A Beautiful Lie
Chapter 9
“You may kiss the bride.”
Jared and Tam beamed at each other through their tears; Jared’s arms slid around Tam’s waist as hers wrapped around his neck, and the two kissed deeply, oblivious to everything around them. Finally their lips parted, but their bodies stayed close against each other. “I love you,” Jared breathed, his face inches from Tam’s.
Tam raised her eyebrows, “Really? I never knew.” They laughed and kissed again, then made their way back down the aisle and out of the church to find rain pouring from the sky.
Tam and Jared grinned at each other, silently agreeing on the only sane thing to do in this situation; they ran out from the shelter of the church, right into the rain. Now they cheered as they danced around and splashed each other, very soon becoming drenched, but not caring. They were children again at that moment, full of the joys of life. When the limo arrived to take them back to their new house, they jumped in and held each other weakly, breathless with laughter. “Sorry about this, mate,” Jared gasped, wiping streaming eyes as he leaned forward to the driver, indicating the now wet and muddy passenger area. “We’ll pay for you to get it cleaned.” He looked back around to Tam, who was now shivering, and surrendered his suit jacket, holding his wife curled up against him as the limo drove away.
That night at the reception, after all the formalities had been taken care of, Jared found Shannon sitting at a small table, talking to an old friend of Tam’s. He’d obviously drunk a lot of champagne throughout the night, grabbing Jared’s arm and pulling him over. “Jay, bro! This is Lizzy she’s co sool… I mean so cool, haha!”
Jared gave Tam’s friend a small nod and a smile before turning back to Shannon, “Can I have a word?” He led Shannon to a deserted corner of the hall, away from most of the other guests. “Shan, you can’t keep doing this-”
“Doing what? I’m fine. I’m fucking great. It’s your night, bro, with your woman. Fucking loosen up a bit.”
Jared stared. He had just detected a tone in Shannon’s voice that he’d never heard directed at him before. “You’re jealous. Of Tam and I. You are, I can see it…”
“Well, pretty hard not to be.” Shannon swayed, and Jared grabbed his shoulder, still staring in disbelief. “I mean, this was supposed to be me, wasn’t it? Me and Penne. But she’s not here anymore, is she? Now you’re the one married, and I have no one.” Shannon seemed positively insane, eyes bulging as he looked unfocusedly at Jared. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m fucking on top of the world. Just be grateful, because not everyone here has it all.” He stormed away, back to Lizzy, and Jared didn’t stop him; he stood frozen in place until Tam came over and, seeing his face, took him outside the building to get some air.
There, Jared broke down, relaying Shannon’s words to Tam in between sobs as she held him close. She had watched him worry about Shannon for months now, and it was certainly depressing, sometimes even becoming slightly boring as Jared discussed his brother obsessively. When he finished, she sighed and said, “Honey, I know Shan’s your brother and you care about him heaps and that’s great, but I think you need to just let him deal with what’s going on in his head and not worry so much about him.” Jared tried to interrupt, and Tam shook her head, putting a hand over his lips. “Just let me finish hon. Shan’s obviously still having problems accepting what happened, we can all see that. But I think what he really needs right now is someone to go along with him and support him. You worry too much and it means that you can’t move on either, which isn’t fair on anyone. So can you please try not to think about it so much, sweetie?” Jared hesitated. “If not for anything else, do it for me.”
Jared then nodded, whispered, “Ok,” and leaned against Tam for a few seconds. She saw how tired he was and announced that they were leaving.
Back at their place, Tam finally turned out the light and crawled into bed next to Jared. All up it had been a great day, even with the minor hiccup at the end. She snuggled up next to her husband and whispered, “Night baby, have a good sleep. I love you.”
Jared looked into her eyes, which were sparkling in the moonlight. “I love you too, Mrs Leto.” They smiled and kissed. “Sleep tight.”
Jared and Tam beamed at each other through their tears; Jared’s arms slid around Tam’s waist as hers wrapped around his neck, and the two kissed deeply, oblivious to everything around them. Finally their lips parted, but their bodies stayed close against each other. “I love you,” Jared breathed, his face inches from Tam’s.
Tam raised her eyebrows, “Really? I never knew.” They laughed and kissed again, then made their way back down the aisle and out of the church to find rain pouring from the sky.
Tam and Jared grinned at each other, silently agreeing on the only sane thing to do in this situation; they ran out from the shelter of the church, right into the rain. Now they cheered as they danced around and splashed each other, very soon becoming drenched, but not caring. They were children again at that moment, full of the joys of life. When the limo arrived to take them back to their new house, they jumped in and held each other weakly, breathless with laughter. “Sorry about this, mate,” Jared gasped, wiping streaming eyes as he leaned forward to the driver, indicating the now wet and muddy passenger area. “We’ll pay for you to get it cleaned.” He looked back around to Tam, who was now shivering, and surrendered his suit jacket, holding his wife curled up against him as the limo drove away.
That night at the reception, after all the formalities had been taken care of, Jared found Shannon sitting at a small table, talking to an old friend of Tam’s. He’d obviously drunk a lot of champagne throughout the night, grabbing Jared’s arm and pulling him over. “Jay, bro! This is Lizzy she’s co sool… I mean so cool, haha!”
Jared gave Tam’s friend a small nod and a smile before turning back to Shannon, “Can I have a word?” He led Shannon to a deserted corner of the hall, away from most of the other guests. “Shan, you can’t keep doing this-”
“Doing what? I’m fine. I’m fucking great. It’s your night, bro, with your woman. Fucking loosen up a bit.”
Jared stared. He had just detected a tone in Shannon’s voice that he’d never heard directed at him before. “You’re jealous. Of Tam and I. You are, I can see it…”
“Well, pretty hard not to be.” Shannon swayed, and Jared grabbed his shoulder, still staring in disbelief. “I mean, this was supposed to be me, wasn’t it? Me and Penne. But she’s not here anymore, is she? Now you’re the one married, and I have no one.” Shannon seemed positively insane, eyes bulging as he looked unfocusedly at Jared. “Oh, I’m fine. I’m fucking on top of the world. Just be grateful, because not everyone here has it all.” He stormed away, back to Lizzy, and Jared didn’t stop him; he stood frozen in place until Tam came over and, seeing his face, took him outside the building to get some air.
There, Jared broke down, relaying Shannon’s words to Tam in between sobs as she held him close. She had watched him worry about Shannon for months now, and it was certainly depressing, sometimes even becoming slightly boring as Jared discussed his brother obsessively. When he finished, she sighed and said, “Honey, I know Shan’s your brother and you care about him heaps and that’s great, but I think you need to just let him deal with what’s going on in his head and not worry so much about him.” Jared tried to interrupt, and Tam shook her head, putting a hand over his lips. “Just let me finish hon. Shan’s obviously still having problems accepting what happened, we can all see that. But I think what he really needs right now is someone to go along with him and support him. You worry too much and it means that you can’t move on either, which isn’t fair on anyone. So can you please try not to think about it so much, sweetie?” Jared hesitated. “If not for anything else, do it for me.”
Jared then nodded, whispered, “Ok,” and leaned against Tam for a few seconds. She saw how tired he was and announced that they were leaving.
Back at their place, Tam finally turned out the light and crawled into bed next to Jared. All up it had been a great day, even with the minor hiccup at the end. She snuggled up next to her husband and whispered, “Night baby, have a good sleep. I love you.”
Jared looked into her eyes, which were sparkling in the moonlight. “I love you too, Mrs Leto.” They smiled and kissed. “Sleep tight.”