Chapter Twenty-Three: Lacey

I didn’t see Ezra again until we were two hours away from the ceremony. Since he was standing as a groomsman at his brother’s wedding, I was able to use the room to get ready privately. My emotions were all over the place, but I knew my only option was to push them down, bury them, and try to get through this night so we could go home afterward and hope everything went back to normal.

I’d packed a beautiful, strappy black dress for the wedding, but my fingers trembled as I got dressed. I felt tired and weary, but I knew it didn’t matter the amount of sleep I did or didn’t get; my emotional response was way beyond rest. I was just—tired. Tired of all of it.

Elijah and Ava’s ceremony would be held on the beach at sunset, where they would exchange vows, kiss, and acknowledge their undying love for one another. Afterward, the ballroom in the hotel would host the reception. The open bar was what I was looking forward to the most.

At a quarter to seven, one hour until the wedding, I made my way downstairs and wandered outside to find the beautiful little setup they had on the beach. Many guests were already there, seated in beautiful, white chairs in the sand. I spotted Tabitha and Kevin in the front and was just about to sit down on an empty seat in the back when Tabby caught my eye and signaled.

“You’re up here with us, darling,” she said as I approached, patting an empty seat next to her. “This is where the family sits.”

Feeling simultaneously undeserving and yet somehow flattered, I took a seat beside Tabitha with a smile. She reached over for my hand and squeezed it, and I could tell that she was sober for the first time this entire trip.

“You look lovely,” she whispered, and I flushed.

“Thank you, Tabby.”

“How is Ezra?” she asked. “Do you know if he’s getting ready?”

“I actually haven’t seen him much today,” I admitted, hoping that he wasn’t off drunk somewhere in the sand. “I hope he found Elijah.”

Tabitha nodded, keeping a hold of my hand. “I can’t believe my oldest son is getting married,” she said, her eyes misting over with what I hoped were tears of joy. “It seems like just yesterday that he and Ezra were little boys, playing peewee football and fighting over girls.”

I laughed, remembering this well. “Sometimes, with Ezra, it still feels like he’s that teenage boy,” I said with a grin. “Not much has changed.”

“Yes,” mused Tabby. “Ezra has always been my—wild child, I guess you could say.”

“He takes after his father in that regard,” Kevin piped up, glancing past Tabitha to wink at me. She huffed, but it was playful.

“That’s not wrong at all.”

“You have raised wonderful boys into men,” I assured them. “And I love all of you.”

“As we do you,” said Tabby. “You’re the daughter we never had, Lacey. Thank you for taking care of the boys when we couldn’t.”

I said nothing to this, only smiled and nodded. I wasn’t sure that Tabitha and Kevin had any idea how much their messy divorce had impacted the boys, especially Ezra, but it wasn’t something that had to be brought up now. Either Ezra would get past it and learn to trust again, or he wouldn’t. The week I’d just spent with him made me realize that nobody could change Ezra. He’d have to do that himself.

“It’s almost time,” Tabitha breathed, squeezing my fingers as Elijah walked out and stood below the alter. He looked amazing, dressed in a snazzy tuxedo. The smile on his face was genuine, and a moment later, his groomsmen joined him. Ezra, of course, came out last and stood next to his brother like a proper best man, and he looked so damn handsome that I almost fell sideways out of my chair. However, I managed to catch my breath first, even when Ezra spotted me next to his parents and shot me a smile that made my blood sizzle in my veins.

“My boys,” whispered Tabby, and I nodded in agreement. They both looked beautiful, and there was no denying it.

A few minutes later, the music began to play as the sun went down over the horizon, painting the beach in purple, orange, and blue hues. It was a sight and a stunning memory to hold forever as Ava walked out and down the aisle, arm and arm with her father, who beamed as he handed her off to Elijah. She looked absolutely stunning, of course, and I felt like I was in some fantasy dream as Elijah and Ava exchanged their vows, their rings, and kissed—finally becoming husband and wife for the first time. By the time they gripped hands and turned to face the guests, beaming, there wasn’t a dry eye on the beach.

It was time for the party.

The flurry of activity that came next kept me glued to my seat as family members, friends, and guests made their way to the ballroom, laughing, talking, and celebrating. Once the chairs were mostly cleared, I stood to join the party, making my way by myself towards the venue. Ezra was nowhere to be seen, but I figured he was with his parents or Elijah, which was fine. Maybe I could get a drink or two in before I confronted him again.

