"That was fast." He said. Mom nodded.
"Lilah's dress was simple enough as is, and with a face like hers, it's really easy to put too much makeup. She has such a natural beauty that all you need is a few basics to help draw it out. You can't improve something that's already perfect."
Of course, I didn't hear a single word that Mom had said. That was because the entire world went silent when Lilah walked through the doorway.
The first thing I noticed were her eyes, but that was a given. This morning, they had looked so conflicted. She kept her cocky grin, but I would catch more than a few glimpses. In my peripherals, when she thought I wasn't looking, her smile would fade. The glimmer in her eyes dimmed. She would look so distant. All of it just proved that last night was a mistake. Even though she was the one who initiated, I made the fuck-up and ruined everything. Like her analogy, she really was just finding the fastest and easiest way to eat the steaming shit that was this weekend.
Right now, there was zero hint of that trepidation. Her mahogany irises gleamed with confidence as they met mine with a smile. The corners of her eyes were accentuated just the tiniest amount with a shaded seam that solidified the line where it met the lightly darkened skin of her face. When she blinked, her eyelids were dusted in a way that made her cocoa tone a shade lighter- a visual disparity that only lasted a moment yet drew my gaze right back to her eyes when they reopened.
Somehow, her adorable freckles seemed to be even more prominent. They dotted her cheeks and her nose like someone spraypainted her face with melted chocolate, trailing down to lips that were just a single shade lighter than normal. In fact, the lipstick was so incredibly close to her own natural tone that I would never have been able to tell the difference if we hadn't spent so much time kissing yesterday.
Her hair was loose like it normally was, but the natural curls seemed less like the 'bedhead' she never bothered to manage. Now, her luscious locks swept around her face like an onyx curtain, framing the perfect picture until they came to rest just atop her shoulders. It was shaggy, like a wolf cut, but in such a defined and regal way that it could only have been done deliberately by Mom's hand. I could faintly see a twinkling of metal through her hair. When black strands shifted, they revealed tiny earrings that were barely more than the studs she rarely wore, but these ones sparkled like diamonds.
Overall, she looked exactly the same, but just... more. Everything that I thought was beautiful about her, which was everything, was simply accentuated by that small amount. Nothing was covered. Nothing was hidden. It was just Lilah in every way that mattered but with an added air of perfection and formality that had not been present so far.
Her dress was one that I had never seen her wear before. That wasn't much of a surprise, since I had never seen Lilah wear any dress, period. Not even for prom. She had shown up in her hoodie and jeans, loaded a huge container to the brim with anything she could scrounge up from the buffet, stole one of the bottles of soda, then went home. She hadn't even bought a ticket. Not that I minded- I had been the one driving the getaway car.
Today though, Lilah was no longer adorned in her casual attire. Now it was a dark blue dress that was plain to the eye, but no less phenomenal. It wrapped around her collarbone into a very, very shallow v-neck, with sleeves that went to her elbows. It was taught around her chest and stomach, past her waist, and all the way to the tops of her hips where it opened up just a little into a simple skirt that ended level with her knees.
The only particularly eye-catching parts of her outfit was an almost-wire-thin chain of silver hanging around her neck, perhaps an inch above the collar of her dress, off of which hung a small pendant shaped like a crescent moon. Partnered with that was a bracelet on her right wrist of an almost-identical design, but set with multiple dangling stars instead of a moon, each of which was glittering as they shifted in the light.
Lastly was her shoes. They were... well-
Shoes.
She had on a pair of small black socks, but it was not any form of dress shoes covering her feet. Instead, they were her normal, moderately-weathered, black canvas sneakers. Still, it didn't take anything away from the image of beauty in front of me. If anything, it only made sure to confirm that this was not a different person. This was the same Lilah who broke her arm falling out of a tree while trying to retrieve a frisbee in second grade. This was the same Lilah who figured out a way to crack open combination locks in high school and started anonymously leaving pictures of Shrek in random people's lockers- and even the principal's office.
This was the same Lilah who clenched around my fingers last night when overcome by the pleasure of her climax.
I didn't realise my jaw was on the floor until Lilah had walked forward and picked it up to stick it back in place.
