I Love You

Her fingers ran the thick, white substance through her hair. The foam making small popping sounds as she styled her hair back, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail. She made sure that every strand was in place as she began to position little fake gems into her hair, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. She knew that she had to put on a brave face and be the bigger person, sucking up all of her pride to support her best friend. A tear happened to escape from the pool in her eyes and she thanked her lucky stars that she did not do her make up first; her gut feeling proving to be right. How could she go on like this? How could she even feel like this? She asked herself as she finished putting the last little gem in her hair, the lump in her throat threatening to strangle the life out of her. Shakily she put the tweezers down and moved to grab a Kleenex on the side of the vanity. She dabbed at the tear before swallowing, even though it was difficult.

Hastily she stood up and went to the dress that was laid out on her bed. The color bright blue contradicting the dark feelings that were dwelling within her. Her fingers ran over the soft material before she gingerly grasped it, pulling it onto her bra and underwear clad body. The material felt like a whisper in the wind, falling just above her knees and bringing out the deep, rich color of her dark brown eyes.

‘C’mon Rae’ she chided herself, ‘You can do this. He is in love and he is getting married.’

Her hands smoothed the material before she went over to her overnight bag. The room was familiar, but yet it had changed. She had spent a lot of her youth in this room hanging out with him. They had shared their first kisses with each other, something they both were worried about, only trusting each other to not laugh at one another. They went through awkward teen years where she had braces to straighten her teeth and he did too. They had so much in common with one another and she could not have found anyone as perfect as he was. He was someone that she could not stand to lose especially when she hated the one he was to marry. She was conniving and backstabbing, only marrying him for his money but she had known him way before then. She should be the one up there.

Her eyes widened as that thought ran through her head and she could not believe the epiphany she had. Why had it hit her now? It did explain everything she had gone through and everything that she had felt.

“I’m in love with my best friend,” She said out loud as the tears began to gather, her head shaking as she sat down at the vanity.

Rae had to get a hold of herself before the wedding. Her hand shook as those thoughts bounced in her head and she wondered how long it was going to plague her? She did not know but she did her best as she made her face up, looking flawless with the blush, primer, foundation, eye shadow , eye liner, and mascara. Her lashes looked longer by the time she had put the wand back into the base, screwing the lid tight and throwing it back into her bag. She had used bright blue on the lid of her eyes and white in the corners to make her eyes pop and seem wider. Her lashes were fanned out and plumper, the dark really offsetting the white and blending well with the eyeliner lining the bottom of her eye.

“There,” She whispered to herself as a knock echoed through the room, her heart stopping as his voice floated through the door.

“SunRae?” His smooth voice called out.

“Yes Bren Bren?” She spoke using the nickname she had given him years ago.

The door opened, before anything else was said. It was typical of Brendon to act before he thought to ask if she was prepared for him to come in. Slowly, ever so slowly, the door continued to inch it’s way open and he was revealed to her. His tux was form fitting, the tie thin and tied perfectly as it usually is. She watched as he stopped and his eyes widened, his mouth opening as he moved his eyes down her body and back up. The only thing she was missing was the white heels sitting in the corner of his bedroom.

“You look amazing,” he uttered, filling the silence that had overtaken the both of them.

Her cheeks flushed as she smiled at him, thanking her lucky stars that she had some blush on to brighten up her cheeks. Her hands were shaking and she did not know what to do with herself, never having felt this insecure before.

“T-t-thank you,” She finally stuttered out, “you don’t look too bad yourself.”

He chuckled, his smile lighting up his face as he moved to give her a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and took in his spicy cologne. It was the cologne that she had always bought him for his birthday, Christmas or whenever he needed it. The smell was something she loved and it would always remind her of him, no matter how hot the guy wearing it was, or if it was a relative; the scent was associated with him and always will be. It was something she had to get for herself when she would see less and less of him. The worry must have etched itself onto her face because he gave her a look, one that asked her what was wrong. She felt embarrassed and nervous and not even knowing what to say to him. Should she lie and act like everything is okay and go all mushy and sentimental with him?

“I can read you like a book,” he spoke, moving to cup her cheek as she had looked down.

She looked up at him as his hand slowly lifted her chin, her eyes looking away from him. She did not know what to do and she felt awkward whenever their eyes would meet. The butterflies in her stomach were threatening to break free and she could not have it. She could feel her body responding to how close he was to her.

“I know,” She spoke, trying to regain any composure she had in her body.

“Then why aren’t you speaking to me?” He asked as he tried to stop her eyes from moving all over the place.

She shrugged her shoulders and he let out a huge sigh, followed by his favorite eye roll he loved doing. Her lip made it’s way between her teeth and she wondered if she was just prolonging these feelings. Her mind was trying to wrap itself around what it had learned but she was about ready to let it out. Would it be tacky because he is getting married? It would look like she wanted him to herself and did not want to lose one of the best things in her life, which could be translated as a jealous best friend. She was stuck in some kind of conundrum and it was really doing her in more than anything in her life.

“Bren,” She blurted out, clearing her throat, “I don’t like who you are marrying today.” She told him, although it was true she had chickened out from what she really had wanted to tell him.

“I figured as much,” he finally let out, a side smirk on his face as he loosened his tie a bit. “Which is why I had called off the wedding.”

She looked to him and her eyes widened, wondering why he had just told her now and what about all of the guests? Her mouth was opening and closing, not even knowing what to say. No words were able to spill out because his lips were on hers before anything coherent could form. She practically melted into his arms before she braced her hands on his chest, pushing him away.

“What the hell?”

The smirk was still on his face but it was a full one now.

“I called off the wedding because I am in love with someone else,” He spoke, the words low along with his voice, his eyes a bit darker than they were before. “It took me forever to realize it, but you are everything that I want and need. You are the air that I breathe and the smell that I love. There is no one else like you at all and I cannot see myself with anyone else. I know I had waited too long and then I met Emily and figured that hey, she loved me…”

He trailed off when she put a hand over his mouth and gave him a look, “You’re lucky I love you too.”

He smiled and pulled her into his arms, placing a sweet kiss to her lips. This was the best day of her life and even after twenty-five years of marriage and two kids, she still loved him. He was her rock and the person she could go to without judgment. She did not hide anything from him and they were able to work through anything that they would argue about. She was lucky to have married her best friend and that he had noticed it before he had married the wrong one. Life was perfect.