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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

GARY

“I still can’t believe she sent someone to attack you while you were literally across the hall from Easton. Is she delusional or just stupid?”

“Both,” I answered honestly. “But also, I told Ben to tell her we’d be on different floors. I figured if something happened, it’d happen while we were getting ready, and I wanted him close by.”

I lifted my chin, giving him the room to fix my tie. We found the buttons to my shirt and sewed them on, and with a little Angel magic, it looked like it never happened. The shirt was pristine, my hair was fixed, and I was ready. Mostly.

“Whoever thought of bow ties was stupid,” he complained. He had his own bow tie, but apparently, Smiley was an expert and fixed it for him while they all got ready. Someone knocked on the door while he was still fussing with it, and Mrs. Warner poked her head in, smiling brightly at us both.

“Don’t you two look wonderful? Gary, dear, the last guests are arriving soon. Are you ready?”

“Sort of? As soon as we can figure out this tie, anyway.” I gestured to where Angel was cursing and pulling it apart again. Mrs. Warner gave a gentle laugh and pushed the rest of the way into the room, bumping Angel playfully with her hip.

“I’ve spent years helping my husband with any and all kinds of ties. Let me help. Do you have the ring?”

Angel nodded. Brienna may have tried to claim maid of honor, but since that position didn’t actually exist in our wedding, it didn’t really matter.

Jayden was Easton’s best man. Angel was mine.

He had the ring I used every dime I had to buy for Easton.

Brienna wouldn’t even be in the audience, much less the wedding party.

Mrs. Warner straightened the tie and stepped back to study me. “There. You look perfect.” Her brows drew together, and she looked around. “But where’s your family? They should be here with you.”

“Oh, they–”

Chuckles dashed into the room, eyes wide. “Holy shit, you need to come outside. Quick.”

Here we go. I knew it was coming, but my stomach still twisted in knots as I hurried after Chuckles, who was already running back outside to watch the show.

As soon as we all got downstairs, voices echoed through the speakers around the house.

Brienna screaming, my parents shouting, and somewhere in the background Ben was saying that the mic shouldn’t be on and there was a malfunction.

There totally wasn’t, he was leaving it on so that everyone could hear what was happening.

The people in the backyard could see it, too, because there was a giant screen off to one side that was supposed to be to display pictures of me and Easton, but when everyone arrived, it showed a video of the guests arriving as a sort of art thing.

Which meant it was pointed directly at where my family was arguing with Easton.

“Oh goodness. What’s happening?” Mrs. Warner asked beside me.

I feigned ignorance, a deep frown on my face. “I’m not sure. Let’s go find out.”

She and Angel followed me out front and down the stairs to the driveway.

Guests were checked at the gate and valets moved their cars to another area, so Brienna and my parents didn’t even get past the main gate before they were stopped.

I rushed down the long driveway, stopping beside Easton with a wide-eyed expression.

“What’s going on?” I glanced at Brienna, who was fake sobbing beside our mom, and did a double take. “Is she wearing a wedding dress?”

“A god awful one,” Angel said under his breath. I almost burst out laughing and had to fight to keep a straight face.

Easton looked down at me, his expression confused. Only the people who knew him best could see the mischief hiding underneath. “I don’t know what’s going on. When your sister showed up like this, they denied her entry, of course, but they’re trying to say they had permission.”

My brows furrowed tightly. “To do what? Have her walk down the aisle instead?”

My mom spun indignantly, glaring at me. “She was supposed to go first! We discussed it with Easton! She’s older and deserves to go first!”

Easton put his hands up defensively. “Woah, absolutely not. I would never agree to that.”

“Yes, you did!” my dad bellowed. I’d never seen him that angry before. His face was almost purple with rage, and he fought hard against the security holding him back. “You lying little shit! You promised her this! She deserves to feel special!”

“Hey! Don’t speak to my son that way!” Mr. Warner barked.

Apparently, my parents were past being polite to the Warners, and my dad started cursing him out. My mom turned her attention to me, seething.

“You shouldn’t have even accepted the proposal. You should have let her go first. She deserves to be happy.”

“And he doesn’t?” Angel demanded. “He’s your son. Don’t you care about him?”

“You shut your mouth, you disgusting little cretin!”

My eyebrows flew up in genuine shock. Both my parents had lost their damn minds.

And because it didn’t look like they were winning the argument, Brienna shifted to a full-blown meltdown.

She sank to the ground in her puffy dress and started screaming and kicking her feet, demanding to have her wedding first. My mouth hung open, and I didn't even have to fake my response.

Easton’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him. He lifted my chin with his knuckle, looking remorseful. “They approached me once and asked me if it would be okay. I said no. I’d never do that to you, baby.”

“You fucking liar!” my dad bellowed. Easton had enough time to shove me out of the way before my dad broke free of the security blockade and swung his fist. He clocked Easton in the jaw, which looked painful, but when Easton opened his eyes, he looked giddy.

