Page 23 of Only Ever Yours

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hollis

I had never seen Jase look so handsome. And it hurt not being able to be by his side, whispering in his ear to tell him that, but I kept my distance.

Barney and Lenora’s wedding day had dawned with glorious sunshine, blue skies, and tiny, fluffy clouds after a couple of days of overcast weather and the occasional rain shower.

My mood should have matched the weather; however, I struggled with the fact that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it with Jase.

Had we managed to tell Finn sooner, we could have spent the event hand-in-hand; however, the right moment had never arisen with all of us being busy at the garage or the gym, which meant we’d barely seen each other to have a serious conversation.

The days had flown by, and it was too late now.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. I’d barely spoken to her during the ceremony, and now that we were seated for the meal, the only thing that held my interest was the bottle of wine on the table.

“I’m fine.” I took a large gulp of wine, trying not to gag. Chardonnay wasn’t for me although anything would do to get me through the next few hours.

“Then tell your face. Honestly, anyone would think this was a funeral, not a wedding.” Ella poured herself more wine. “Maybe Barney has a long-lost hot, single cousin you can slow dance with at the end of the night.”

That, at least, raised a smile from me. I wished I could tell her the truth about why I was moody, but I couldn’t risk it. “Maybe. I think I pretty much know all of Barney’s family, and most of his cousins are under twenty.”

“And that’s a bad thing, because…?” The corner of Ella’s mouth quirked. “Don’t knock the younger guy thing until you’ve tried it.”

“Remind me why you didn’t bring him today?”

“Because you were my plus one. Although, with the mood you’re in, I kind of wish I had brought him instead.”

“Thanks, Ella. That really helps to make me feel better.”

“What’s wrong with you anyway?”

Luckily, the master of ceremonies tapped his glass to get everyone’s attention and announced the arrival of the wedding party, so I didn’t have to give her an answer.

I reached for my glass again, watching as Barney, Lenora, Jase, Finn, and Liam, along with Lenora’s bridesmaids, entered the room to a round of applause and cheers.

Anything the MC said got lost as my gaze latched on to Jase, admiring him in his tailored three-piece suit in a faded blue shade.

They hadn’t gone too traditional with the suits, meaning they could be worn afterwards.

I had to come up with an occasion where I could get Jase in that suit again and then strip him out of it.

I held onto the thought throughout the meal, picking at my food and trying not to get too drunk on the godawful Chardonnay.

I really didn’t need Jase holding my hair a second time.

By the time I’d pushed the champagne strawberry mousse around my plate, I was plotting my escape.

When would be an acceptable time to leave?

Before the first dance? After that but before they cut the cake?

Could I fake a migraine and leave now? I felt my phone vibrate in my bag.

Ella had her back to me, chatting to the woman on her other side, so she wouldn’t be able to chastise me for looking at my phone during the wedding.

Shifting slightly, I slid the device out of my clutch, and my heart pounded deeper.

Jase

Meet me outside in the garden in ten minutes. There’s a gazebo that’s fairly secluded so we won’t be seen xx

How about five? xx

Jase

How about now? xx

Glancing at the table where the bridal party sat, I saw Jase stand and start to walk out, then stop to lean over towards Barney and say something. Shoving my phone back in my bag, I tapped Ella on the shoulder.

“I’m popping to the bathroom. Be back in a minute.”

She went as if to get up, too. “I’ll come with you.”

“No, it’s fine.” I scurried off before she could follow me.

Heading out of the main dining room, instead of making a left towards the bathrooms, I went right through the door outside.

Glancing around, I looked for the gazebo Jase had referred to.

The little summerhouse was set away from the main garden, close to the fences of the adjoining fields.

I made my way towards it and waited, my back towards the house, looking out at the view.

A couple of moments later, arms wound around my waist, and lips nuzzled against the nape of my neck, butterflies dancing down my spine.

“God, it’s so fucking hard not being able to touch you,” Jase murmured into my hair.

“I know.” I sighed and twisted around in his grasp, leaning into his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of his aftershave.

“I wish you could have been with me, up front, enjoying the day. Honestly, I’ve been fucking miserable watching you from a distance this whole time.” He bent forward, brushing my nose with his.

“Me, too. I’ve missed you even though we’ve been in the same room.” Tilting my head, I closed my eyes, waiting for his kiss.

His lips met mine, hungry and needy, and I pressed my body against him, a breathy sigh escaping me. This is what I’d craved all day, the closeness, the way we were on the same wavelength. He drew back for a moment.

“Oh, and you look absolutely fucking beautiful. I’ve been dying to tell you, but there hasn’t been a time when there wasn’t someone else around.

Someone who would notice I look at you differently these days, that I look at you as something other than a friend, that I think I’m in love with you and probably always have been. ”

His words took my breath away. Jase and I had always had a strong connection, a bond that went back years, and one we’d recently taken to another level. Hearing him say he loved me melted my insides. And for him to tell me today meant everything.