The ballroom was decorated beautifully. A stunning show of white lights, candles, a dance floor, an open bar, a live band, and a long table filled with delicious-looking food greeted the new bride and groom and the guests. I found a small, empty table in the corner, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd, and took a seat there, wishing I could kick off my heels and massage my feet. Heels were a special occasion sort of footwear, and they were already making my feet hurt.

I was in the middle of considering grabbing something to eat or drink when Ezra appeared, somehow finding me in the crowd. He was balancing two plates of food in his hands, and he nodded at the empty chair across from me as though asking for permission to sit.

“Go ahead,” I told him, hating how much my body physically reacted to the black suit he wore so well. It made him look older than he was but in a good way. Distinguished and endearing. Grown-up.

Sexy as sin.

“Have I told you yet how beautiful you look?” Ezra asked, dispersing one of the plates of food in front of me before taking a seat across from me with his own plate. I looked down at mine, noticing that the plate was filled with all my favorite things. Because who knows you better than your best friend?

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” I said, reaching at once for the cheeseburger on my plate. Count on Elijah to have cheeseburger makings at his fancy Hawaiian wedding. I couldn’t have planned it better myself.

“No flattery here,” said Ezra, digging into his pasta salad. “Just honesty. You look beautiful.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself. Gussy.”

“Gussy?” he repeated. “Okay, I’ll take gussy.”

I smiled despite myself and focused on the plate of food before me, avoiding bringing up the very conversation I knew we should be having. But for a moment, things were good again, and Ezra and I were just two best friends enjoying burgers at a wedding. That’s how I liked it, and that’s how I wished it would stay.

“They look happy,” I mused, catching sight of Elijah and Ava as they walked onto the dance floor for their first dance. Ezra glanced up from his plate and nodded. His eyes followed the happy couple as they stepped to the music, wrapped in each other’s embrace, smiling and giddy as kids at prom.

“Elijah is really happy,” he said. “I didn’t realize how happy he was until I spent some time with him today while we were getting ready for the ceremony. He’s just … happy. Like, he’s happier with her than he’s ever been.”

“Finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with will do that,” I said softly, and briefly, Ezra’s eyes met mine over the table, but he said nothing to this and, after a moment, merely resumed eating his food. “Thanks for dinner,” I said, pushing my plate away. My annoyance grew again, especially after our conversation on the beach, and I decided that I would enjoy tonight without worrying about Ezra. He could do what he wanted, and so could I.

“Where are you going?” he asked as I stood from the table.

“To get a drink. Enjoy the reception.”

Ezra opened his mouth like he wanted to argue but then shut it again and watched me walk away, dropping his fork onto his plate with a clatter. I went straight to the open bar and ordered a martini, taking a seat at one of the empty barstools so I wouldn’t have to go back to the table to sit with Ezra.

I sat there alone for a few minutes, sipping on my martini and wondering if I should call it an early night. I was about to get up and leave when the bartender scooted a beer bottle in my direction, then turned and walked away. Without thinking twice about it, I reached for the beer and took a sip, figuring that they must have thought I’d ordered something else as I’d been sitting here. As I put the bottle back down on the countertop, a guy approached me from the side. He was dressed in a suit, and I recalled seeing his face in Elijah’s lineup from the ceremony. He was one of the groomsmen.

“Hi,” the guy said, holding out his hand for me to take. “I’m Matthew.”

I was caught off guard, wondering if this super good-looking guy was actually speaking to me or someone behind me that I couldn’t see. When it finally dawned on me that he was waiting for me to shake his hand, I offered mine.

“Lacey,” I said, flushing. “Nice to meet you.”

“How’s that beer?” Matthew asked, taking up residence on the empty stool beside me. “It’s my favorite.”

Horrified, I nearly spat out whatever swallow was in my mouth, looking around in shame to see if anyone had noticed.

“Jesus,” I said, fumbling like an idiot as I handed his tainted beer over. “I’m so sorry. I thought it was a mistake, but I was ready to drink it anyway.”

“Oh, no worries,” said Matthew, flashing me a smile that nearly made my knees go weak with anticipation. “It actually finally gave me a reason to talk to you. I’ve wanted to all night.”

