Sweet Addiction (27 page)

“Yeah well its fine
now. They caught the psycho that did it and there wasn’t any permanent damage.”
Heather was apprehended by the police a few weeks after the break in. Her
prints matched the ones on the brick and she admitted to everything, getting
charged with breaking and entering and also getting moved out of the city by
her parents. Juls had relayed the information from Ian when he found out about
it.

“So, any man in your
life or have I finally caught up with you when you’re single?” I smile sweetly
at Tony but shake my head. He is definitely not my type and even if he was, I
have no interest in dating anybody right now. Especially when the man that
broke me is sitting no more than ten feet away from me, continually staring at
my profile.

“Oh please, like you
could even handle me,” I playfully respond and he nods in agreement. “It was
good to see you. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” I turn to go back around
the table but see a major pile up of bodies at the end I want to walk down and
grunt as I have to make my way towards the other end. I walk behind Trent and
Billy’s chairs, giving them both smiles as I quickly push past Reese’s and feel
his hand grip my elbow, halting me to his side.

“What the fuck was
that?” he growls up at me.

I snatch my arm out of
his hand and scowl back down at him. “What the fuck was what?”

“You know what. Are you
seriously going to blatantly flirt in front of me? Is that how this shit is
going to play out?”
Is he serious? I am in no mood for any Reese style
tirade and this is definitely not the place for it.

I bend lower to get my
face nice and close to his and see him back up a bit. “You think
that
was flirting? I’ve known Tony for ten years; he’s like a brother to me. But if
I
did
want to flirt with him, it wouldn’t be any of your God damned
business now would it?” My tone is clipped and I’m fuming, feeling Ian move
quickly out of his seat.

“Okay. Wow, that didn’t
take long. Umm, Dylan, why don’t you go over to your seat, and Reese, just calm
the fuck down, man.” Ian ushers me past Juls. I quickly pull out my chair and
plant myself down in it, glaring over in his direction as Reese narrows his
eyes at me.

“Jesus, what the hell
was that?” Juls asks as Joey leans in.

“Actually, I’m
surprised it didn’t happen sooner. I had money on you kicking him in the nuts
at the church,” he adds. I wave my hands at both of them to back them off me.

“Nothing. He accused me
of flirting with Tony. Fucking prick,” I say through clenched teeth. I was
definitely not flirting with him. I’ve never seen Tony as anything other than
an acquaintance, even though he’s asked me out more times than I can count. My
eyes glance down the table and I see Ian leaning in and talking to a tense
looking Reese.
Ugh. Stupid men.

“You and Tony? That’s
fucking hilarious,” Juls says and continues cutting up her chicken. “And even
if you were, he has no right to act like that.”

“I know,” I agree
loudly and get quickly shushed. “Acting all holier than thou. I’m sure he
waited a whole five seconds before he threw another girl into his bed after I
left it.” I shove a piece of chicken in my mouth and start chewing as Brooke
leans across Joey’s lap.

“I heard him tell you
that you looked beautiful. That was really sweet,” she whispers and earns
herself the evil eye from all three of us.

“Shut up, Brooke,” we
all say in unison as we continue eating our meals. I don’t look down the table
again for the rest of the night and keep my conversations with anyone other
than Juls and Joey to a minimum. This evening has been exhausting and I’m
emotionally drained and unsure how the hell I’m going to handle tomorrow. I’m
reassured that I’ll only really have to deal with Reese during the ceremony and
that once we’re at the reception, I can stay as far away from him as I’d like.
But it’s the mere fact that we’ll once again be at a wedding together, where
this whole fucked up situation started that is going to have me in knots. I
need to focus on making sure that everything runs smoothly for Juls so that’s
what I’ll do. It’s my job as her maid of honor and it will keep my mind off
unwanted memories of falling into laps and bathroom sex romps. Speaking of
bathrooms, I plan on avoiding the ones tomorrow at all costs.

Juls and Ian’s big day
has finally arrived and miraculously, everything is running smoothly. I got up
early and delivered the cake with Joey to the reception hall before we headed
over to the bridal suite where we are all currently getting ready. Juls is
glowing, Joey is routinely sneaking out to get a peek at the men who are
dressing at the other end of the church and Brooke is completely sober and has
her wits about her. After slipping into my stunning chocolate brown floor
length strapless dress, I help Juls into hers along with her mother.

