Page 68 of Everything After (Everything Trilogy)

ALFIE

I chuckled when Brett’s eyes met mine while he led Holly back down the aisle, because he looked more relieved to have survived Hank’s handover of his wife than elated about his new bride.

We hung around in the foyer while the photographer did her thing, and once the group photographs were done, the guys in my band, those in XrAid and Cobham Street—who were all present—headed into the bar.

It was almost another hour before we were directed to the sit-down dinner, and by then every man who’d been at that bar was half-drunk or almost there.

As there were so many bridesmaids and groomsmen, the top table was full. I had been seated beside Jack, Mya, Lennie, Rick and Coral, and my old auntie, Connie. Lily gave me a knowing smirk when my auntie first sat down, and I figured Holly had sat Connie at our table to keep Rick in check.

However, the moment Rick turned and slid an arm across the back of her chair, I guessed the bride’s calculating move wouldn’t work.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Rick said to my aunt. “I remember you from Alfie and Lily’s wedding, mainly due to that awesome purple rinse your hairstylist puts in your hair.”

“Rick,” I warned while I discreetly shook my head.

Rick chuckled, picked up my auntie’s hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Aunt Connie, isn’t it?” he asked but didn’t wait for her to reply. “Any auntie of Alfie’s is an auntie of mine… isn’t that right, Alfie?”

I glanced across at the next table where Drew and Elle sat with Des, Andy and their plus ones, my sister Layla and her husband James.

My heart jolted when two tables down I saw Cody and Sienna, Digs and Shawn and their plus ones. Sitting with them was Kara and Neil, who Holly had extended a last-minute invite to.

At first, I didn’t know how I felt about Cody seeing Sienna, then I remembered that it was me who wanted her to move on with her life. Cody wasn’t an ideal choice to do that with, but if Sienna and Cody were hooked up together, it meant that Cody’s focus was somewhere else other than on my wife.

A clink of a knife on glass drew the attention of the room.

“Would everyone present please stand and raise your glass in a toast.” There was a short kerfuffle until everyone rose to their feet before the room fell silent.

“Ladies, Gentlemen and anyone else, I give you the bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Londsdale.”

A round of applause filled the stately room to the rafters as Holly and Brett made their entrance. Someone stepped forward and took Holly’s bouquet, then Brett guided her into her seat at the center of the head table.

Once we’d eaten there were several after dinner speeches, the first of which was given by Brett’s oldest brother, and best man, and was followed by two more brothers. Then, finally it was Holly’s father’s turn.

The room fell silent when Hank rose to his feet, where he adjusted his suit and pulled out his father-of-the-bride speech.

Hank glanced at Brett, shook his head, then turned his attention to us. “When I first met Brett I thought, what in the world does my sweet, baby girl see in him?”

The nervous tittering laughter in the room told me that most of those present weren’t sure whether he’d meant his comment or whether it was a joke.

“Good to know you weren’t put off by punching above your weight, Brett,” Jack called out, wanting to lighten the atmosphere. Brett’s family thought this hilarious and laughed, giving the rest of us permission to join in.

Hank held his hand up for silence, then continued. “Can’t argue with the truth, that was my initial thought. Then, as I got to know him, I figured maybe there’s something to this guy that’s put a permanent smile on my princess’s face.”

Rick coughed. “That’d be due to his big dick,” he muttered gruffly under his breath. Mya had been taking a sip of her champagne and spat it out, while the rest of our table chuckled… including my Auntie Connie.

Fortunately, none of the other tables heard him and Hank continued to talk.

“Now, I’ll admit, I figured their ‘thing’ a fling and her attraction toward him would dim.

But… not my daughter. If you know anything about my beautiful Holly, it’s that when she’s set her mind to do something, nothing in the world can stop her. ”

Brett nodded and Holly laughed as a ripple of applause rang around the room and someone called out, “Go, Holly.”

“It took me a while to warm to the man who I was expected to hand over the protection of my precious daughter to. And despite constantly testing his ability and resolve to do this, I’m glad to say Brett rose to the test. I’m sure he’ll be surprised to hear this—but I’m confident he’ll cherish my daughter as much as her mom and I have.

And to that end, I’m relieved to tell you all today, she couldn’t have picked anyone better. ”

The room erupted in loud cheering, banging on tables and the clinking of silverware on glass. Brett glanced toward Holly who had tears in her eyes. He swiped at her cheek with a thumb, then planted a kiss on her lips.

With Hank’s final seal of approval, it allowed Brett’s guard to drop, and he was able to relax.

Soon after dinner, we alighted to the bar until the room was reset for the evening.

“Don’t they look great together?” Lily asked while I stood behind her, and she sagged wearily against me.

