The Best Man's Speech

25: Red Lights

✵ JAMES ✵

Clenching my fist into a ball, I glared at Julie who stood in front of me, "What do you want?"

"Really? The bride's baby sister? How low have you fallen exactly?" She said, smirking with hatred as she folded one leg over the other and stared at me.

"Love, I am only rising again. I only stooped that low when I was with you." I smirked, making her hiss at my words, two can play at this game. "I mean what exactly were and are you? A whore that no one wants? So you just rely on sex for anything and everything?"

"What I do with my life is none of your business." She retorted.

"Right back at ya." I said with a smug smile on my face, before looking up to find Eliza walking in through the doors, "Please explain to me what just happened between you and Lyra and why it sounds like her mom is at war with someone?" I froze at the words before turning to face Julie who wore a devious expression on her face. "What did you do?" I asked her, while watching my godmother sit behind me.

The feminine devil stood up and walked towards me, her ridiculously high heels bringing her to the same height as my ear. "I did what I had to." She whispered to me.

"If you don't tell me now Jules, I swear I won't be able to save you from myself." I warned her, hoping she'd give in to defeat and tell me what exactly her intentions were. I glared at her through gritted teeth, only to watch her look at me cluelessly, without having to respond back to me. "Tell me now!" I ordered her, annoyed at her stubbornness.

"No." She slowly replied, looking at me.

"Julie!" I angrily shouted her name, getting even more annoyed at the way she was acting.

"It's for me to know and for you to find out... James." The way she uttered my name angered me, as if she spat out poison. Instinctively, I groaned before pouncing onto her and holding her by her throat against the wall. "You will tell me now." I ordered her, holding her in place with my left hand that held both of her arms in mine. I could hear my godmother gasp while Julie whimpered in my arms. "What are you doing here Julie? Why are you with them?"

"James, I am here for revenge." She smirked smugly before dropping to the ground under my release. Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair with frustration, "What revenge?" I looked down at the twig-like figure that was too busy whimpering in my sight. Bending over, I glared into her eyes, "Tell me everything."

She hesitated for a while before sighing, finally giving in to me.

✵ LYRA ✵

All I could think of was James and what would become of the both of us. Maybe we shouldn't be together. Maybe we were bound to get caught out and shoved into hell in split seconds. Maybe I should let you go.

"Mother please. Be rational." Meia pleaded as I sat still, facing the ground. Michael's hand on my knees was meant to reassure me but all it made me want to do is cry. The lack of concern my mother had was finally eating me out.

"No! You go off to sleep around with a man... and at that: your boss. I cannot be more rational than I am right now. I am letting you breathe now if that tells you how disappointed I am in you." My mother's words rang through my head.

"Sylvia. Please. She is just a child." My father announced, grabbing hold of my mother's arms.

"A child? She is not a baby anymore, Peter. Look at her!" My mother shouted back at him, before facing me, making me hide my face by looking away. "There is no guilt or remorse from her. She knows what she did and will have to face the consequences for it." My mother sternly declared.

"Punish her?! Wow, you have finally lost it." Michael intervened, standing straight on his feet and looking straight at me mother, "Then punish us all." The words were cold and bitter as my mother finally understood what it was that he was actually trying to say.

The room fell into an agonising silence as everyone froze, I looked up and watched my mother's eyes sulk into a sadness of her own. "Mother." I whispered, before watching her sadly plop herself on the chair behind her, even my father didn't know what to do.

"I just wanted to raise you all perfectly." She sadly uttered, before looking down at her own hands. My father was clearly still madly in love with her, it showed in the way that he kneeled in front of her and lifted her chin up, so that her eyes could meet his. "It'll be okay. We'll figure this out together. All of us." I watched my mother smile briefly before wrapping her arms round his neck and holding him closely.

Pulling away, she harshly let her eyes scope around all of us. Derin started to talk, attracting all of our attention, "Mother I am sorry that we didn't grow up the way that we did but we are who we are and where we are. And we're not exactly hating it. And I know half of us lack moral intuitions of some sort... but we are proud to have what we have now." I watched him look at her sadly before sighing as she continued to glare at him, he was giving up.

I sighed sadly before Meia turned to face me, "It'll be alright. We'll work this out." She whispered the words after sitting by my side, where Mike wasn't. Her hands found mine and held it tightly. "I hope we do." I whispered back sadly, hoping that the last hour wasn't my last with James. Because I did and do love him... so much.