Page 59 of When Javi Dumped Mari

Javi

The Wedding

I’m in awe of the picturesque landscape Mari and Alex have chosen as the backdrop for their ceremony.

Nestled amid Crystal Canyon Farm’s rolling vineyards, the meticulously groomed lawn stands apart from its surroundings, a slice of order within a natural oasis that refuses to be tamed.

Behind the wedding arbor, a huge oak tree that’s likely been here since time immemorial cloaks the space in shade and adds a majestic touch.

It’s a beautiful place for someone to get their heart broken.

I refuse to let it be mine.

Alex cuts an imposing figure as he stands under the arbor and smiles at the guests. His cousin, Joel, and his uncle, Ramón, flank him like expressionless bodyguards. Joel’s wearing sunglasses, for fuck’s sake.

Beside me, Sasha smooths the skirt of her dress before taking my arm. She leans in close. “Hold on to that leash real tight. Mari will kill you if anything happens to that dog.”

Thanks to Jeremy, Chocolicious looks sharper than I do in his silver bow tie and matching leash, and he’s blissfully unaware of the drama that’s about to unfold. If I could request one favor of him, I’d ask for a sudden need to pee right at Alex’s feet.

Sasha looks up at me. “Ready?”

“Yes,” I say, garbling the word.

“No regrets?” she whispers.

I sigh. “So many.”

“It isn’t too late to do something about it,” she says, side-eyeing me with a pointed stare.

“Believe me, I’m well aware.”

Her eyes widen and she shimmies her shoulders. “Okay, Javi, I see you.” She wrinkles her nose. “But why is your brother wearing culottes?”

I bark out a laugh and shrug. “He’s a strange bird” is all I permit myself to say.

To the right of us—and conspicuous enough to piss off Leandro—the Triborough Boys, accompanied by a guitarist, perform Luis Fonsi and Juan Luis Guerra’s “Llegaste Tú.” The lyrics are romantic, perfect for a wedding, but the narrator talks about being fortunate, about their role as the person who knows every line of their lover’s hand, about walking by their side.

Is that who Alex is to Mari? I suspect not.

I knew that six weeks ago just as surely as I know it now.

Sasha tugs on my arm. “It’s our turn.”

I focus on the view in front of me, surprised that Chloe and Brittany are already several rows ahead of us.

Sasha and I glide forward, walking with a light step as instructed, and as I pass Alex on my left, we eye each other long enough for me to see a flicker of unease pass over his features.

He licks his lips, then dabs the back of his neck with a kerchief.

After a long, deep breath, he turns his gaze to the space Sasha and I just occupied.

An instrumental interlude begins, and the guests stand as Mari and her father make their entrance, the soft murmur of oohs and aahs interspersing with audible gasps from the crowd.

I know she hates that Alex always calls her a princess, but in this moment she absolutely is.

Her hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and a cascade of curls adorned with tiny iridescent pearls flows from the top of her crown.

Her dress molds to her figure, a simple style that accentuates her shapeliness.

Skin glowing, glossy lips parted, she radiates elegance and strength.

It’s a fucking sight to behold. The only thing that would improve her look is if she didn’t have Luiz clutching her hand.

He has no idea how precious she is, yet he still gets to walk her down the aisle.

I clock her every movement. She turns slightly, her eyes widening when her gaze snags on Leandro’s ridiculous suit. Alex unwittingly gave me the gift that will never stop giving. She holds in a smile, then peers at me.

I swallow the lump in my throat, cuddle Chocolicious in my arms, and stare at my shoes. I’m here. I’m suppressing the urge to tackle Alex to the ground. She can’t possibly expect me to watch her make her way to him. That’s the very last thing in the world I want to see.

How long before we get to the vows anyway? Even a second more of this travesty would be too long.

Mari

I squeeze my father’s hand, then present my bouquet to my mother, who’s sitting in the front row. Her mouth gapes when I bend and kiss her forehead.

“Obrigada, M?e. Por tudo.”

I don’t think I’ve ever thanked her for letting me stay in America with my dad. I’ve focused so much on my father’s supposed sacrifice that I’ve discounted the gift she gave me, one she bestowed with a heavy heart but also with my best interests in mind.

She caresses my cheek. “I love you.”

We exchange a smile, and then I turn back to Alex, whose eyes regard me with practiced affection.

“Hi,” I say to him, my stomach overrun with butterflies.

“You look beautiful,” he says. “Are you ready for this?”

I nod. “More than ready.”

Teddy, the wedding officiant, chuckles. “The bride and groom are eager to get on with it,” he says jovially, “so let us begin.” His expression sobers, and then he says, “We are here today to witness the joining of two souls, Marisol Luzia Machado Campos and Alejandro Juan Carlos Flores Cordero…”

Am I really doing this?

I think I am.

Is this the most outrageous thing I’ve ever done in my life?

It is.

Will Javi even want this much attention on him?

Probably not.

Oh God, maybe I shouldn’t put him on the spot.

Maybe it’s the kind of gesture that will make him realize there’s no one else for me.

I take quick, shallow breaths to calm my nerves. Oh Jesus, it’s time.

“Marisol, are you ready to recite your vows?” Teddy asks.

I shake my head, unable to understand his question. “What?”

He leans over and whispers, “Your vows, dear. It’s your turn to say them.”

“Uh, but aren’t you going to ask if anyone has an objection?”

Teddy squishes his eyebrows together and taps the book in his hand on his thigh. “That’s not part of the ceremony anymore, dear.”