“Oh, sweetheart. This
dress,” Mrs. Wicks says, tears filling her freshly painted eyes as I try to
hold mine back. My makeup is looking pristine and fabulous and I have no desire
to ruin it with unwanted tears. We finish buttoning her up and step back. She’s
stunning, absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown and I bite my lip to hold my
emotions in.

“Damn, Juls. I have
money on Ian losing his mind when he sees you at the end of the aisle,” Brooke
says as she smooth’s out her dress. Joey comes bustling back into the suite and
drops his jaw on the floor.

“Holy fuck. You look
amazing.”

“Joseph! You’re in a
church,” Mrs. Wicks sternly informs him, both hands flying up to her hips.
“Easy on the language today please. And that goes for all four of you.
Especially you, Dylan.” She flicks her daggers at me.

“Me? Please, I’m such a
lady.” I shrug and catch a wink from Juls in the mirror as the suite door
swings open again, this time revealing a very handsome and slightly nervous
looking Mr. Wicks.

“Oh my. Darling, you
look so beautiful.” He moves and stands in front of Juls, grabbing both of her
hands in his and pulling her off her stool. “That’s it, weddings off. You’re
too pretty for that man.”

“Daddy,” she says
through a huge smile and he softens in front of her. I move up to the mirror
and take a good look at myself as they exchange a private father-daughter
moment, Joey joining me at my side. My hair is pinned up into an elegant twist;
a few pieces pulled out and tucked behind my ears that are adorned with the
amber stud earrings Juls gifted us with this morning. My makeup is
sophisticated but subtle, a light dusting of rose lip gloss that I’m somehow
managing to pull off without looking like I belong on a street corner, and my
dress is perfect, hugging me across my chest and showing a classy amount of
cleavage if there ever was such a thing. I feel Joey’s hand on my lower back.

“Look at us. We almost
look
too
good for this wedding. I’m afraid we might just upstage the
bride,” he whispers as we both glance over at Juls who is hugging her father.

“Not a chance,” I say
and he nods in agreement. Mr. Wicks backs away from his daughter and turns
towards all of us.

“It’s time people.
Let’s move this along before I lock my daughter in this room and refuse to let
Ian have her.” We all giggle at his comment, hearing the hint of seriousness in
his tone as we file out of the bridal suite and down the back staircase that
leads towards a hidden area where we’re supposed to line up. I haven’t seen the
inside of the church since we arrived here hours ago and I’m a bit nervous at
the number of people in attendance who will be watching me walk up the aisle.
My heels are insanely high, dark brown sling backs that I’ve scuffed the
bottoms of to prevent any major slip up. But I’m still nervous about walking in
them. Karma could easily give me a right shove in the back and send me falling
flat on my face given the amount of hate she’s shown me lately.
All this
animosity. And for what? Because I fell in love with a man that only cared
about fucking me? Nice Karma. Way to stick with your fellow woman.

We line up in order
behind the double mahogany doors and wait patiently for them to open, the soft
sound of violins streaming through the air. Another decision on Ian’s part. The
man apparently loves classical music. I clutch my beautiful bouquet in my hands,
grateful to have something to hold on to as the doors slowly open in front of
Brooke. My view is blocked entirely by Joey’s massive frame but I feel him, I
always feel him. And I know that as soon as I start walking, my eyes are going
to lock on to his and I’m going to give into it.
Whatever.
I just have
one more day to endure and then I can go back to my shitty life. I turn around
and spot Juls who is smiling at me, eyes gleaming and hand tightly looped
through her father’s arm. I give her a quick wink before I turn slowly and step
forward, seeing Joey make his way towards the middle pews. It’s now my cue to
start walking, but I can’t. My eyes have locked on to the most glorious sight
I’ve ever seen and he’s standing, waiting for me at the front of the altar in a
tux.
Holy fucking shit.