He was my everything.

“Jase…” I actually couldn’t speak; he’d affected me that much.

“You don’t have to say anything right now. I know you feel it, too.” I felt the intensity of his gaze to my core.

Reaching up, I traced a finger along his jawline. “I think I’m in love with you, too. Now, then, probably always. I’ve only ever been yours.”

Jase covered my hand with his, a smile playing on his lips as he bent to rest his forehead against mine. “It only took a wedding for us to realise it.”

I let out a deep sigh, not wanting to burst the bubble we were in but realising I had to. “And one we should probably get back to.”

“One more kiss to keep me going until next time.” Jase cupped my face with his hands and drew me in for a full-on, deep and tender kiss, so passionate I could barely breathe. I didn’t know how I’d get through until next time . With a sigh, Jase pulled away. “I guess we can’t go back in together.”

A reckless streak shot through me. “Why not? We could both have been outside getting some air. No one would suspect anything else between us, right?”

He grinned. “You could be right. Shame I can’t hold your hand, though.”

“Not now anyway.”

Keeping a sensible distance between us, we walked back towards the venue. A few guests milled around outside, taking the opportunity for the kids to play or sneaking a cigarette break. Nodding at acquaintances, we went back inside.

“Do you fancy a drink?” Jase asked.

“Please. The table wine was awful.” I pulled a face.

“Don’t mention it to Lenora. It’s her favourite, apparently. She told me about a million times during dinner, which made me think she’d drunk quite a bit of it. ”

I giggled. “I’d never get drunk on my wedding day.”

Jase fixed me with a look. “You’d better not.”

Before I could reply, we reached the bar where Finn and Ella stood waiting to be served. That’s an interesting development .

“Where have you been?” Ella demanded. “I’ve been looking for you all over. When you didn’t come back from the bathroom, I went to find you.”

“Oh, sorry.” I feigned innocence. “I went out to get a bit of air.” Gesturing to Jase, I added, “He did the same.”

Ella nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. Then a voice cut loudly into our group.

“Well, well, well, this is all very cosy, isn’t it? Such a lovely couple.”

I turned to see Felicity Andrews standing there, her phone in her hand.

“We’re not together.” Finn motioned between Ella and himself. “It’s been over for a long time.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Who says I was talking about you?”

Finn looked between Jase and me. “These two aren’t a couple.” He laughed, and my blood ran cold. I met Jase’s eyes. Somehow, we both knew what was about to happen, but neither of us could do anything to stop it.

Tapping on her phone, Felicity held up the screen to Finn. “I think this says otherwise.”

From where I stood, I could just about see a video of Jase and me in the garden taken moments earlier.

It captured our embrace and our kiss, ending before we walked back to the wedding party.

Finn grabbed the device out of Felicity’s hand, his finger stabbing the screen to replay it.

He looked at Jase, then at me, then back at Jase again .

“Does one of you want to tell me what the fuck is going on here?” His voice was low, angry.

“I think the evidence is pretty obvious, don’t you, Finn?” Felicity reclaimed her phone. “And he”—she jabbed a finger into Jase’s chest—“has been using me as an alibi while they’ve been hooking up.”

Finn glared at her. “I only asked whether you two were serious because you’d been spending such a lot of time together.”

Felicity let out a harsh laugh. “I haven’t seen his sorry face in weeks. And when I stumbled upon them outside, I put two and two together. Looks like he prefers the company of your sister.”

My brother faced Felicity directly. “Thanks for your input, Felicity, but this is between us. So fuck off, yeah?”

“It’s probably for the best,” added Ella, giving Felicity a small smile as she walked away. She placed a hand on Finn’s arm. “Are you okay?”

He shook her off. “I need a minute to process this.”

Jase put an arm around my shoulders, only for Finn to hiss out a breath, and he promptly removed it. I’d been nervous about Finn finding out the truth although I hadn’t expected him to react as he did. Surely, if anyone was good enough for his sister, it would be his best friend?

“Ella, get Hollis a drink and stay here.” He grabbed Jase’s arm and pulled him away from us. “We’re going to have a chat.”

Helplessly, I watched them go, threading their way through the wedding crowd, who were all oblivious to what was going on.

Ella got the barman’s attention and almost immediately, two shots of tequila appeared in front of us. Without hesitation, I picked one up and downed it, then did the same with the other.

“Hey, that one was for me,” protested Ella.

“Then get another round.” I pouted, knowing I was being childish.

“Do you want to tell me what’s been going on? You and Jase? How long?”

Sagging against the bar, I knew I couldn’t keep the truth from her any longer. “Since the hen and stag party. And we had a bit of a moment when we picked up my stuff from London.”

Ella raised her eyebrows. “I guess I’m not as surprised as Finn. I always thought you’d make a good couple one day. I guess I hadn’t realised that would be today.”

I had to hope Finn would come around to the idea, too.