Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

I’m with the bride. Let’s go inside. We have all that food Maggie brought with her and I’m starving.” Alex rubs his belly.

I groan inwardly. How could I forget about the three-course meal Maggie brought with her. I saw Alex’s mouth water, while mine soured, hoping I would be able to escape that part of the festivities.

“Oh no, you two.” Ms. Gandy steps in front of us, impeding our escape. “You can’t eat before you have your first dance. It’s tradition.”

“No, it isn’t,” Alex argues.

“It is in my book and in Liz’s. She picked out the perfect song for you two.”

Alex glances over at me and I see him biting the inside of his cheek. “There’s no radio out here,” he manages to say through his gritted teeth. “So, I think we’ll have to skip it.”

“Oh, I have that taken care of,” Mr. Kelley says as he holds up his phone. “This day has been pretty much planned out to the T. I have the song ready to play right here.”

“Are you serious?” Alex mutters.

“You know Liz didn’t like to leave any stone left unturned.” I put my hand out to him and even though I don’t really want to dance with him, there’s no way these ladies are going to let us walk away without a fight. “Come on, I promise I won’t step on your toes like I used to.”

“Yeah right. I should get the Band-Aids ready for my bloody toes.” He crosses his arms, glancing at my proffered hand.

“I’ve gotten a lot better over the years, you’ll see.” I give him a weak smile. Just another thing he doesn’t know about the new me.

“Fine.” Alex takes my hand and thrusts me into his chest.

“It’s always good when you two just listen and do as you’re told,” Ms. Gandy chimes as Kelley pushes play on his phone. The familiar chords of Extreme’s “More Than Words” float through the air.

Liz hit it right in the bullseye with this song. Thanks to Deacon I didn’t go to my senior prom. He’d told me if I did, there would be consequences. And it wasn’t like anyone was asking to go with me. Kathleen was going to stay home with me, but I couldn’t have her miss such a memorable night because of me. I was ready to settle to spend my night in my room with my bottle of Captain and a tub of ice cream when Alex came back home with a corsage, took me to the living room, and we had our own prom. That’s the day he went from big brother to the guy I crushed on. He risked bloody toes for me and danced with me most of the night because he wanted to make me happy. And it was this song that Liz taped for me of us dancing that I would watch over and over again. I’m shocked she remembered.

I start to lose it. Heavy, silent tears roll down my cheeks as the memory consumes me.

Alex cups my chin and runs his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the fallen tears, then brings them across my lips for me to ‘kiss it away.’ It was something he used to do when we were young to comfort me. I’m not sure if he’s doing this subconsciously, or if he knows what he is doing. Either way, it’s nice to know my Alex is still alive under all the walls he has built up around him. His light dimly burning.

My lips pucker against his thumb and his eyes darken. He shakes his head and yanks his hand away. “Why are you crying? It’s just a song.”

It’s so much more than the song.

It’s all the memories. The lyrics. Him.

“Yeah, it’s just a song.” I sigh and rest my head on his chest. An action I don’t even think anything of till he stiffens under me. I lift my head and give him a faint smile to say my wordless apology.

Maggie and Mr. Kelley shuffle up beside us with their arms tightly around each other, as they sway along to the song.

“Say something nice to her,” I hear Maggie whisper beside him, and then she shoves him closer to me.

I giggle softly to myself as the couple dance away. “Don't worry about it. I would hate for you to give yourself an aneurysm trying to think of something to compliment me with.”

“You do…” he clears his throat roughly as his eyes run over my body, “though.”

“I do, what?”

“Look nice.”

Simple, yet maybe the nicest thing I'll hear from him…all year.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.” I always liked the way he looked in a suit, but what got me going was how his ass looked in a pair of Levi’s.

The song ends and Alex pushes back, away from me, and yanks on his tie, loosening it. I wonder if the compliment he gave me actually is killing him.

“I think it's time to eat. Don’t you think? What's a wedding without food?”

Everyone has left and it’s just me and Alex once again. I picture most brides, after the guests have left, would be whisked away to the bedroom by their new husbands, be made love to, and if they were lucky, scream down the walls with toe curling orgasms. This bride gets to stand in complete silence as she watches her husband shove bite after bite of Maggie’s double chocolate cake in his mouth. His eyes light up with every bite. At least he’s happy with the food.

“I’m guessing you like the cake?” I mumble and push around my piece. I only managed to swallow a couple of bites due to the permanent giant knot in my stomach. Though it tasted like gooey chocolate heaven and childhood.

“Like?” He rolls his eyes