"Hey," I smoothed my thumbs under her eyes, trying to save her makeup. "Don't cry. It's okay. You know me, I'll be fine." I looked at her thoughtfully. "I'd much rather be the one in pain over you. So, if I have to be a little uncomfortable for a few hours to make this day special for you, then that's what I'll do." I found a tissue and wiped off my hands, making sure they were clean, before pulling her in for a hug. "You're my best friend and I love you, too."
I'm not quite sure what possessed me to do it, but I lifted the veil over her head and looked deep in her eyes. For a second she looked paralyzed, like she didn't know what I was going to do. She looked vulnerable and I knew if I wanted to kiss her on the lips, like I've wanted to do for years, I could. I leaned forward, clasped her chin between my thumb and forefinger, turned her head to the side and kissed her gently on the cheek. The look in her eyes was hard to describe. I guess it was somewhere between sadness and curiosity.
I put the veil back down over her face just as there was a knock on her door. "Come on, let's get you married," I whispered.
Her dad walked in and whistled low. "My baby girl looks absolutely amazing."
"I'll see you out there," I said before taking my leave.
When I met up with Jesy she looked at me expectantly, waiting for some clue as to what happened with Perrie, but I shook my head. I looked around for Jed, my escort, and linked my arm through his and grabbed my white roses. Turning around I saw Perrie and her dad. I gave her a quick "thumbs up" to be sure she was ready, and when she nodded her head I looked to my band on stage and gave them a nod. The piano began playing and we began walking.
"You know," Jed whispered, "when this is all over we should go somewhere a little more private. What do you say?"
I let out a breathless laugh and covered it up with a smile as we walked down the aisle. "You're not quite my type, sweetie."
As soon as we reached the end of the aisle, we went our separate ways. From that moment the entire affair seemed to take hours. I watched as Jesy came to her place beside me and then watched as Perrie and her father walked down. I watched Perrie smile and nod to people, letting them know she was happy to see them. I watched her finally come to rest beside me and hand me her bouquet. I watched her and Zayn say their vows (she came up with her own, he did traditional) and kiss to seal their marriage bond. It tore me apart.
We all filed down the aisle and took a few pictures before finally being allowed to enjoy the party. I went up on stage and sang a few songs with my band then joined in on the fun. I danced with a few of Perrie and Zayn's mutual family/friends. I was in the middle of dancing with Zayn's cousin, Ryan, when Jesy came over to cut in.
"How are you holding up, sweetie," she asked, taking hold of both of my hands as we swayed.
"I'm fantastic," I quipped sarcastically.
She pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. Mine instinctively went around her waist. "It's almost over. Just a few more hours and they'll be leaving. Then we can go get a huge container of ice cream and chips and bottles of wine and drink the night away. Sound like a plan?"
"Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me," I joked.
"I'm offended," she gasped. "I don't have to get anyone drunk, thank you very much. They want me all the time." The song ended so we pulled apart and I could see the smile on her face. I don't know what I would do without her.
"It sounds like a great plan, Jes." I looked around and spotted the bar. "I'm getting something to drink, do you want anything?"
"No, I'm okay," she said a little apprehensively.
