The Heartbreak Factor - Part One

Chapter Eighty.

“Are you ready for this?” I smiled to Kate as we stood at the top of the steps onto the beach, waiting for the sign to walk down to where everyone was.

“I’ll never be ready for this,” Kate laughed nervously.

“It’ll be amazing,” I smiled. “You deserve to be happy.”

Once one of the hotel staff ushered for the bridesmaids to follow him, I looked at Kate. She looked so nervous – you could tell just from the way her hands were shaking as she held onto the bouquet. “Good luck.”

I followed mum and Julia down the steps and onto the decking on the beach, making sure my heels didn’t get stuck in the slats of the decks. We got to veranda were the wedding ceremony was taking place. Coldplay’s Yellow was playing as Mum and Paul – Jonathan’s best man - walked down the aisle first. By the time Julia and Kieran – her husband – began to walk down the aisle, Kate and granddad had got to the veranda and stood behind me. Kate still looked as nervous as she did at the top of the stairs; if not more nervous now than she did then.

“It’s your turn,” the hotel man smiled to me in his cute Bahamian accent.

I glanced back the granddad and Kate and gave Kate a reassuring grin. As I began to walk down the aisle, clutching onto the bouquet of flowers in my hand so they wouldn’t fly off in the breeze, I smiled as everyone smiled back at me. I didn’t realise how many people were actually there for the wedding. We flew out on Sunday - but most of Kate and Jonathan’s friends flew out on the Friday before hand.

“I came along. I wrote a song for you and all the things you do, and it was called Yellow,” the song played in the background as I saw George grinning back at me. I couldn’t help but grin when I realised all four of them were in their suits.

As I got to the front, granddad and Kate made their way down the aisle. I stood beside mum and Julia on the front row and looked at Jonathan. The way he looked at her – that was love. I looked down the aisle at Kate as she made her way down the aisle; she looked just as happy to see him as he did to see her.

I couldn’t help but giggle as I noticed mum crying like a baby next to me. “Shh,” mum whispered to me as one of the staff from the hotel passed her a box of tissues.

Looking back at Kate and Jonathan, I began to tear up as I saw Jonathan hold his hand out for Kate as she got to the front. “I love you,” he smiled to her.

Me and mum aw’ed a bit too loud as everyone looked at us and laughed – even Kate and Jonathan turned around grinning.

The music stopped and the woman carrying  the wedding ceremony out stood up in front of Kate and Jonathan as they stood holding hands and looking into each other’s’ eyes.

*

“Congratulations Mrs Wills,” I grinned, hugging Kate as we stood on the beach waiting for the photographer.

“Thanks Sammy,” Kate beamed.

“Can we just have one of the bride and groom to start off with please?” the photographer asked.

As Kate and Jonathan were rushed away by the photographer further down the beach, I stood looking out on the shore as the waves slowly lapped onto sand. “Boo!”

Turning around, I saw George, Josh, JJ and Jaymi stood in their suits grinning at me. “You four look amazing,” I grinned, hugging them all in one big group hug.

“Look at you though,” Jaymi laughed. “You look stunning, Sammy.”

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“You really do,” JJ said.

“You do,” Josh agreed.

“Thanks guys,” I giggled.

“Sammy, you’re needed,” mum said, escorting me away from the boys towards where the photos were being taken.

“One sec,” I smiled before walking over with mum, trying to stop my heels from sinking into the sand.

“Bridesmaids,” the photographer smiled, grabbing me and moving to stand next to Kate.

As my hair fluttered in the beach breeze, I smiled naturally for the photo as the photographer. “You a model?” the photographer asked me as he took the photos.

Mum looked at me laughing. “She’s a singer,” mum smiled proudly.

“She’s my niece,” Kate grinned. “She’s a UK X Factor finalist.”

“She has natural beauty,” the photographer winked.

Mum and Kate looked proud as I looked quite threatened. Didn’t they understand that foreign men hitting on an 18-year old girl is usually frowned upon and it’s certainly frowned upon when he’s taking photos of her. Mum saw my confused look on my face and nudged me lightly.

“What?” I asked.

“Smile,” mum smiled.

“Come on, Sammy,” Kate laughed. “You hate that photo from your mum and Michael’s wedding where you look grumpy – I don’t want you to hate these ones as well.”

“Well tell him to stop perving on me,” I whispered discreetly so that he wouldn’t hear me.

“He’s just being friendly,” mum laughed.

“I bet that’s what they said about Jimmy Savile too,” I said, faking a smile for the camera. 

“How about some photos of you and Union J?” Kate suggested as the photographer finished taking photos of us.

As I looked at her grinning, she nodded. Carefully, I ran across the sand, trying to avoid tripping up with my heels.

“Finished?” Jaymi asked me.

“Come and be in some photos please,” I smiled.

“Why would you want us in the photos?” George laughed awkwardly.

“Because I love you all,” I said. “..and the photographer is a right paedophile.”

“But you’re not classed as a child,” Josh smiled.

“He’s still making me feel uncomfortable,” I said.

After they all agreed, I grabbed hold of JJ and Jaymi’s hands and pulled them towards where the photographer was stood.

“Who these?” the photographer asked.

“My best friends and boyfriend,” I grinned slyly.

I looked at George who was looking at the photographer in hatred and couldn’t help but laugh as he jokingly tensed his fist as he stood behind the photographer.

The photographer sorted us out into a line along the shore with the beach and ocean in the background. “Which of you is the boyfriend?” he asked. Everybody looked at George, even me. “Right, let’s have you on the end.” As the photographer put George on the end of the line, I looked at him and laughed. “Let’s have you two next to this beautiful lady,” he added, putting Josh and Jaymi either side. “And let’s have you on the other end,” plonking JJ next to Josh.

“Union J plus Sammy Jones,” JJ smiled.

“The fifth member of the band,” Josh grinned, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“One Direction?” the photographer asked as he heard the reference to the band.

“Union J,” Jaymi said.

“Remember the name because they are gonna be so huge,” I smiled.

The photographer clicked away at his camera as the Caribbean breeze rushed past us.