Uh oh. He looked like that when he was in the ring.

Turning that feral smile on my dad, he said, “That was stupid.”

Dad seemed to realize his mistake, because he blanched and took a step back, but Easton wasn’t backing off. Not without help. And since I didn't want Easton going to jail today, I spun around and called out, “Coach!”

He wasn’t far. When Ben and I went over the possible reactions, I warned him that if Easton got into a fight, it could end up being really dangerous.

So he asked Coach to be nearby during the interaction in case something like this happened.

He hurried over and got Easton in a bear hug, dragging him away while murmuring in his ear to stay calm.

Easton looked ready to tear my dad apart, but he wasn’t willing to hurt Coach to get to him.

They wrestled, and sometimes worked out together, but Easton didn’t hurt his friends.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Mr. Warner demanded, his face flushed and angry.

“There is no way we would ever allow you to embarrass Gary like this. To embarrass our family. Our guests.” He gestured to the growing group of high-class socialites, watching the argument with looks of horror and fascination on their faces.

“Why would you even suggest it? Why would you do that to your own son?”

My mom seemed to realize what was happening and turned pale as a sheet, staring at the audience watching her.

“Brienna. Dear. Get up,” she murmured, but Brienna couldn’t hear her over her tantrum.

And it really was a tantrum. She was lying on the ground, kicking her feet and screaming and wouldn’t listen when our mother hissed at her to stop.

“My son puts his family first. He wouldn’t embarrass his sister like this. He loves her,” Dad growled, dragging my attention back to him. I couldn’t help but scoff in response.

“You mean the sister who sent someone to attack me on my wedding day? That sister?”

“You’re lying,” Dad snarled. “Brienna would never–”

“... What are you doing here?”

“I’m doing a favor for a friend. Brienna called me and said you were planning on stealing her big day.

She wants me to keep you busy for a little while, so you don’t interrupt.

” The sound of rustling filled the air, and Justin’s voice spoke again.

“She told me you liked it when people hurt you. I’m sad now that I didn’t pretend a little longer when we were kids, so I got to experience that.

I guess I’ll just have to enjoy it now.”

“Get away from me!”

The recording cut out, and I heard Ben crow triumphantly. “Finally! Fixed it!” He looked around, mock surprised. “What’s going on?”

Mr. Warner turned slowly to face my family again, his voice low and almost deadly when he asked, “Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”

Brienna had gone quiet when the recording started to play. She looked like a deer in headlights, eyes as wide as dinner plates. My mom helped her to her feet, and her voice trembled when she addressed the yard full of people.

“We’re leaving. We don’t want to be associated with you people anyway. Brienna is too good for you.”

Brienna’s lip trembled, and actual tears filled her eyes as she looked around.

She was so desperate to be a rich man’s wife, she was willing to destroy her reputation to get there.

Now that it was obvious that wasn’t happening, she looked heartbroken and so angry.

She ducked past our mother, drew back her fist, and swung.

I heard shouts, and people lunged forward to stop her, but I didn’t need their help.

I blocked the punch like Easton taught me, twisted to grab her wrist, and flung it away again.

Her mouth fell open, and she gaped at me, even as security grabbed her.

My parents shouted for them to get their hands off their daughter, but police showed up at just the right time and put her and my dad in handcuffs after Mr. Warner said they attacked members of his family.

Strong, warm arms wrapped around me from behind, and when I tipped my head back, Easton kissed me on the forehead. “Proud of you.”

I hummed, watching almost emotionlessly as they dragged my sister and my dad away. My mom was screeching as she followed after them, but she paused at the gate, swinging around to glare at me.

“You are no longer our son if you go through with this wedding. If you come with us now and apologize, we’ll think about accepting you back.”

I pretended to think about it for maybe point two seconds before wrinkling my nose. “No thanks. I’d rather have no family at all than be associated with any of you. Have a nice life.”

Security ushered her away and off the property, and we had to take a few minutes to make a statement to the police, but eventually, the drama died down, and I finally felt like I could breathe again.

Mr. Warner joined us after talking to the police, a deep scowl on his face. “I can’t believe them. Who in their right mind would let their daughter walk down the aisle at their son’s wedding? Were they out of their minds?”

Pressing my lips together, I offered him a shrug. “They always saw her as the golden child. In their minds, if she asked for it, she deserved it. Including my wedding, apparently.”

“Well, they failed at that. And we’ve still got a ceremony to get to.

What do you say we have a drink, take a moment to reset, and get back on track?

” Ben suggested, beckoning a server with a tray full of champagne.

More servers spilled from the house, weaving through the crowd as they handed out drinks.

Ben was excellent at redirecting everyone’s attention, and when he handed me and Easton our glasses, he winked at me. “You showed them. Great job.”