“Me?” I said. “You’ve been wanting to talk to me all night?”

“Yes, you.”

“Are you sure?” I joked. “That doesn’t sound accurate.”

Matthew laughed at this, throwing his head back, and butterflies pattered against the inside of my stomach. He was handsome, this guy, and a quick glance at his finger showed me that he wasn’t married (hopefully), and he was hot, too. That helped.

“Are you here for the bride or the groom?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Oh, both,” I said like an idiot. “But I knew the groom first. A family friend.”

“Same,” Matthew said. “Elijah and I went to college together.”

“Let me guess; frat brothers?”

“Actually, yes,” he said with a laugh. “How could you tell?”

“I don’t know,” I mused, taking a sip from my own drink. “I guess you just seem like the type.”

“Compliment or insult?”

“A little bit of both, probably.”

“You’re clever.”

“I try,” I said with a laugh, and Matthew smiled.

“Lacey, would you like to dance with me?” he asked, reaching out a hand for me to take. I hesitated, but only briefly. Ezra had made his feelings clear; we were friends with benefits, nothing more, so there wasn’t anything to stop me from expanding my horizons.

“I would love to,” I said earnestly, sliding off the stool as Matthew took my hand and led me to the dance floor. Some slow, sultry song was playing, and his arms went straight around my waist, pulling me in close. For once, I didn’t mind. I needed this.

We swayed to the music for a moment, Matthew’s hands on my waist and my arms around his neck. He smelled outstanding, like expensive cologne and aftershave, and I had to make a valiant effort not to close my eyes and physically sniff him.

“You are one of the prettiest ladies in attendance tonight,” Matthew murmured to me. I chuckled and shook my head, leaning into him as we danced. Heat rose up my neck, without a doubt flushing my cheeks with red.

“Are you always this charming?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Only after a drink or two. Liquid courage, you know?”

“I definitely know.”

Matthew subtly pulled my body closer to his until I could rest my chin on his shoulder. I closed my eyes, relishing the moment. It had been far too long since a guy had danced so intimately with me. Suddenly, I knew precisely what Tilly meant when she said to find someone else. I didn’t care if this was temporary or if I ever saw Matthew again after the wedding; now, I would enjoy every moment.

“Hey,” he whispered in my ear as we swayed. “What would you think if—?”

His words were cut off suddenly as someone tapped on my shoulder from behind. Matthew dropped his hands from my waist as I turned to see who it was, coming face-to-face with Ezra.

“Mind if I cut in?” he asked Matthew, his eyes locked on my face. I groaned inwardly, feeling my hands ball up into fists.

“Not now, Ezra,” I mumbled, but he ignored this, glancing from me and to Matthew. A slight scowl played on his lips, and I wanted to smack it off his face.

“Oh, um, sure,” said Matthew, stepping back. “Of course.” He smiled at me and reached out to squeeze my hand, but Ezra already held my other wrist and was pulling me away.

“What are you doing, asshole?” I snapped as Ezra placed his hands on my hips and began to dance, forcing me to do the same.

“I’m saving you,” he said innocently. “That asshole had his hands all over you.”

“That asshole has been nothing but kind to me since meeting him,” I seethed. “And who I dance with is none of your goddamn business.”

“Oh, give me a break, Lacey,” Ezra snapped. “Guys like that only want one thing, and we both know what it is.”

My jaw clenched painfully as yet again I had to resist the overwhelming urge to punch him right in the face. “Who cares, Ezra? Because I certainly don’t. Are you the only one who’s allowed to sleep around? Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m an idiot. I don’t care what he wants—did you consider that I want the same thing?”

He seemed caught off guard by this, but before he could say anything, the song ended, and I ripped away from him, turning to scan the crowd for Matthew. He was nowhere to be seen. I began to head back towards the bar for another drink, cursing at Ezra as he tried to follow me.

“Lacey, wait! Why are you upset?”

“Leave me alone, Ezra,” I snapped. “Seriously, just leave me alone tonight, okay? Go find some whore to fuck. I no longer care.”

I was sure he would fight me on this, but he didn’t. With a defeated sigh, he turned and walked away, vanishing a moment later into the crowd. I shook my head and sat down on the barstool to order another drink, still seething. The nerve of him! How dare he turn me down flat as nothing more than friends with benefits and then turn around and scold me for dancing with another man. Fuck him. I didn’t deserve that.