"Make sure you get a good look, because I'm never wearing this again." She smirked through every word. Mom shook her head with a smile.
"If that was the case, you could have at least worn heels."
"I'd rather cover my feet in jelly and step into the middle of an ant nest. Not to mention, Henry's the one who should be wearing heels."
Somehow I managed words. "You're like... a quarter of an inch taller than me."
"And don't you fucking forget it, Napoleon." Her face was beaming. She seemed so hesitant this morning, but I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. I thought that having her be my 'girlfriend' for two days would have been easy after our agreement, but last night threw a Lilah-sized wrench into everything. It wasn't even what we did to each other that made my heart so weak- it was just the memory of the way she looked at me. Obviously, what happened had affected her just as much, if not more. She had tried to play it off, and I was never good at reading her tells, but this morning was sloppy at best. Hellen Keller could figure out that something was wrong.
All of that was completely gone- wiped off the face of the planet. Her smiling, confident mask was back up in full force. I had absolutely no clue whether it was a good thing or not that I couldn't figure out what Lilah was thinking. I couldn't even tell if the way she leaned forward and kissed my nose was genuine, like our previous cuddling, or whether it was just a fabrication of the act. Lilah lifted either end of the tie dangling from my shoulders.
"I see you and Gary are going for a 'bachelor party' look."
Gary chuckled and stepped closer to Mom. "I tried, but it's been so long since I tied one of these."
She raised an eyebrow but stepped closer and took Gary's tie from his hand. "Hmph. You're lucky I'm here, then."
"In more ways than that..." Gary mumbled, and both of them smiled as Mom began expertly assembling a... windsor knot?... around Gary's neck. When she was finished, her hands lingered for a little bit too long on Gary's chest before she pulled away and cleared her throat. Once again, she rubbed the back of her neck which made me smile.
"Alright Henry, your turn."
In a matter of moments, Mom was backing away after gently tightening the knot and folding down my collar. Lilah whistled.
"Like a teeny-tiny secret agent."
"Oh shut up."
All of us laughed.
Fitting perfectly into Mom's scheduled plan, we arrived at the venue at almost exactly ten-o-clock. Nine fifty-seven, to be precise. The parking lot was almost empty, which none of us were surprised about. Still, there were a few cars, and only a couple more faces walking around the venue. Most of it was an outdoor garden of sorts that wrapped around a large central building that obviously served as a large-scale dining room. Almost everyone seemed to be outside at the moment, and Mom seemed to enjoy pointing out the family members who were present and explaining who they were. She was talking to Gary and Lilah mostly, but I made sure to listen in. It had been years since I last saw any of my extended family, and the chances of me remembering any more than a handful were damn near non-existent.
As was to be expected, Mom led the three of us right up into the middle of the venue to greet all the other early arrivals. There was;
Aunt Harriet and Uncle Harry. (which definitely wasn't confusing)
Their daughter Jessa with her fiancé Mark.
Mark's brother Eric with his husband Davis.
My other cousin Tristan who came by himself but was apparently one of the musicians for the wedding.
And last but certainly not least, Uncle Simon.
While the other introductions were short and sweet, Mom marched right up to Uncle Simon and gave him a hug so tight it left visible creases in his suit. It was dark grey like mine. Gary's was the same shade of beige as my mother's dress.
"Patty, it's so good to see you!" Simon was all smiles as they broke their embrace. "I presume you're Gary?"
He extended a hand, which Gary shook firmly. "I am indeed. Patty told you about me?"
"She hasn't shut up about you. Every time she calls she does nothing but talk about how dreamy this guy she met at work is-"
"Simon!" Mom's face turned a shade of scarlet as she rudely smacked him on the shoulder, then hid her face in embarrassment. Simon simply laughed and brushed some of the wrinkles out of his suit.
"When she said that she invited you to the wedding, I knew I had to make sure I met the unfortunate fellow that my sister fell in love with. Simon Jacobs, father of the groom."
Simon's smile was so infectious, neither Gary or I could resist joining in. Though, part of that may have just been due to the fact that Mom was apparently trying her hardest to resemble a strawberry. Gary just wrapped one arm around Mom's waist and let her try to release some humiliation into his chest. Meanwhile, Simon turned to me and opened up for a hug that I reciprocated.
