Black Wedding by Emma Luna
Ican’t believe that the time has finally come, yet again, only this time I know, we will come out of it together. Having Bree back home for the last few weeks has been a challenge. The girl has no idea what the word rest means. She constantly wants to be doing something. Kellan and I have literally been following her around, trying to do her jobs, or physically making her sit down. Of course, having the wedding to plan has helped.
I‘m so incredibly proud of how she dealt with the pain she went through. I know there are still moments when darkness overcomes her, and she goes in on herself, focusing on the breathing techniques her counsellor taught her. She has been much better after having someone to talk to about how she feels.
I have to admit, as I pull on the suit jacket, which is different from last time, I can’t control the flashbacks that overtake me. The pain I felt waiting at the end of the aisle, only for her to not show. The photo we have of the moment, the artificially created version, is one that we both still hold onto. It might not be our wedding day, but it’s still a day that has great significance to us. Most people wouldn’t want to remember that kind of trauma, but we do. We want to own it and use it.
This wedding is entirely different to the last. We are getting married in a large barn that has been decorated full of black and white flowers. It looks beautifully gothic. Nobody knew the location until I texted it to them this morning. They were all told a rough area, but we wanted the location to be secret. But standing here now, as I look over at the people sitting around me, I can see that everyone made it.
As I am looking over the people who we both love, and wanted to have here, I quickly realise that we can’t have it set up like this. Finn, my usher, has asked people to sit either on the bride’s side or the groom’s, depending on who they knew. But all I can see is the people missing from Bree’s side, which is why I tell people to spread out.
Paddy is seated on Bree’s side, along with his wife, Clodagh. She suffers from bad arthritis, and we didn’t know if she would be able to make the journey from Ireland, but I know Bree will be pleased she came. Next to him is Kian, the new kid from Cork who has been sent to help Bree and me learn the ropes. He seems like a nice kid, a bit rough around the edges, which is a given in our world. My good thoughts about him disappear rapidly when I catch him eying up my sister Freya. He’s fighting a losing battle there. Freya is not interested in guys like him. She’s always telling me there is no way in hell she will end up with a guy from our world. She will meet a good guy someday, that’s what she deserves.
When I say I want more people to sit on Bree’s side, Vinnie, or Shane, as he is now called, instantly stands to move to her side. Ryleigh doesn’t hesitate in moving over to sit with Shane. They have become really close since he started attending Ryleigh’s school. I’m pleased that he has someone he can call a friend. He had to leave his entire Marcushio life behind, but at least with Ryleigh, he will never need to lie. Kellan jokes that they will end up together, but I don’t think so. Ryleigh seems to want to give me a heart attack with her choice of assholes. Shane is too much of a good kid for her.
Finn, Evan, and Kellan remain sitting over on my side; they are my groomsmen, after all. Mia stands from her place next to Kellan and goes to sit next to Ryleigh. I watch as Kellan’s eyes follow her every move. It’s obvious how he feels, and I would be astonished if she didn’t feel the same way too. But at the same time, Mia has a secret, and we don’t know what it is. Until Kellan finds out, he will never trust her implicitly, which is what he needs for any relationship to work.
The door to the barn opens, surprising us all because everyone who was invited is already here. My father grumbles a wildly inappropriate joke about Bree standing me up again. I don’t think he realises how much anxiety I am going through after losing her once. I can’t do it again. Choosing to ignore my father, I focus on the woman dressed in a light pink trouser suit. She looks elegant as usual, but I wasn’t expecting to see Shona here at all.
When Bree was kidnapped, Vernon was in the other car with Shona. Everyone assumed she knew what was happening, but she claims she didn’t know. She only realised when they weren’t driving to the venue. As soon as she found out what was happening, she did what she could to get free, but it didn’t work. Or at least that’s the story she told Bree. Their relationship has been strained since Bree felt Shona was more interested in making things about her own pain rather than Bree’s. Bree didn’t invite her for a reason. I step towards her, ready to tell her to leave, when Paddy stands and places a hand on my shoulder.
“She won’t cause any trouble. She just wants to see her daughter get married,” he says quietly, and with a head nod, she takes a seat at the back.
I’m about to take a seat, anxiety building as she is now ten minutes late, when Kellan stands in front of me. Hallie reaches out for me on instinct. She does it every time she is close enough to reach me. I take hold of her little hand in mine, and she lets out the cutest little chuckle. She is dressed in this beautiful white princess dress with a sash around it. I just know that later she will be shuffling around with her nappy-padded ass in the air and skirt up near her ears.
“Action everyone!” Kellan shouts as he slides the phone he was holding back into his pocket, and everyone runs to get into their positions. Bree must have texted to say she is here. My heart starts to gallop and I beg for time to speed up, so I can have her next to me.
I watch as Paddy slips out the side door along with my sisters. Mia walks over to collect Hallie before heading in the same direction. Kellan comes to stand by my side, my two brothers next to me. A photographer, who has been here the whole time but I hadn’t noticed, gets up close and personal for some staged shots before getting into position behind the registrar. An older woman stands behind the wooden table currently holding the wedding register, a bright smile on her face.
I take in the few remaining faces of my family and Bree’s, and I never thought I could feel grateful for them. I thought I was done with my family long ago, but Bree gave me another chance. We both know that Desmond will be a threat to us one day, but for now, having him as our ally is better.