I was two and a half martinis in when Ava came up behind me, squeezing my shoulder as she slid onto the barstool next to me.

“Well, hello, you beautiful bride,” I said with a smile, leaning in to give her a hug. “You’re stunning, Ava, and I’m so happy for you and Elijah.”

“You’re so sweet, Lacey,” she said with a soft smile, ordering a glass of wine from the bartender. She looked absolutely ravishing in her jewel-studded dress, and I envied her entirely for a moment. I wanted marriage. I wanted a real relationship. I wanted happiness. “Hey,” she continued, nudging me playfully in the arm. “Is everything okay with you and Ezra? That dance a few minutes ago didn’t seem very friendly.”

I sighed and poked at the olive in my glass before pricking it with the toothpick to eat it. “I’m annoyed with him, that’s all,” I said with a shrug. “He’s kind of being a douche.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Ezra,” said Ava with a giggle. “The stories I hear from Elijah are pretty wild.”

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s my best friend for a reason, but he’s acting really childish about things.”

“Does this have something to do with you talking to Matthew?” Ava asked, and I nodded, surprised she’d been paying attention.

“Yeah. He asked me to dance, and we had a good time. Then Ezra stepped in to ‘save me,’ but it was humiliating. He’s being so possessive.”

“Matthew is a good guy,” said Ava. “I was happy to see you talking to him.”

“And look how well that worked out,” I grumbled.

“Do you think that Ezra might have feelings for you?” Ava asked, catching me off guard. But my answer was immediate and assured.

“No. He already told me he didn’t.”

“Just like that?”

“We slept together,” I told her, lowering my voice. “We’ve been sleeping together this entire week, but when I confronted and asked him about his true feelings, he said it was nothing but a friend with benefits situation. I’m nothing more to him than any other side chick he finds in between each hour.”

“Hmm.” Ava took a sip of her wine, mulling this over. “Maybe he’s just trying to look out for you,” she suggested. “You’re basically his family, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t give him a right to act like that.”

“No, you’re right,” she agreed. “It doesn’t. I’m sorry you’re going through this. I know you both just wanted to have a good time. It’s what we all want.”

“Oh, believe me, I’m having a great time,” I giggled. “I’m so thankful I came. It’s beautiful here, and the ceremony was magical. Thank you for being such gracious hosts.”

“Thank you for being here.” Ava reached out for another hug, kissing me on the cheek. “I’d better go continue to mingle,” she said with a soft sigh. “Come find me if you need me.”

“Thank you, Ava.”

“And Lacey?”

“Yeah?”

“Forget about Ezra. If he can’t see what’s right in front of him, he doesn’t deserve it.” She smiled kindly and then ambled off to mingle with the other guests. I turned back around on my stool and focused on my drink, feeling the buzz go straight to my head. I was seconds away from ordering another martini when someone else put their arm around me from behind. I started, almost spilling my drink, and looked up to see Matthew there as his arm slithered around my waist.

“You’re back,” I murmured, and he nodded, leaning down to whisper something in my ear.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked softly. “Go somewhere quiet?”

I opened my mouth to respond to this, but he was gone suddenly, ripped away from me before I could get a word out. I whirled around on the stool, horrified to see that Ezra had Matthew by the collar of his shirt and was mere inches from his face.

“Stay away from Lacey,” he growled, his fists tightening around Matthew’s shirt. “She’s taken, and she’s mine.”

“Ezra!” I yelped, spilling my drink down the front of my blouse as I slid off the bar stool to intervene. “What in the hell are you doing?”

Ezra didn’t answer, his eyes were focused on Matthew, and never in all the time I’d known him did his expression frighten me more.

“Hey, whatever,” Matthew said, putting his hands in the air. “It’s cool, bro. No worries.” He was clearly terrified, I could tell, and he refused to look at me as Ezra released his shirt and shoved him away, back into the bar counter. In a split-second Matthew was gone, and I whirled on Ezra, absolutely bubbling with rage.

“What in the fuck is wrong with you?” I hissed, trying to keep my tone at an acceptable level so as to not ruin the entire reception. Fortunately, it seemed as though only a few people had caught the bizarre moment, as the music was too loud to allow too much attention to be drawn in our direction.