"Henry! It's been a few years. Is the lollipop gang still meeting on Wednesdays?"
"Actually, meetings are on Fridays now. How was the flight? You booked with Receding Airlines, right?"
I grinned, letting loose the jab I had planned. Simon was my favourite of my extended family, for nothing more than the fact that he was always ready to throw out a joke, but even more willing to take it. The fact he was heavily balding despite being only fifty-ish years old only made it easier.
"Yep. Eighty percent off, just like me." He turned his sights onto Lilah and extended a hand. "And just who is this gorgeous young lady?"
"Lilah." She smiled, accepting the handshake. "I'm one of the strippers for the dessert show."
Thankfully, that didn't catch me completely off-guard. I knew Lilah well enough to know that she would catch on to Simon's brand of humour quickly, right before retorting with something to hit him straight in the chest. It worked. He held still for just a moment in an attempt to process what was said before his wicked smile returned.
"I was wondering who hired the entertainment. Where are the others?"
Lilah didn't miss a beat. "Crystal and Brittany are setting up the pole in the dining room, and Jenna's fucking one of the groomsmen in the back of his car-"
Mom coughed loudly, her face still just as red as before. "Lilah is Henry's girlfriend. Not a stripper."
"For $8.99 a minute, I can be either." She grinned. "Ooh, is that the bride?"
We all followed her gaze towards the building, where two people were standing a few feet inside one of the open doorways. They were talking with some of the caterers. One of the pair I recognized- it was Keiran. The cousin that I could confidently say I was closest to out of all of my extended family, despite him being almost ten years older than me, and also the groom of this wedding.
The woman beside him I only knew from pictures. Bailey Trushett- soon-to-be Bailey Jacobs. The silver tint of her elegant wedding dress only served to further accentuate her milky white skin. Adding her bright auburn hair and green eyes so bright I could see them from across the venue, she almost looked like some kind of forest nymph taken directly from a painting about Greek mythology. Considering that Keiran had the same bulbous nose, sagging eyes and rapidly-vanishing hairline as his father, I had no idea how he managed to land someone almost as beautiful as Lilah.
Though, if a girl like that went for a guy like him, then maybe my chances with Lilah were higher than I thought. I hoped.
It was no surprise that Mom led the charge towards the soon-to-be-wedded, despite still being flushed from the entire interaction with Simon. That seemed to be commonstance, since both Keiran and Bailey glanced at her embarrassment, flicked their eyes towards Simon, then gave a simultaneous, smiling sigh. While Mom took charge and hugged Keiran without him having a say in the matter, he offered the rest of us handshakes as his greeting of choice. Bailey, on the other hand, seemed interested in more physical forms of 'hello'. She pulled all four of us into our own individual hugs, one at a time, and only let us introduce ourselves after she had pulled away. When she had finished with my hug and turned to Gary, Lilah grinned and gave a suggestive wink. I could only roll my eyes. Finally, the bride set her sights on Lilah.
"Oh, you are stunning! I love your hair!" Bailey had a faint but distinct accent. Definitely Irish.
"My hair? That braid is gorgeous, and your dress is amazing. Lilah."
The two met into a quick but welcome embrace much like the others. When they broke apart, the redhead's smile was so bright it could light up a billboard. "Bailey. Forgive me for assuming, but are you two...?"
She looked between Lilah and I in a way that clearly voiced her question. Lilah answered by sliding her hand into mine and gently pressing against my side. My heart shuddered like it was the very first time.
From then on, it was almost a blur. The four of us chatted with Bailey and Keiran all about their relationship, and by 'the four of us' I meant 'just Mom'. Gary, Lilah and I mostly sat quietly at the table while we listened to the conversation, all the way until the bride and groom moved off to talk to other new arrivals. We did the same and began intermingling with a lot of the other guests- most I only vaguely recognized.
At one point, Mom and Gary split off from Lilah and I, which was a blessing. That way, the two of us weren't forced to engage in conversation with every single person at the venue. Instead, we were able to enjoy the games that many of the newer arrivals brought with them and socialise that way. Since the entire venue quickly turned into one big party, it wasn't hard.
