Knowing that, it left Jax free to think about his own future. As the minister talked about the usual wedding stuff in the background, Jax studied the maid of honor.
Her eyes were trained on the minister. She appeared to be listening intently with a sweet grin on her face. But Jax knew better. Her eyes were unfocused. Her body was tense, grasping her bouquet in front of her like a shield, and the lines of her smile were tight, forced.
Someone said something about rings and Jackson retrieved them from his pocket and dutifully placed them in Reid’s hand before his attention swung back to Vanessa again.
He could see the thoughts kicking up a storm in her mind, creating more pain, more doubt. Knowing he had any part of that felt like a hot knife twisting in his gut. He wanted more than anything in the world to kiss the tension away in that smile. To do whatever it took to make her happy, today and every day, for the rest of her life.
Hearing Lucie start her vows pulled Jax out of his ruminations.
“Reid,” she said, her eyes already brimming with unshed tears as she pushed the ring onto his finger. “I promise to continue trying to see myself as you see me, no matter how blinded by love I think you are.”
“I’ve got better than twenty-twenty vision when it comes to you, sweetheart.”
“Reid, you can’t interrupt my vows!”
“Sorry, Lu. Go on.” He winked and gave her a smile that said he wasn’t sorry at all.
The guests chuckled and Lucie did a horrible job of looking stern. A moment later she gave up, smiled, and continued.
“I promise to always rub the kinks out of your hands when you spend too many hours on a new drawing or sculpture. I promise to never let you forget how talented you are and to always support your dreams. Whether it’s just to create things for our home or to sell pieces in your own gallery someday. But most of all…I promise to cherish, honor, and love you with all that I am, from this day forward, until my very last breath.”
“Luce,” Reid began as he slowly slid her ring on. “I promise to stop cracking jokes about rubbing kinks out of other places when you’re trying to help with my cramped hands.” Lucie turned about ten shades of red and this time everyone straight-up laughed. “I promise to never let you flirt with another waiter for as long as I live.”
“You made me—”
He shushed her and pressed a finger against her lips. “No interrupting, remember?” Lucie released an exasperated sigh. Jax was finding the whole thing amusing as hell. He’d only seen their unique and playful relationship as a couple for a short time before this. If Lucie had thought Reid would forgo the teasing during their wedding, she’d been sadly mistaken. Though, from the twinkle in his sister’s eyes, he didn’t think she’d expected anything less than business as usual.
But then Reid sobered and lifted her right hand, placing it over his heart. The onlookers quieted and even the sea breeze felt more serious as it tousled Lucie’s curls.
“I promise that someday you will shed every last one of your insecurities and finally see yourself as not only I see you but as the entire world sees you. I promise to never take your love for granted and to show you every day how very thankful I am to have you in my life. But most of all…I promise to cherish, honor, and love you with all that I am, from this day forward, until my very last breath.”
Tears flowed unchecked over Lucie’s cheeks, and as soon as they were announced as husband and wife, Reid gathered his bride up and kissed her like she was the breath of life, which was probably how his friend felt.
He could relate.
Now more than ever, Jackson knew how much he truly loved Vanessa. He wanted with her what Reid had with Lucie. A life together. A forever.
He couldn’t tell her any of that now. But soon he would. Very soon.
…
Vanessa knew that everything looked stunning, that the food was exquisite and the cake was like little bites of heaven. After all, she’d been the one to choose all of it during her many meetings with Robért. But that was the only reason she knew it. Nothing seemed to quite come into focus, and she couldn’t remember what any of the five courses tasted like.
From the moment she saw Jackson, she felt as though she’d been underwater. The world around her looked wavy, the conversations were muted and unclear, and no matter how hard she tried, she could never move fast enough to get away.