I know I’m supposed to
be moving; I’ve walked up this aisle before. I just accomplished the feat last
night. But I’m stuck. My two feet won’t budge an inch and I hear the muffled
voices of people around me wondering what the hell is going on. Joey is up at
the front, motioning for me to start moving and Brooke is trying desperately
not to crack up laughing. Meanwhile, Reese is staring at me, eyes burning into
mine and I’m melting on the spot. I’ve never seen him look this handsome before
and I’m suddenly regretting everything. The break up, the fact that I agreed to
be a part of this wedding, the shirt I kept. Everything. I force out a shaky
breath and glance quickly back at Juls who is trying to remain calm but coming apart
slowly. Her father is staring at me and looks unsure what to do as I clutch my
bouquet tightly and shut my eyes.
Jesus Christ, Dylan. You need to move.
Just start walking and you’ll be up there before you know it.
I shake my
head and open my eyes, and if I was unable to breathe before I closed them,
I’ve completely forgotten how to work my lungs now. Reese is making his way
down the aisle towards me, purpose in each step and eyes glued on mine as
everyone watches him and who he’s walking towards. My lips part and I shift on
my feet as he reaches my side, grabbing my hand and looping it through his arm.
And without saying a word, he begins walking me up the aisle, earning a few
sounds of amusement from the crowd and smiling politely at them. I’m deposited
on my step and he drops my hand, leaving an emptiness inside me as he returns
to his place across from me. Our eyes meet briefly and I smile weakly at him,
seeing his lip curl up slightly as the wedding march song begins to play.

The rest of the
ceremony plays out the way it’s supposed to. Rings and vows are exchanged, and
I keep my eyes on the bride and groom who haven’t broken contact since Juls
hurriedly reached Ian at the front of the altar. I manage to only shed a few
tears but quickly wipe them away before my makeup is affected. And as the
preacher announces to the congregation Juls’ official title as Mrs. Ian Thomas,
they kiss and everyone stands and cheers. Ian showers her with affection as
they begin their walk towards the back of the church and I move to stand next
to Reese who is already waiting and watching me. Always watching. We follow the
bride and groom to the doors, not exchanging any words this time, even though I
wanted to at least thank him for what he did earlier. I’m not sure I would have
made it up to my place on the altar had he not come and gotten me. I quickly
release my hand from his arm when we reach the bride and groom and wrap Juls up
into a massive hug.

“You’re married,” I
squeal. Joey and Brooke come scurrying up behind us and wrap their arms around
me and Juls.

“I know. And now, we
get to go parrttaaayyy.” I release her with a giggle and turn around, walking
over to Ian and giving him a big hug.

“You hurt her and I’ll
cut you up into tiny pieces and bury you throughout the city.” He lifts me up
and spins me around, a muffled laugh escaping his lips. Trent, Billy, and Reese
are all watching and I hear laughs coming from them after my declaration.

He sets me down gently.
“Oh don’t I know it. I’m well aware of your capabilities, Dylan. Even though
you sometimes manage to forget how to walk.” He smirks at me and I roll my
eyes. I don’t linger with him since Reese is at his side, chatting it up with
the other groomsmen. And after Ian and Juls walk down the church steps through
a cloud of tiny bubbles, we all pile into a stretch limo and head over towards
the reception hall.

**

The hall is beautiful,
immaculately decked out in fall colors and everything to Juls’ liking. It’s
also massive and probably close to the size of the Whitmore Mansion which pulls
at my heart strings a bit. But it’s somehow classier because if Julianna Thomas
is anything, it’s classy. I’m doing my best to keep some distance between Reese
and myself as we all stand cramped inside a small room, waiting for the guests
to make their way into the hall so that we can all be introduced together. And
that part, I fear is what I’ve been dreading the most. Reese and I will be
publicly announced together as best man and maid of honor in front of everyone
and we’ll have to make our way through the crowd and onto the dance floor, all
eyes on us. This just might kill me.

“Alright, everyone,
line up. The DJ is about to make your introductions so pair up with your person
and let’s get this party started,” the chipper older woman that had ushered us
into the room says. I mumble a curse under my breath as we make our way towards
the double doors, taking my place behind Billy and Joey who are all over each
other.

“You two make we want
to vomit,” I say as Reese steps up beside me, grabbing my attention
immediately. His scent is intoxicating, and I almost stumble as it fills the
air around me. I shake my head quickly and regroup.