The music starts, pulling me out of my daydreams, and the doors open. The first to enter is Ryleigh, sauntering with the biggest smile on her face. She looks beautiful in the deep purple dress that Bree chose. It is so close to black while still having an element of colour. I don’t miss the smile Ry throws towards Shane. Looks like that is something I am going to have to keep an eye on after all.
Freya moves a lot quicker down the aisle, hating the attention but smiling when she reaches me. She moves to the side in time for Mia to start walking down the aisle. She is holding Hallie, and together they are throwing dark coloured rose petals all along the aisle. Every so often, Hallie will grab a handful of flowers and throw them with the biggest giggle, but then other times, she tries to put them in her mouth.
Mia is doing an incredible job with Hallie, something I don’t think is lost on my best friend. If the way his eyes rake over Mia’s body is anything to go by, I would say he is very interested. I am less sure about her. She is always so quiet and shy, even more so after we found out she has some kind of secret.
When they reach the top of the aisle, Kellan leans down to place a soft kiss on Hallie’s head. I don’t miss the moment’s hesitation. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss Mia, and given that she froze, and everyone around us gasped, we all thought the same thing. It is like watching a soap opera, waiting for them to get together. I just hope he waits until he trusts her before he fucks her. He really cannot screw this up.
Suddenly the music changes, and the door opens again. “Everything I Do” by Bryan Adams fills the room, and the most beautiful sight beholds me. Bree stands in the doorway, her Gramps linking arms with her, and I can’t get over how fucking stunning she looks. She didn’t want a dress that reminded her of the one she lost, and this is the complete opposite. She originally bought it as a reception dress for the first wedding, but it seems so much more appropriate now.
The long black dress is so fitting for the occasion. It hugs her tightly around her chest and waist, emphasising her beautiful curves before flaring out. The material looks like that of a ballerina’s tutu; I believe it’s called tulle. With every step she takes towards me, the dress looks more stunning. Lace with flowers and other patterns becomes more visible. Her flame-red hair is curled and hangs loosely around her bare shoulders. She has a long train that drapes behind her as she moves down the aisle. The closer she gets, the bigger both our smiles are.
It seems to take forever, but when she finally reaches my side, Paddy gives me her hand. “Look after my girl, Liam,” he says, and with a smile and a nod, I give him my word.
As we face each other, the registrar begins. I am so busy looking at how beautiful Bree looks I forget to listen to her words. The next thing I know, Bree pinches me and gestures her head towards the registrar, who has obviously just asked me something. “Your vows?” the old woman asks, and I realise it’s the part of the ceremony I had been dreading the most.
When Bree said she wanted to write her own vows, I was very much against it. I do not like public speaking, nor do I want to express how I feel in front of everyone, but I would do anything for her, give her anything she wants. But as she stands here in front of me, I don’t even need the words I wrote down.
“I’m not great with telling you how I feel. You had to be unconscious before I could tell you I love you for the first time,” I start, hearing the chuckles around the room. “But standing here right now, I have never been more sure. Bree, you are my whole world. You are so strong and so determined, whilst also having the kindest heart. I know you could rule this world alone, but it’s an honour to stand by your side. I promise to love you, fight with you, protect you, and care for you, always. You are everything to me, and I promise I will spend every day for the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. I love you, and I will love you until I take my final breath, and probably even after that. I love you, Princess.” I stutter on the last few words, emotion clogging up my throat. Her bright silver eyes look like beautiful reflective pools as they fill with unshed tears. Her smile is so beautiful.
The registrar announces it’s time for Bree’s vows and I take a breath as she begins to speak just for me. “Liam, when you steamrollered your way into my world, I never knew you would become this person to me. I had lived every day before meeting you, or so I thought. I realised I had just been existing until you brought me to life. You give me the confidence I didn’t even know I didn’t have. I feel stronger just because I have you near. You are my rock, my penguin, and my soulmate. I am so excited to explore our lives together. I promise to love you and be true to you, forever.”
Her words cause my heart to beat furiously like a drum. The love she has for me is overwhelming. I smile a bright smile, and the registrar takes us through the final process. The words we have to say by law, and the books we need to sign. As we slide the rings onto each other’s fingers, my heart soars.
Once all that is sorted, the registrar says the words I have been aching to hear for the past ten weeks.
“Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, I ask you to stand united, to show your love for the new Mr. and Mrs. Doughtry-O’Keenan,” she says, addressing our guests before turning to Bree and me. “You may now kiss your bride.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I literally fucking couldn’t wait. I lean in and take her lips in a bruising kiss. My hand riding lower on her back than is probably appropriate in front of our family, but I don’t care. Catcalls and the ‘get a room’ I hear from my father are enough to cause us to break apart. We turn to face our audience, smiling and laughing along with them. Before we start our journey down the aisle together, I lean in and whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to get you home and out of that dress. I have waited a long fucking time for this, and I think we should celebrate. Your ass is mine tonight. Happy wedding day, Princess.”
Bree’s reply is instant, her smile coy. “Fine, but afterwards, I need you to do me a favour. I want you to take me to my grandfather’s house. I have made my decision. I thought about it a lot as I was getting ready. They have ruined too many of my days. I’m taking back control. Jimmy has seen his last sunrise. He dies tonight. As for my father, he is banished from the UK and Ireland. If I even catch word that he is in the country, there will be a kill order against him. My mother asked me to spare his life. She is being banished along with him. I agreed she could come to the wedding as a goodbye. It may not be the outcome everyone wanted, and it may have taken me weeks to decide, but I am happy with my choice. So, let’s go party and live our lives together. What better way to start our married life than helping each other bury a body.”
The End