WILD RIDE (Rafe Cameron x OC) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Ninety-Three (Rafe)

CHAPTER NINETY-THREE

Rafe

TWO YEARS LATER

I could throw up right now but there's nothing in my body to throw up. My hands are cold yet drenched in sweat and there's a stream of sweat dripping down my spine on top of it all. I look out the balcony of Tannyhill to see how the backyard has been transformed.

Floral arrangements and white canopies and the smell of the salty water from the ocean. My suit suddenly feels too tight and too itchy. I pull on my tie to loosen it but John B steps onto the balcony and shakes his head at me.

"Nope, it's crooked now." He says while adjusting it against my will. "Jack had a fit over his clip-on tie twice this morning. Sarah almost lost her damn mind I told her to just leave him with me and I'll handle it. Well, he didn't want me to handle it so JJ is handling it."

I go to swallow but it's no use. It's like a rock is sitting heavily in my throat. "Leah won't let me down the stairs."

"She's taking this very serious, Rafe. Way more serious than Alana did with that Malibu Barbie that Dad got her for her birthday as a kid. But not nearly as serious as the ballerina Barbie." John B says. "She just always took Barbie very serious."

"Can you... Can you see if she's okay?" I say to John B. "I just want to make sure she's good."

"Alana is fine." John B says calmly. "You guys have been married for years now you're just finally having a wedding, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal? The big- John B, this is our wedding. Our one shot at getting this right. I promised Alana she could have anything she dreamed of for this day and if anything goes wrong I'll never forgive myself."

A simple nod from my brother-in-law. "I understand.. Which is why I also came out here to ask you something."

"No, John B. I won't marry you instead of your sister. You're not my type.. I like being the big spoon and I have a feeling you'd try to big spoon me."

John B swallows even harder. "Sarah and I tried before Jack was born to get married but City Hall was closed that day.. And then things just kept happened so I.. I wanted to ask your permission to marry her properly. I want to give her a real proposal and a real wedding and since you're all she's got... Do I have your blessing?"

You're all she's got. Dad died almost four years ago and it just hit me in this moment that Sarah will never be able to have him walk her down the aisle. Just like how Alana can't have her father walk her down. John B is giving her away today. You're all she's got. But that statement couldn't be any more untrue.

I'm not all Sarah's got. Sarah has such a beautiful life and so many people who love her surrounding her. Sure, when it comes to blood I'm the only male besides her son but I'm not all she's got. Sarah is loved and she's protected by everyone around her.

I grab John B's hand and I shake it firmly. "One condition." He blinks at me nervously. "You understand that I'm not all she has. She has you and she has Jack. She has Pope and Cleo, JJ and Sofia. Kie and her hundreds of turtles at the sanctuary. She has Alana and Leah... Rose and Wheezie... Sarah has a lot."

He exhales and the handshake turns into a hug. "Thank you, Rafe... Seriously. Thank you."

"Look, we've been through it for years you and I. We never really got along until we lost our fathers. Until we had to grow up and take shit more serious. I'm sorry for being awful before I just-"