Everyone’s heads turned to Natalie again. Matt darted his eyes between East and his little sister in disbelief. Bridget looked confused. Natalie looked ready to throttle him.
“What?” he asked her. “You don’t like that? Don’t like that I want everyone to know I’m in love with you? That you’re the only person on this damn planet I’m terrified to lose?”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked at him questioningly.
“It’s true, baby. I thought we were risking too much, that it could never work for—for whatever the hell stupid reasons we came up with. But it can.” He glanced at Matt. “I’m in love with your sister, bro. A hundred percent, stupid in love.” He shifted his focus back to Natalie, but he caught a glimpse of Matt turning red and looking like he was going to come out of his seat and murder him. Which he’d deal with later. He’d even take a beating, because yes, he’d lied. But loving Natalie and being honest about it was more important than anything else.
“You’re the only one I want to hang out with,” he said to Natalie. “Which is something I know Matt will understand, because when he was trying to explain this crazy idea of love and commitment and all that, he talked about Bridget like she was the only person that he wanted to be near. Like things were better when she was around. I get it now.” East shook his head. “Even when we’re fighting, and you’re being a pain in the ass, and I’m being a prick, I still would rather spend every annoying minute with you than anywhere else.”
He watched Natalie’s big eyes well up with tears, and he had to pause to clear his throat.
“Love is ridiculous,” he continued. “I mean, think about it. It’s like a really bad drug, a hangover and a high all rolled into one. You get all fidgety for a fix, then it knocks you on your ass, then if you’re real lucky, the woman you happen to be in love with literally knocks you on your ass and laughs as she walks away. Which is good, because some of us”—he adjusted his tie—“have an ego that needs to be kept in check.”
A few more chuckles rang out.
“But sometimes you need to get beat up a bit to realize what you’ve been missing. What’s right in front of your face. Yeah, love sucks. It’s frustrating as hell. But when it’s with the right person, it’s so fucking amazing.”
Everyone laughed, poor Lemon-Anne gasped, and East realized he’d just dropped some cursing in his best man speech.
Fuck it.
“Sorry,” he said a little sheepishly and looked at Lemon-Anne. “I’m just speaking in a way I can relate. It’s clear that Bridget and Matt have that kind of love. It’s something to aspire to. And I can honestly say that I’ve only had one amazing experience in my life…and that is you, Natalie. You’re the reason I’m up here botching this shit speech and pretending I have even half a clue about this love crap, because I don’t. But I want to learn about it with you.”
He raised his glass. “And to Matt, bro, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I love your sister, and I hope you can be cool with that. I’m just doing what you asked, being the best man I can be. Congratulations to you and your lovely bride. Because if love keeps going the way I think it does, the next rest of your life is going to suck so wonderfully you’ll never know what hit you.”
He drank his champagne, and so did everyone else as they clapped. More than a few people looked stunned, and when he walked off the stage, he saw Matt and Natalie get up and head toward him at the same time.
Natalie made it there first.
“Have you lost your mind? What the hell was that?” she hissed.
“My speech,” he said calmly. She was pissed at him, but she was talking to him. So he’d take the win.
“This is Matt’s wedding, and you are such a prick for saying what you said. This isn’t all about you, you jackass.”
“I am a prick and a jackass, but you love me anyway, and it was all true. Besides, I circled back around to Matt and Bridget, just like you said.”
She threw her hands up. “You’re impossible. You think that you can say whatever you want, wherever you want, and that I’m just going to deal with it?”
“No, I think you’ll hand me my ass, like you’re doing right now.”
“Because you’re impossible!”
“Yeah, well, you’re impossible, too,” he countered. “Impossible for me to stop thinking about.”
“That isn’t fair, East,” she said. Her shoulders slumped a little. “Do you have any idea what it’s like loving you? I just want to strangle you and hold you close, and I just want…more. All the time. Just you. Because you have my entire damn heart in your hands and it’s just not fair, East.”
“But you love me?” he said.
She nodded.
“Good. Because I love you, too, and I’m a giant idiot for not saying that sooner. I’ve never trusted anyone like I trust you. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I was just afraid of losing you.”
He glanced at Michelle in thanks for that gem of realization, and she smiled.
“Well, that’s dumb,” Natalie said. “Like I would ever leave you.”