My fist gently tapped against the wooden door a couple of times, and then all I had to do was wait. This was the first time all day that I was able to sneak away from the bride-to-be and see my own boyfriend, whom I had been separated from for a couple of days. With all of the late minute wedding planning and the bachelor and bachelorette parties, Rocky and I had been split between the couple. I could barely believe the day had finally arrived; Rydel and Ellington were finally tying the knot.
"Who is it?" a familiar voice called through the door, making my heart skip a beat. He always tugged on my heart strings. I could hear him chuckle, and I knew that he was completely aware of who it was. He was probably thinking it was about time that I found him.
I rolled my eyes and jiggled the knob, but the door was locked. "Rocky, let me in," I pleaded.
"It's bad luck for the maid of honor to see the best man before the wedding," he said.
"That's not a thing," I laughed, grasping the handle and twisting it over and over again, hoping that the noise would drive him crazy and he would let me in. My plan works. The lock clicked and he cracked the door open, peeking his face into the opening. "Stop teasing me," I sighed, using my entire body to leverage enough weight to push the door open completely.
Rocky stood tall in a perfectly tailored gray suit with a white button down shirt underneath, complete with a pale pink tie that matched the tone of the bridesmaids dresses and a nice pair of formal shoes. His hair was pulled back into a bun and he wore a smile that showed off his dimples perfectly. In this moment, he looked so kissable. "You look beautiful," he sighed as his eyes looked me up and down.
I ran my hands down the skirt to smooth it out and shrugged before wrapping my arms around his waist. My head rested lightly on his chest, making sure not to wrinkle either of our outfits or ruin my hair, which was done in a neat braid. "I really missed you," I told him. I could feel one of his hands on my back while the other one gently rubbed the exposed skin on my neck. "You look really handsome."
I pulled away from him and stood tall in my heels, still barely able to reach his face. My eyes pleaded for him to lower to my level so I could kiss him, but it took me pulling him down for him to oblige. He nibbled on my upper lip lightly as we kissed, until the phone in my bag buzzed. With a groan, I pulled it out and read the message. "Duty calls," I sighed. I gave him one last kiss before making my way for the door. "See you out there, best man."
--
The music started which marked the beginning of the wedding procession. Each group started to enter, marching in time with the music. The groomsmen walked arm-in-arm with each bridesmaid until they took their places, then Rocky straightened his tie and made his way up to the altar to stand next to Ell. I straightened Rydel's dress and made sure everything was perfect. "You alright?" I asked her.
"I'm great," she said with a small sigh. The smile across her face had been there since early this morning, and her cheeks must have been getting tired by now. "Go ahead."
I kissed her cheek and straightened my own dress before making my way down the aisle, taking my place on the bride's side of the altar. Rocky patted Ellington's shoulder encouragingly as the ringbearer and flower girl made their way down. Rocky took the rings from his cousin and sent him on his way, then flashed me a smile and a little wink before the music queued the bride to enter.
The door opened and Mark and Rydel were walking, arms linked, down the flower petal dusted path. Ellington gasped quietly and stared at the love of his life as she slowly approached him. Small tears formed in the corner of his eyes. I couldn't blame him; she looked stunning. Rocky, Ross, Riker, and Ryland all stood next to him and watched their only sister as their father give her away with a proud smile.
Throughout the ceremony and vows, which were moving and perfect, my eyes kept flickering to Rocky. He looked so proud and happy, yet there was something else in his eyes. It looked like hope, and I wondered what exactly was going through that man's mind. I was so in love with the way he looked in those moments. I was shook back into the moment when they exchanged rings and sealed the deal with a kiss, and the entire room cheered. Everyone had tears in their eyes as they watched the happy couple smile and make their way back down the aisle. I took Rocky's arm and held on as we followed them out the door.
--
"We have to get to the reception," I told Rocky as I dabbed the corners of my eyes with a tissue. Wore waterproof makeup for this very occasion. We finally had another moment alone after all of the commotion and high emotions, and it felt good to share a couple moments with my love.
He wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my head. "I love you," he said, kissing the crown of my head and playing with some hair that had come loose from my braid. I closed my eyes and sighed with content, savoring the feeling of his embrace. "We should get married."
That caught me completely by surprise. I spun around and looked up at him. He still had tears glazing his eyes. "I think you have a bit of a wedding high," I said, running my hand over the scruff on his chin. "I love you, too, though."
"Wedding high," he chuckled. "I just want to spend the rest of my life with you. Is that so bad? I want what my sister and brother-in-law have. Someone to have and to hold forever."
"You are such a sweetheart," I told him. My thumb gently grazed his bottom lip. "If you still feel this way tomorrow, then we'll talk. For now, let's just go party. I hear they opted for the open bar." I shook myself from his embrace and pulled open the car door. "Get a few drinks in me and you might score tonight," I said with a wink.
