The Best Man's Speech

22: Oaths & Secrets

✵ LYRA ✵

I stared at the empty flute in my hand before sighing aloud. I was sitting alone in the empty study that was not meant to be used unless people actually had work to do - which was unlikely unless you ran a company and do a terrible job at it since everyone here was required to clear out their calendar completely.

"Hi." Eliza called out as she walked into the room. I looked up at her and smiled when I found her looking at me happily, "Hi."

"I see that James has a thing for you." She smirked before sitting beside me. Way to get straight to the point and kill people in the process. Good thing her voice was not so loud to attract mom's attention.

I chuckled, "I guess."

"I lied by the way. He called me yesterday morning and that was when he updated me on you." She told me, a friendly smirk had risen on her face.

"What?" I asked her, trying to figure out exactly when.

"He told me that it might be more than just the average hook-up flings... that maybe there may be more emotion in it." She said, looking at me. Then it clicked! Earlier this morning James did climb out of bed and instantly called someone, I thought it was business related but before I could form a clear and evident judgement on that, he had left the room to continue to call.
I instantly blushed at her words when I realised what she had said.

"We're not really official for everyone." I commented.

"I figured... your mother's glares gave it away." She chuckled, recalling every occasion when my mother had glared at me for seeming too close and intimate with James.

"I just don't want to tell anyone yet." I informed her apologetically and gaining several nods in the process as a way of her telling me she understood and accepted what I had to say. I smiled at her before watching her get up, I wanted to ask her to tell me more but stayed quiet when she dismissed herself, "I have to go now. I have to meet up with Nathan's parents and talk to them about the wedding arrangements. But you could look for James... I am pretty sure he is somewhere around here." She declared before leaving me on my own in the room. I was enjoying the silence before my brothers and sister walked in with bottles of fizzy drinks, with their voices echoing loudly through the room.

"Hey!" Michael shouted as he ran towards me and sat on me. "Yah!" I squealed as I pushed him off of me, only to laugh when he landed on the floor.

"Twins." Derin sarcastically commented as he shook his head and sat himself on a chair, while my sister sat beside him, leaving Mike to get off of the ground and sit beside me.

"So what was Eliza doing in here?" Meia asked, pushing her nose into my business.

"It was about James and I." I lowly replied as they all nodded.

"I just want you to know that you should be discreet about it." Michael lectured again, making me roll my eyes into the back of my head. I rolled my eyes before giggling at Mike jerking his head in a childish and humorous way towards me. "No, but seriously, other than that, I accept your choice to be with him and totally support it." I looked at Mike and smiled at him as he uttered the words.

"Thank you." I smiled warmly before facing Derin who started to talk, "So are you guys just sexual or committed to an extent?"

I looked at him but Meia answered for me, "They're dating. She told me at the bachelorette party... just before I became heavily drunk."

I could feel my cheeks heat up as I thought of the night after. "Aww, she's flustered." Derin announced, making me smile at him as I faced him.

"Since we all know and these two are pretty blunt. We might as well do whatever we can do to make sure that no one dramatic finds out." Michael schemed before we were all shut up the door being opened and James looking in. My eyes immediately widened as my siblings stared at him cluelessly. I know they said that they'd accept us but it was proven that my brothers weren't completely used to the idea.

"Sorry. Am I disrupting something?" He asked as he stood in the doorway. Before I could reply, my mother walked into the room from behind him and spoke, "You guys need to be there for the rehearsal lunch in two hours. And other than getting ready, you have to prepare your speeches." She instructed the last part on James who nodded wordlessly at her.

"Yay." I sarcastically said once my mother left the room, which made everyone in the room snicker and giggle in response.

"Gosh Lyra, you're lucky you're female!" Michael exclaimed as he looked at me.

"Genius, that's because I backed down at the first chance." I chuckles before standing from my seat. Before I could take a step closer to James, my mother walked back in.

"So Lyra, where is Julie's dress and did you bring it here?" My mother coldly asked, as if she was hoping I failed to complete the task so that she could humiliate me once more.

"Yeah. It's with me. I'll give it to Meia after this." I replied emotionlessly before looking at my sister who informed me of the fact that Julie dropped in before James and I got here and will be resting.

I nodded in response before walking to the door... after my mom left again. "Who's Julie?" James whispered into my ear as he followed me to my bedroom.

"A friend of Meia's. Why?" I replied.

"No reason really. I was just curious to know." He simply answered before sitting down on the edge of my bed. "You have a big room." He commented.

"Is yours smaller?" I asked and he shook his head, "Nope. But I don't see the point of having my own room when I could spend my nights here with you." He smirked, making me blush as his fingers traced down the side of my body, igniting a tingling flame in me. I turned my body to face his and watched as he planted a waterfall of kisses on my neck, trailing his lips down my neck and closer to where it would melt me completely.