I let out a sigh. “But—”

“What my fiancée is trying to get at,” Alex whispers, “is that she’d really like you to ask if there’s any objection.”

Teddy looks between Alex and me, then nods. “Ah, I see.” He scratches his head. “I think.”

“Just wing it,” I tell him. “ Please. ”

Teddy gives me a weak smile, then addresses the guests: “Friends and loved ones, Marisol and Alejandro—”

“Alex is fine,” my fake fiancé says.

Teddy nods. “Oh yes. Sure. Uh, friends and loved ones, Marisol and Alex would like to go into this marriage with confidence that they have the full support of everyone in attendance. And as the wedding officiant, I have a vested interest in knowing there are no impediments to this marriage. So, if there is anyone who knows of any reason why the bride and groom should not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

I sway on my feet as the murmur of the crowd reaches my ears, and then I gather the strength to say what’s in my heart: “I object!” It’s so loud that the words echo in my ears.

“It’s about damn time,” Sasha mutters.

People gasp; others laugh; there’s a “?Madre de Dios!” in there as well. But everyone’s looking past me, their attention trained on—I look over my shoulder—Javi?

Alex leans forward and whispers, “He objected too.”

I whirl around, my hand pressed to my chest, and gape at my best friend. “What’s going on?”

Javi meets my gaze as he rushes toward me. “I’m sorry. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. But then—” His brow furrows. “Did you just object to your own wedding?”

I nod vigorously, my eyes wet with tears of laughter. “I did.”

His mouth twitches, and it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. “Must you always have the last word? Always?”

I snort. “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is my life right now.”

I dart a glance at my father, who’s frozen, his jaw on the floor.

Alex’s mom jumps up from her chair and raises her index finger in the air. “?Qué grosero! ?Qué maleducado! ?Así no es como se trata a alguien!” And then she marches off, her daughters trailing after her.

Well, Senora Cordero has a point, but she also has no idea that her son isn’t blameless here and that I’m extending him more grace than he deserves.

A few steps of angry stomping later, Alex’s mother spins around. “?Alejandro! ?Vámanos!”

Alex bares his teeth sheepishly, then grabs my hand. “I need to play the part of the aggrieved groom. We’ll talk, yeah?”

I nod my assent, though I barely spare him a glance because I can’t take my eyes off Javi.

“Can we talk?” Javi asks, handing off Chocolicious to Jeremy, who moonwalks out of the way. “In private?”

Teddy, the officiant, clears his throat. “Um, Ms. Campos, am I done here?”

I wince, then grimace apologetically. “Sorry, Teddy. Yes, we won’t be needing you anymore.”

“And that’s a good thing?” he asks.

I throw my arms around him. “That’s a great thing.”

He pats me on the back. “Well, all right.”

“Marisol!” my father calls out in an irate voice. “What is the meaning of all this?”

I release Teddy from our awkward hug and face my father head-on. “Javi and I need to talk. I’ll find you later.”

“ Later ,” he says, gesticulating wildly. “You blow up the wedding that I paid a fortune for, and you’ll talk to me later ? Que diabos é isso?”

The front of Javi’s body brushes mine as he positions himself behind me.

That show of support means everything. It tells me that I’m not alone, that he’ll stand by me no matter how I decide to handle the situation.

I reach back and clutch his hand, then address my father.

“You and I will talk when I’m ready. In the meantime, you should probably check in with your successor. He’s the future of the firm, isn’t he?”

My father’s eyes blaze with contempt when his gaze lands on Javi. “Whatever he told you is a lie.”

“ He didn’t tell me anything,” I say, shaking my head. “I heard you. In the restroom. I heard all about your big plans. Just know that I will no longer be a part of them, so do with that what you will.”

He points a finger at me. “You—”

“Fica quieto, Luiz,” my mother snaps. “Você já disse o suficiente!” He clenches his jaw, looks between Javi and me, and then stomps off.

My mother mimics his blustery departure, drawing a few laughs from my friends. Her expression quickly sobers when she looks at me, her gaze softening as she squeezes my hand. “Go. Focus on you.” She winks at Javi. “And him.”

I glance around the garden. A dozen or so guests linger in the aisle; a few remain in their seats.

To them, I say, “I’m so sorry, everyone.

” I consider explaining why I wrecked my own wedding, but I need to explain it to Javi first, so instead I say, “There’s a lovely brunch waiting for you in the great room.

Please enjoy yourselves.” Then I gather up the skirt of my dress and wave my bouquet around, unsure what to do with it.

“I’ll take it,” Brittany says, reaching for my free hand. “You got this.”

“Thanks,” I say, sniffling.

Sasha walks up. “Do you want me to…?” She points to the hair comb holding my veil in place.

“Oh. Yeah,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I won’t be needing it anymore.”

She smiles as she removes the veil, then says, “Much better.” She wraps me in her arms. “You did good today. Remember, we’ll always be here for you.”

“I know,” I say, squeezing her tight. “Love you.”

“I love you too,” she says. “Now go climb that man and get yourself some vitamin D.”

I snort into her neck. When Sasha and I separate, I take a deep, cleansing breath and thread my fingers through Javi’s. “Ready?” I ask him.

“Absolutely.”

There’s still so much to discuss, but it’s the word I needed to hear. His assurance. His conviction. Because I’ve never been more certain that this man belongs in my future. Now I just need to know once and for all whether he’s ready to take the leap with me.