Holly and Brett were dancing on the dance floor.

“Say Yes To Heaven” by Lana Del Rey wasn’t an obvious choice for a couple’s first dance at a wedding, but it was currently Holly’s favorite song.

“Yeah, they look happy, but not as great-looking as us,” I suggested, smiling.

“Big head,” Lily shot back, bumping her ass against my semi-erection from holding her.

“And shaft… big shaft too, remember?” I joked, then I couldn’t resist bending and kissing that sweet spot between her shoulder and her neck.

Lily shivered, her body wriggling from the likely electrical thrill that ran through her.

She turned her head and glanced up at me. “Your mind is never far away from sex, right?”

“Never far when I’m holding you,” I corrected. Lily flashed me a naughty smile, raised a brow in question, but turned back to face the dance floor before I could say anything else.

When Lana’s song died, Lily shoved herself upright and headed over to the small stage with her bandmates.

Cody bent close to her ear and said something which made Lily smile and made me wary of him again.

Holly had requested that she sang “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer for the parents and family dance.

“She’s still so hot, eh?” Jack suggested, bumping his hip into mine while I had been engrossed in Lily’s performance.

“My hot,” I remarked without smiling or taking my eyes off my wife.

“Still gets your goat that I’m her number one guy, doesn’t it?” he muttered, chuckling.

“Number one cling-on,” I replied.

Jack laughed. “So… about me being in the labor room for the delivery,” he began.

“Fuck off. You are not getting anywhere near that hospital when the time comes.”

“We’ll see,” he taunted, sighed, then winked. “Anyway, I should get back to my lovely wife,” he said, hitching a thumb over his shoulder.

“Yeah, before I knock you the fuck out, and they carry you out on a stretcher,” I said. Lily glanced over at us, and I gave her my best winning smile. Having no clue about the conversation between me and Jack, she blew me—or maybe it was us—a kiss and continued to sing.

Between Jack niggling at the side of me and my beady eyes darting from Cody to Lily, I’d begun to feel that spark of irritation that warned me my socializing capabilities were approaching near my tolerance limit.

Thankfully, once the cake had been cut and the formal dances were out of the way, Lily yawned. “I’m dead on my feet, it’s been such a long day.”

“I thought you’d never say something, I’ve been looking for an excuse to get out of here. Weddings are great, but only to a point. I’d rather be tucked up in bed with you than eating some wedding cake. Come on, baby, let me take a quick trip to the restroom, then we’ll get out of here.”

Leaving Lily to say her goodbyes to Holly, Brett and the rest of the bridesmaids, I headed out to relieve myself in the nearest restroom.

“Well, well, well. How does it feel to know you’re the one she settled for and not her first choice of guy?”

“Excuse me?” I muttered, scowling at a guy that took me a few seconds to place.

“Ah, I think you got that wrong… Matt isn’t it?”

“Max,” he corrected. I knew his fucking name, but I wouldn’t have given him the satisfaction of knowing that small detail.

“Lily would never have chosen you. And I’m confident that she likely fucked you but was thinking of me at the time.

She knew I couldn’t commit, not the why of it all, but just that I couldn’t.

That’s the only reason she hooked up with you.

It was a hookup, right?” It was a toss away comment because although I as seething, I would never have shown that prick what was going on inside of me right then.

“Dude, I was there,” he insisted.

“Yeah, you were, and I was there before, and after. Ask her yourself, she was with you to hit back at me because I’d already told her we couldn’t be anything more. You were nothing but a rebound fuck.”

“I suppose you’d need to tell yourself that,” Max concluded, over my shoulder.

I deliberately turned and pissed on his shoes.

“What the hell,” he growled as he jumped back. I shook myself off, put my dick in my pants and turned to face him. Max lifted his fist, like he was going to hit me. I caught his wrist and pushed him roughly back against the restroom wall.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve here. Weren’t you with some woman and a kid out there?” I ground out through clenched teeth. “Maybe she’d be interested to know you’re in here trying to… I don’t really know what the fuck you’re trying to achieve hitting me up like this.”

“Alfie are you still in there?” Lily called out, instantly cooling my jets.

“Just a sec,” I replied.

I placed my hand on Max’s forehead and pressed his head hard up against the wall, then spoke in a low, menacing tone.

“If I so much as hear my wife’s name come out of your dirty mouth again, I’ll beat the living fuck out of you.

Lily was a kid that made a mistake with you, she said so herself.

Now, you need to forget you ever knew my wife if you know what’s good for you.

” I lifted my head back and head butted him.

Max’s eyes widened. His face instantly paled as I pushed away from him. “Fuck,” he muttered, his hand immediately cradled the back of his head.

“Go take care of your woman, asshole, and leave us the fuck alone.”