whole congregation whoops and cheers and claps. I look over at Harriet and I’m both surprised and pleased to catch her looking at me. She doesn’t look away as I expect her to.
Instead, she smiles innocently at me, and I smile innocently back at her.
God, I want that woman.
Chapter Two
Liam
Once Cullen and Max have signed the register and Harriet and I have added our signatures as witnesses of the marriage under theirs, we have some photographs taken inside of the church and then we leave, Harriet with her hand in my arm. Her touch makes my skin tingle and I have to keep reminding myself that she’s only linking my arm because it’s the plan – the best man and the maid of honor walking out of the wedding ceremony together is pretty standard.
We leave the church and go for more photographs and then we finally reach the hotel where the reception is taking place. The drinks from the bar are already flowing and people are milling about talking and laughing together. The room falls quiet when the bride and groom are announced and Cullen and Max walk into silence followed by a cheer so loud that I see Max physically jump. The next hour or so passes by in a blur of food and greetings and chatting and then it’s time for my speech. I get up, take the microphone, and smile out at the guests.
“Firstly, I’d like to thank you all on behalf of my brother and his new wife for coming today and for all the presents and cards. But especially the presents,” I start, which gets a laugh. “Wait.Did I mention the presents?” Another laugh and I start to relax into my speech. “Most importantly, I’d like to thank Max for putting up with my brother. Cullen, you’ve got a good one here. Don’t you ever let her go.”
“I don’t intend to,” Cullen replies, and he wraps his arm around Max’s shoulders, pulling her in, and kisses her on the cheek. She happily lets him.
“I get asked a lot if I’m jealous of my little brother and the truth is, of course I am. I mean look at his bride. Who wouldn’t be a tad jealous? But I think they actually mean am I jealous because Cullen got married before me. And here’s the thing. Anyone who knows me well would laugh at the idea of that because getting married and settling down has never really been on my radar, much to my mom’s dismay,” I say. Another ripple of laughter goes through the room and my mom rolls her eyes but she’s laughing too.
I pause for a moment and then I make a decision that feels right, and I start to talk again.
“You know, I had this whole speech planned out where I would talk about how good Cullen and Max are together and how they are the sort of couple that have a love that dreams are made of and that they are the sort of couple that teenagers would refer to as end game. But here’s the truth – you all are friends or family of the happy couple, and you know all of that. So instead, I’m going to make this short and simply raise a glass to Cullen and Max,” I say.
I raise my glass and everyone in the room stands up and follows suit.
“To Cullen and Max,” they echo.
I sit down and everyone else does too. Amongst the rustling of clothes and the squeaking of the chair legs people take their seats once more, Max looks at me and grins.
“Thank you,” she mouths, and I grin back and give her a thumbs up. I know what that’s about. Before the wedding I was winding her up, telling her all about the various things I was going to say or do during my speech, things that I knew would have embarrassed her. I had no intention of doing it, and deep down, I think she knew that too, it was just funny keeping her thinking that I might have been going to do it.
After a moment, it’s Harriet’s turn to make her speech and she stands up to a light smattering of applause. She smiles and launches into a lovely speech about her friendship with Max and how as her best friend, she has always wanted the best for Max and now she has it. To be honest, as much as I try to focus on the words Harriet is saying, instead, I find myself focusing on her mouth, the way it moves when she talks, and the full redness of her lips. And what it would feel like to have those lips on mine and then around my cock.