She turned into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. “Of course we can. Always.”
They stayed there, just like that, for a good twenty minutes. With his arm wrapped around her, them both mourning the end of their relationship, before he finally called a Taxi to head back to the airport. Because even though they were not each other’s future, they were each other’s past. A past filled with memories, laughter, and friendship. And that was hard to let go of, for anyone.
Chapter Twenty-nine
It was almost evening when Samantha knocked on the door of Renee’s hotel room. A mixture of sorrow, regret, and nausea rolled in her stomach as she glanced down to her phone. She’d been trying to get hold of Tristan all afternoon, to explain what happened, but he still hadn’t answered any of her texts. Hadn’t answered her phone calls, or even his door when she’d gone there earlier. His message was clear: he didn’t want to talk to her, and there was a part of her that didn’t blame him.
The door opened, and Samantha quickly put her phone away as she looked up to her best friend. Renee stood in the doorway, her eyes puffy and swollen, making Samantha’s heart clench even harder. “Is he here?”
Renee only glanced up and down, taking in the tattered shorts Samantha had changed back into after the rehearsal, and turned to head back into the room. “Nope.” But she left the door open, which was the only invitation Samantha needed to walk into the room.
Samantha twisted her fingers as she following the trail of tissues into Renee’s bedroom, where she found her buried deep under a pile of blankets in the dark, lonely bed. The Notebook was playing on the television, and Samantha crawled in beside her and rested her head on the top of Renee’s shoulder.
She pulled in a shaky breath, realizing she should be the shoulder to cry on, the arms of support at a time like this. Instead, she was the bearer of deceit, the one to cause her best friend to crumble.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking with each word. It was a feeble effort to make things right, but it was all she could muster at the moment.
Renee squeezed her eyes shut, struggling with her own emotions as she pulled a tissue from the box. “My father isn’t coming. Tristan will be walking me down the aisle.”
Samantha suspected as much, but it was still heartbreaking to hear it from her best friend’s lips. She handed Renee a tissue. Because she knew the hopes and dreams Renee had always carried. She knew about Renee’s dream of a fairy tale wedding, which always included her father walking her down the aisle in every one.
Renee blotted her eyes, turning toward Samantha to search her face. But she didn’t look angry, she looked heartbroken.
“Everyone thinks he’s unbreakable, but he’s not.”
Samantha nodded, her chin beginning to quiver as she tried to pull herself together—because she knew Renee was talking about Tristan. Unbreakable Montgomery. The Rock of West Valley high school.
“I went to his room, but he wasn’t there. I’ve tried calling—” But her words came out on a sob, and she couldn’t finish.
Renee threw the covers from her body, her cheeks flushed with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she yelled. “Why is everyone keeping secrets from me?” She stood at the side of the bed, her hair was an unbrushed mess, and Samantha had no idea what to tell her.
She pulled up to her knees, trying to come up with something to say. “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I should have said something, but it was your wedding, your big day, and I didn’t want to take anything away from you.”
Renee spun around. “That’s bullshit!” she yelled, gripping the balled-up tissue in her fist.
Samantha turned toward the darkened window, trying without success to pull herself together. “You’re right.” She choked. “I didn’t tell you because I was scared. I didn’t tell you for a lot of reasons… Because my feelings were so big. Because it was all happening so fast.”
“You think I can’t handle big? I’m a fucking adult, Sam. Things happen. Don’t you think I know that?”
Samantha swallowed and looked back to her friend. “I didn’t want to share it, Ren. Not even with you. Because sharing things with you always makes them real.” It was the honest to God truth. The completely selfish truth of a girl who didn’t trust her own heart. She took another tissue from the box, her shoulders shaking. Then she felt Renee move beside her on the bed, smoothing the hair from her eyes and cheeks.
Samantha looked up, tears rolling down her face.
“Do you love him?” Renee whispered, her face just as tear-streaked as Samantha’s.
She didn’t hesitate before answering, because she wanted the words spoken more than anything. “Yes. I love him. I love him so much.”
Renee pulled her into her arms, and they both collapsed into each other’s embrace. “Then you have to tell him.”
Samantha’s words were barely audible as she nodded her head. “I know.”
Chapter Thirty
The next morning went by in a blur. There were hair appointments, nail appointments, and makeup from the moment she opened her eyes. And Tristan was still nowhere to be found. She was sure he was with the guys, doing all the wedding things he was supposed to, but the fact that she hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the rehearsal left her stomach in knots.
She stood on the step, waiting for her best friend to walk down the aisle, and glanced over the crowd of people, knowing they waited with bated breath, just as she did. But for a different reason. Because they were waiting for their bride, her best friend for all eternity, while she was waiting for Tristan.
The door opened at the back of the room, and the crowd turned and rose out of their chairs. Renee stood at the open doorway, the “Bridal Chorus” playing softly from the piano in the background. Her dress was off-white, with a lace bodice and delicate sleeves that hung off her shoulders like lace ivy. Her head was high, her skirt simple, draping elegantly all the way to the floor—showing bits of her long legs as she took step after step.
But Samantha barely noticed her, because it was Tristan that made all the air expel from her throat. He was dressed in a tan tuxedo. An off white button-up shirt fastened at his tanned throat, but it was his eyes that memorized her most. They were full of emotion, with bits of gray darkening their depths. He looked, emotional—because he was taking on the role that should have been his father’s. Taking on the role of a person who was far too selfish to be there today.
Tristan pulled in a deep breath and squeezed his sister’s hand in a transfer of strength. Samantha’s eyes moved down to her feet, because as emotional as this was to witness, it must have been ten times more emotional for the pair. They had fought like cats and dogs for most of their lives, but seeing them now, watching them walk side by side, nobody would ever know it. Together they were a harbor of strength, a unit of love and an example of what family was supposed to be. They were crossing the hurdle of a broken family, of a deadbeat father, with their heads held high as though no one was the wiser.
They stopped just below the stairs, where Phin waited with tears in his eyes to fetch his future bride. He shook Tristan’s hand, and they both hugged, exchanging a few words before breaking apart.
The minister stepped forward with a soft smile as he looked from Tristan to Renee. “Who presents this woman to be married to this man?”
Tristan cleared his throat, then clasped his hands together in front of his body. “Her mother and I do.” It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Because those were words which normally came from a father—yet Tristan, barely twenty-five, said them with more pride, more emotion than anyone else ever could.
There was a hush amongst the crowd, as the minister nodded, and Renee climbed the stairs with Phin. Tristan moved to the end of the row of groomsmen, glancing up to the wooden arbor where Renee and Phin would say their vows, and ignored Samantha completely.
Samantha tried to pay attention, to stay present and listen to every word that was spoken, but it was impossible. Because inside, her heart was breaking. Inside, she was struggling to keep herself upright.