Page 239 of The Grand Duel
“I just love love, Charles. And weddings. Why are weddings always so magical?”
I smile at her from my spot on the bed. “Tequila?”
She chuckles as her dress falls down past her waist, my eyes momentarily lifting from her phone in my hand as my attention drifts to her. “Lucy and Elliot are so perfect for each other. I’ve never heard a speech like Elliot’s.” She riffles through my drawers, pulling out a T-shirt. “Can you imagine being that in love with someone?”
“Don’t put that on,” I tell her. “And yes, I can. Come here.”
She drops the T-shirt and gets up on the bed, crawling over to me. I lift my arm, and she slots in the gap. “You do realise that Elliot and Lucy paid thousands for a videographer.”
She wraps her arm around my waist and laughs. “I couldn’t help myself.”
I press play on one of the five thousand videos she took of today.
Elliot and Lucy are in the middle of the terrace, the sun drifting down in the background. It’s loud, and I turn down the volume, trying to focus on one thing as Lissie seemingly hugs someone.
“They’re so beautiful,Megs.”
“Are you crying?”
“I can’t help it.”
I hear Megan laugh, and it makes me smile.
“How are you not crying?You’ve known Lucy for the majority of your life.”
“I have a black heart,” Megan replies.
Lissie shifts to the right as if being pulled in for a hug.
“Come here,” Megan says, echoing my thoughts.
“Megan is lovely. A bit mad, and she says the most unhinged things?—”
“Yeah, that’s Megs,” I confirm, watching as Elliot dips Lucy, his smile wide.
It took years for the two of them to find their moment of happiness. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lump in my throat watching the two of them on that terrace tonight.
“You’ll be next,” Megan says. “I had no idea what to expect this weekend when the girls said you’d been promoted to girlfriend,but that in itself should have told me everything without needing to meet you.”
“Next as in married?” Lissie asks.
“That man is head over heels for you.”
“He is,” I hear Nina add, the phone getting knocked. “You guys are the hottest two humans on the planet,I’m sure of it.I said to Mason earlier that I’d pay to watch you fuck.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter.
“Nina,” Megan scolds, laughing.
“Tell me you wouldn’t.”
“Of course I would,” Megan agrees. “I mean look at the way he looks at her.”
The phone pans to me, and then it’s taken, by which of the two girls, I have no idea, but they zoom in on my face. And it’s funny because I could’ve sworn I was watching the first dance, but somehow my eyes are on Lissie, and the look in my eyes…
“I’d quite like to watch us fuck too,” Lissie says, making both of the girls laugh.
“You fit with them,” I tell her, my voice rasping. “I wasn’t sure how introducing someone who means as much as you do to the people I care for in equal measure would go, but you slotted in as if you’ve always been there.”