“Don’t hate, Dylan.
It’s not a good look on you,” Billy says through a teasing smile.

“And why the fuck can’t
you be single? Damn it, Trent,” Brooke grunts ahead of us and I buckle over in
giggles. She’s been hitting on poor Trent all night and he hasn’t paid her any
mind. It’s really perfect considering the way she’s behaved the past several
days. “Ugh. Reese, switch with Trent.” She turns back towards us and my body
stiffens, but Reese doesn’t react at all. Billy and Joey make wide eyes at me.

“Brooke, turn your
fucking ass around right now before I cut you,” I growl at her and feel Reese’s
jacket shake against my arm as he tries to muffle his laughs. Billy and Joey
crack up in front of me and Trent shakes his head in amusement.

“God, I’ve missed you.”
The voice next to me makes me go completely rigid, as do Billy and Joey who
turn around quickly. “Oh, um, sorry I didn’t… fuck.” My eyes meet his briefly
and before I can even think of a reaction to that, the doors swing open and the
DJ begins announcing the wedding party. Brooke and Trent, followed by Joey and
Billy are sent through as Reese and I move up and he slips my hand through his
arm. My breathing is irregular, I’m nervous as hell, and he can sense it.
“Dylan, relax. I’ve got you.” I open my mouth to tell him to
stop
getting me when the DJ comes through the speaker system.

“And now please give a
warm welcome to our lovely maid of honor, Dylan Sparks and her handsome escort,
the best man, Reese Carroll.”

Cheers and whistles
fill the room as I’m practically dragged behind Reese. We pass a table of women
who hoot and holler at him and he gives them his perfect smile as we walk
towards the dance floor. “Jesus Christ,” I mutter under my breath at them and
feel his soft laugh shake against my body. We stand next to Joey and Billy and
watch as Ian and Juls are announced, my hand removed from his arm to allow me
to clap along with the crowd of people as they walk joyously into the hall.
They stop in the center of the dance floor and begin their first dance as
husband and wife. The wedding party moves about, talking amongst themselves and
I glance over and see Reese make his way towards a table where a dark headed
woman is sitting, her eyes beaming at him. She stands and practically hurls
herself up into his arms and he wraps her up, planting kisses into her hair and
I immediately turn away.
Shit. Are you serious right now? He brought a
fucking date?
The sound of the song is blurred out around me as I move
towards Joey and yank him away from Billy, pulling him towards the opposite end
of the dance floor.

“Jesus, what?” he asks
as I finally let go of his jacket. I’m shaking and he eyes up my appearance,
his hand coming up to grab my bare shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“He brought a date. A
fucking date, Joey. I was
not
expecting that.” My chest is rising and
falling rapidly and I feel like I might just pass out right here in the middle
of this thing. I see his eyes search across the dance floor and spot Reese, who
is talking closely with the young and very attractive woman.

“Fuck. That’s so not
cool. Want me to say something? I can throw his ass out of here. Or hers if you
want.”

“Oh please, like you
would stand a chance against Reese. But her, maybe.” He narrows his eyes at me
and makes a face. “Fuck, this is awful. He’s all over her. I figured Brooke
would be the only bitch I’d be fighting today.” The soft song dies down and
everyone is told to take their seats so that the meal can be served. I make an
obscene gesture in the direction of Reese who is none the wiser as I walk up to
the bridal party table and take my seat next to Juls.

I’m quiet during the
meal, my only words to Juls being that I’m so happy for her and that she looks
radiant. I pick at the food on my plate and keep finding myself glancing over
at the table that Reese had been hovering over during the first dance. The
woman is young, probably close to my age and has dark brown curly hair that
falls just above her shoulders. She’s talking amongst the other guests at her
table and having a blast, while my mind is eyeing up my utensils and deciding
which weapon of choice I’d like to use on her if I get the chance. But really,
is it her fault that he asked her here as his date? She probably doesn’t know
about me, let alone the history we share. She’s an innocent bystander that he’s
dragged into this mess like a complete fucking asshole. I’m gripping my knife
tightly in my fist and feel Joey pry it out of my grasp, quickly putting it far
away from me.