"You look beautiful, Chez," Sarah smiled, my mum and Nicola nodding in agreement.
"Thanks," I grinned, trying to suppress my nerves. "You all look stunnin' too."
It had took a lot of persuasion on Nicola's part to get me to go, Sarah, like me, still skeptical of the whole idea.
"Where are the boys?" I smiled before gathering all my things from the kitchen table and putting them inside my little clutch.
"In our flat," Sarah replied. "They're still gettin' ready."
"Those two are worse that us... I'm tellin' ya!" I laughed back, shaking my head.
I wasn't nervous of seeing Kimberley. I was nervous of her reaction when she saw me. For months she had been hounding me with texts and call, which I ignored, now I was just going to turn up out of the blue when the dust had settled, when she had probably put the past behind her. And if that thought wasn't daunting enough, surely people would recognise me.
"Did you phone James like I asked you too?" I asked my mum as I rushed past her, on a mission to close all of the windows.
"I did," she smiled, her hand clutching onto my arm. "Calm down," she told me. "Just calm down, ok?"
She was the only person I could turn too, the only person I could trust and know wouldn't break it. That's why I had told her everything, from the start right to the very end, all the little details in between. Having met Kimberley a handful of times, she thought she was a lovely girl, and to say she was surprised when I had told her was an understatement, very surprised, and indeed very angry.
When I had asked her to be my date, so to speak, she had hesitated, not too sure if it was a good idea... just like Sarah. But, in the end, she realised it was something I had to do.
"Right..." I smiled, spotting James as he drove in. "The car's here."
"I'll go and get the boys," Nicola pipped up while my mum made one last trip to the bathroom.
"Here's hoping she doesn't jump you," Sarah winked.
Why did I have to tell her!?
"That's not funny," I said, giving her a look.
"Ooh... if looks could kill," she teased, her eyes rolling dramatically. "Lighten up, Chez! I was only havin' a laugh."
"Aye, ha f*ckin ha!" I replied, still not happy about it.
I could see her as she approached me out of the corner of my eye. "Sorry," she apologized, holding her arms out. "I'm just being insensitive."
"It's ok," I smiled, giving her a hug. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. You know what I'm like when it comes to nerves."
Cupping my cheek, she gave me a reassuring smile. "Everythin' will be fine, babe."
I so wanted to believe her, believe that everything would run smoothly. We would talk, she would give me a perfectly logical and understandable reason for what she did and we would move on. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. I took things to heart, making it hard for me to forgive.
Once the trust has been shattered it can be glued back together, but it can never be fixed.
"Boys!" I beamed, turning as I heard them enter. "You both look so handsome!" Walking over, I examined them closely. They both looked gorgeous in their suits.
Nicola stood proud as she clutched onto Charley's hand while Sarah planted a smacker on Tommy's lips.
"You just wait until later," she growled causing him to turn a deep shade of red, still his lips housed a smirk.
I chose to ignore them, trying to shake the thought from my mind as we waited for my mum. "Come on!" I shouted, growing impatient.
"Aye, aye!" she laughed, scurrying back in. "Where's your hat!? Where's your hurry!?"
* * * * *
"What if someone recognises me?" I sighed, worried. I wasn't big heated, but the last thing I wanted to do was take the spotlight from the bride.
"Well... you are Cheryl Tweedy!" Nicola laughed.
My mum turned her head, looking back at us from the passenger seat. "If anyone asks for pictures or autographs be nice and polite."
"As if I wouldn't!" I frowned.
"You know what I mean," she said before turning back around again.
I sighed to myself as I looked out of the window, I could see the church in the distance, the sound of the bells ringing.
"You'll be fine," Sarah whispered, her hand reaching over and giving my thigh a quick squeeze.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous," I whispered back, my racing heart a testament to that.
She gave me a sympathetic look. "It's understandable, babe. I'm nervous too and I don't know why!"
I giggled before unclipping my seatbelt. "I didn't even phone Nadine back. I don't think she knows I'm comin'!"
* * * * *
"Well... that wasn't to bad," I sighed, lowering myself into on of the pews.
"No one bothered you," Nicola laughed.
"I know!" Still surprised, I eventually let out a giggle. "It's just weird."
"I can only imagine."
I felt a hand clutching onto mine and smiled when I looked up at my mum. "Are you ok?" she asked.
Not so convincingly, I nodded. "I don't know why I'm so nervous," I told her.
"It's understandable," she replied, telling me the same thing Sarah had only mintues earlier.
The church had started to fill up. I looked around, smiling at a few people before waving at a little girl who was pointing at me.
"Look..." Sarah said, nodding her head to the front of the church. "There's Jason."
"He looks handsome," I smiled, noticing how petrified he looks.
"He looks as if he's s*ttin' himself!" Nicola laughed. "I wonder what Nadine will look like," she continued.
"Gorgeous more than likely," I commented, my fingers fidgeting nervously with my mum's hands.
"I bet Kimberley's..."
The sound of the church music began, everyone getting up off of their seats.
Taking a deep breath, I done the same.