“That asshole had his hands all over you,” Ezra snapped, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “All he wanted from you was a hookup, Lacey.”

“And what the fuck does it matter to you?” I demanded. “You managed to make it pretty damn clear last night that you and I are nothing but friends with benefits, so don’t you dare come at me with your jealous bullshit. We were just having fun, right, so what in the hell gave you permission to act like a damn prick?”

Ezra opened his mouth to say something, but I prattled on, too furious to let him off the hook this time.

“I am allowed to have my own fun, Ezra, as I am an adult, and that’s what I’m allowed to do. So, you know what? Fuck you. Fuck. You.”

“Lacey,” he started, but I couldn’t stand there and hear it. Instead, I wheeled away and stormed off in the opposite direction as the anger inside kept growing, boiling over, hot and scalding and painful. I couldn’t stand there and argue with him, face all those who were now giving us looks across the floor. I took a deep breath and then another as tears pressed against the back of my eyelids, threatening to spill over. Leaving Ezra standing like an idiot near the bar, I left the venue and headed down into the gardens, and past them and down to the beach, allowing the soft chill of the night to caress my skin as I walked. The path to the beach was dimly lit and empty, so I walked all the way to the edge of the water before sitting down in the sand, not caring anymore about anything happening back inside. I drew my legs up to my chest and closed my eyes, hoping the rolling crash of the waves against the shoreline would soothe my frayed nerves.

Take a deep breath, Lacey. Don’t let him ruin this week.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened with Ezra. We’d never had a fight quite like that, not ever. We were family. We were friends. But then again, I’d never seen him act like that around me, either. What in the hell had just happened?

The mood was over. The tears I’d been trying to hold back slipped down my cheeks as a chilly breeze whipped in from the water, making me shiver, but I couldn’t bring myself to get up and go back to the party. I didn’t want to go back to the room, either, if Ezra was there, ready to be a dick again. So, I stayed where I was for a few more minutes, wiping away the tears that stung my face. Just as I was about to stand up and warm up, someone plopped down next to me in the sand. It was Ezra.

“Aren’t you cold out here?” he asked, shrugging off his suit jacket to drape it across my shoulders.

“I’m fine,” I lied, unable to look at him. I knew I was a mess; he didn’t need to confirm it.

“I’m sorry,” he said, scooting closer to me in the sand as both gazed out over the dark water. “I’m sorry that that happened. I just—I don’t know what came over me.”

“Yeah, you better figure it out,” I muttered, considering getting up to leave. I was so angry with him, but I also wanted to hear what he said—if it was anything that wasn’t some petty excuse.

“Look, Lacey,” Ezra said, shaking his head. “Tonight, I got jealous. Really jealous. And—I’m not a jealous guy. I don’t know what happened.”

“I don’t either, Ezra, but your behavior was severely inappropriate.”

“I know. But when I saw that guy put his arm around you, I saw red. Like I couldn’t even think straight anymore. All common sense left me, and all I wanted to do was bash that guy’s face in.”

“Why?” I asked. “Because he took an interest in me? Because we wanted to have fun? Because for once in my life, a cute guy was actually interested in being near me? Or was it because only Ezra Trevino is allowed to whore around while his best friend watches from the sidelines?” I could feel myself getting riled up again, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the sweet Hawaiian air. I wrapped the tuxedo jacket tighter around my shoulders and shivered.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess I feel like you’re my date for the wedding, not anybody else’s. I—I don’t want anybody else touching you.”

“Jesus, Ezra, do you know how crazy you--?” My words were cut off as he leaned over suddenly and kissed me, pulling my face to his, slipping his tongue between my lips. Shocked, I tried to pull away, but he held me there, his grip tightening, his body pressing against mine in the sand. Still, I wanted to push him off, but his rock-hard body held me there, holding me captive against him. I moaned, hating how good it felt to taste him, kiss him, and be taken by him.

Ezra pushed me down into the sand until I was on my back, and one free hand slipped up my dress, rubbing me through the undies I wore as he kissed me hard, possessively, and as my hips rose to meet his hand I shuddered, unable to fight him still … unwilling to fight him.

I wanted him. Still. Always. Even now.