Lilah and I creamed one of Keiran's college buddies and his girlfriend in a game of lawn darts, but then found ourselves on the exact opposite end of the spectrum after they destroyed us in actual darts. We tried our best at soda pong (which was just beer pong without alcohol), watched Lilah win limbo, and nearly drew blood in a twelve-person game of Spoons. Some girl named Rachel had even brought Cards Against Humanity.
The party stopped for a little bit to allow for the actual ceremony to take place, but it was kept surprisingly brief. Throughout it all, Lilah sat right beside me with her fingers intertwined in mine. Every time I looked over at her, I couldn't believe just how gorgeous she was. Outside in the sunlight, her eyes practically glowed like liquid amber. It made my heart shudder every time, especially when she would return the gaze with a wink or a smile so warm it could melt steel. I didn't even see when Keiran was directed by the officiant to kiss the bride- all I could see was Lilah.
Man, this weekend was certainly fucking me up. That desperate promise I had made myself a few days ago to not fall in love with Lilah was so far in the rear-view mirror it had been run over by the car behind us. I wanted her so badly it was driving a stake through my chest. I pictured us being the ones who walked down the aisle, instead of Keiran and Bailey. I pictured us being the ones signing the marriage documents while holding hands. I pictured us being the ones that were pulled aside for a photoshoot while everyone else continued the party.
"You should consider the possibility that she genuinely wants this as much as you do."
Gary's words rattled around the inside of my head like a nail in a glass jar. Unfortunately, they weren't alone. They were joined by a chorus of screws and bolts forming all of Lilah's sentences, each of which seemed to switch back and forth between whether Lilah actually wanted to be in a relationship.
"Just because we're not actually dating doesn't mean we can't have some fun."
"If you need to eat shit, you don't nibble. Bite, chew, swallow, repeat."
"For now, let's just full-send this bitch and worry about making it through the next forty-eight hours."
"Of course it's weird! We've been best friends since kindergarten!"
"Take the leap."
Every word echoed in the battle to try and understand my friend's intentions. Every action or sentence leading me to believe she wanted this was drowned out by an equal number of statements implying the opposite. Lilah had never been a complicated person, but now it felt like I was trying to do rocket science. Unfortunately, I couldn't even try to get more 'data' because of the wedding. We weren't alone. Anything she did now could just as easily be meant to upkeep the lie in front of everyone else. The only time I would be able to get even a hint of more information would be when we returned to the hotel room.
For now, I just had to made sure my heart could hold out for that long.
What made everything so much worse was the fact that it was almost normal. When the ceremony ended and the party continued, it no longer felt like I was trying to keep up an act. Everything just seemed like I was enjoying a very-formal-yet-equally-fun house party beside my best friend. The only difference, and the only thing making the entire situation a strain was the fact that Lilah never left my side for any reason other than to go to the washroom. She had her hand held in mine at least ninety percent of the time, which prevented me from even attempting to pretend that she was just a friend. Every passing moment, her touch was dragging me further and further underwater. I was drowning.
Still, I couldn't comprehend the thought of letting go.
Lilah breathed softly, head resting in the crook of Henry's neck. The small wooden bench underneath them swayed gently from the tree under which it was hung. Every once in a while, it would creak from the old chains rubbing together. The bench was obviously not meant for actual seating. It was little more than a prop for wedding photos. Despite that, both Henry and Lilah rested against one another, listening to the sound of music and dancing coming from the venue hall and letting the remains of dinner settle in their stomachs.
'Interesting' would be the word Lilah chose to describe dinner. A fancy beef something-or-other served alongside a weird stir-fry using vegetables she'd never even heard of, finished with some kind of gravy that tasted like a mixture between vinegar, barbecue sauce, and plum jelly. The meal was fine, but was also a clear indication to Lilah that the mandatory 'fanciness' for most weddings was a scam. She would have been happy with a Baconator and a side of fries, which was almost certainly a fraction of the price of whatever the hell was being served. Judging by the way that a lot of the other people also looked slightly confused at the opulence of the dishes in front of them, this was definitely a group of 'casual' people brought into a formal setting.