A Happy Chance

Wedding Jitters

Three Months Ago

ALEX'S POV :

The reflection in my mirror stares back at me questionably.

Are you really doing this, Alex? You?

I shrug the thought off quickly and adjust my bow-tie.

It seems to look fine. My palms are laced with sweat, and I chalk it up as wedding jitters. Because god forbid, the great Alexander Barlow would ever elope, leave alone experience nervousness.

I was pretty sure I'd earned my family's disrespect for good, and I'd soon become someone who was known for tainting the family name.

But today, all that didn't matter. All that mattered was her.

Stella Miller. The love of my life.

Here she was, making me do something that was completely out of character. I'd been used to having every minute of every day clearly planned out for me. Quite literally.

A timetable hung on my fridge door. Down to a goddamn meal time. And that was always how life had been.

"Barlow men do not believe in the twists of fate. We make our own", my father would say.

I snicker quietly and dust my clothes off. Hearing the faint click of a doorknob, I mentally roll my eyes.

My best man is here.

"Alex, my man!", Nathan gleams with pride. I suspect he doesn't still quite believe I'd go through with this, but I was not backing down.

"How do I look?", I fidget with my bow-tie nervously, and the suit seems unusually large. Of course, a 50 dollar rental wasn't going to cut it for someone who wore designer pajamas, but we all have to make compromises.

"Umm...how do I put this?" He rubs his thumb over his chin, as if deep in thought. Dramatic much? That's Nathan Cooper for you.

"Let's say busboys all over the world would be jealous of your look right now."

I roll my eyes, Nathan and his attempt at "jokes". I love the man, but he sure as hell isn't funny.

"Could I have a couple of crab cakes, sir?", he continues, bursting into laughter.

"At least you made yourself laugh, Nate." He rolls his eyes dramatically and proceeds to narrow his eyes at me.

"Anyway, Alex, did you seriously invite Liam?"

"Yeah, why?"

Of course, this would come up. I'll admit, this was one of the craziest ideas I've had. But if it made Stella happy, nothing else mattered. That's how romance worked, isn't it?

"I mean, I knew you were crazy when you put pineapples on your pizza, but this? Come on!"

"He's important to Stella, man."

"He's her ex," Nate scoffs, clearly disapproving.

"It's not like that, they're on good terms."

Certainly not conventional, I mean who in their right mind invites their fiance's ex-boyfriend to a runaway wedding? Not rational people, for sure.

I have nothing to worry about. Reassuring myself, I take a deep breath.

"Well, this is guac-ward."

"Oh god, again with the fruit puns?"

"That was such a good one, though! God forbid the great Alexander Barlow laughs at my lowly food puns."